The King's Harvest: A Political Ecology of China from the First Farmers to the First Empire

This book explores the environmental history of early China's political systems, using newly available Chinese archaeological data. It argues that the growth of states in ancient China was based on their ability to exploit the labor and resources of those who harnessed photosynthetic energy from domesticated plants and animals. The state of Qin is used as an example to demonstrate how complex political structures managed and expanded agroecosystems, leading to human domination of the central Yellow River region and the rest of the planet.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 07 January 2022
Publisher: Yale University Press

A comprehensive environmental history of early Chinese political systems, encompassing newly accessible Chinese archaeological data, delves into the transformative journey of China over four thousand years. This book explores the ecological consequences of unsustainable growth, as Chinese states replaced diverse ecosystems with monocropping grain states. While all states have had a detrimental impact on the environment, it is the state that holds the key to rescuing us from the current crisis. The specters of ancient China continue to haunt our modern world, making this analysis both brilliant and disturbing.

Brian Lander's book offers a multidisciplinary exploration of the ecology of China's early political systems, spanning from the formation of agricultural systems in lowland North China to the fall of the first empire in 207 BCE. Lander meticulously traces the transformation of the plains, previously characterized by diverse forestland and steppes, into farmland. He argues that the growth of states in ancient China and elsewhere was fueled by their ability to harness the labor and resources of individuals who cultivated photosynthetic energy from domesticated plants and animals.

In his focus on the state of Qin, Lander employs a wealth of new scientific, archaeological, and excavated documentary sources to make a compelling case that the human domination of the central Yellow River region and the rest of the planet was facilitated by the development of complex political structures that managed and expanded agroecosystems. Through this comprehensive analysis, Lander sheds light on the intricate interplay between political power, environmental change, and human society in ancient China, offering valuable insights into the origins and prospects of environmental history in China and beyond.

Weight: 612g
Dimension: 166 x 247 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300255089