Exile from the Grasslands: Tibetan Herders and Chinese Development Projects

The Chinese government's Great Opening of the West strategy led to the displacement of Tibetan pastoralists to urban areas, causing social and economic shifts and uncertainty. Jarmila Ptáčkovas' study Exile from the Grasslands documents this process, which is happening largely outside the view of the wider world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 188 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Publisher: University of Washington Press

At the dawn of the new millennium, the Chinese government initiated the Great Opening of the West, a comprehensive development strategy aimed at revitalizing remote regions predominantly inhabited by indigenous ethnic groups. With the primary objective of modernizing infrastructure and mitigating environmental degradation, its tactics in western China have led to the forced displacement of Tibetan pastoralists to urban environments and sedentary livelihoods. This seismic shift has resulted in profound social and economic transformations, as well as heightened uncertainty, ultimately giving rise to signs of discontent in ethnically Tibetan regions.

Drawing from over a decade of fieldwork, Exile from the Grasslands offers a poignant and insightful account of the perspectives of both the affected individuals, Tibetan pastoralists residing in Qinghai Province, and the Chinese officials responsible for their relocation and settlement in newly constructed housing projects. As China's international influence continues to grow, the well-being of its ethnic minorities and its approach to environmental issues are attracting close media scrutiny. Jarmila Ptáčková's study sheds light on a politically and ecologically significant process that, unlike events in Lhasa or Xinjiang, largely remains outside the global consciousness.

The Great Opening of the West, initiated by the Chinese government, aimed to modernize infrastructure and mitigate environmental degradation in remote western regions inhabited by indigenous ethnic groups. However, its tactics led to the displacement of Tibetan pastoralists to urban areas and sedentary livelihoods, causing significant social and economic shifts and uncertainty. This displacement has sparked discontent in ethnically Tibetan regions, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and sustainable development approach that respects the cultural and environmental heritage of these communities.

Weight: 302g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780295748191