The Role of Geography in Dynastic China
This post was written as an examination in the Premodern History of China, a course I took at Stockholm University, and is available as a PDF here.
Throughout Chinese history, there have been two great divides. First, that of the east-west, and later the north-south. These two dynamics have been instrumental in how Chinese society looks today and of how the history of imperial and premodern China played out. While China has had contacts with the outside world since time immemorial, it has been isolated from the outside world due to its geographic boundaries. To the north, large steppes and desert that makes settled agriculture largely impossible, as well as major mountain ranges. The west has large deserts and the major obstacle of the Tibetan plateau in the south-west, and further to the south tropical forests and a dense network of mountains. Finally, to the east lies the world’s largest ocean, the pacific, with only the islands of Japan and Formosa, as well as the Korean peninsula before a reaching expanse. These borders have shaped the Chinese frontier, but a multitude of geographic features have also impacted the Chinese interior.
The concept of the Chinese state originated in middle Huang He, where it merges with the wei river. The city of Chang’an served as the capital for numerous early Chinese dynasties such as the Zhou, Qin, Han and Sui dynasties due to its location in the easily defensible and fertile wei river valley. The north’s intermittent rainfall allowed for early irrigation systems that required more advanced social organisations1
Ch’ao-ting Chi, “Key Economic Areas in Chinese History, as Revealed in the Development of Public Works for Water-Control”. (London: Allen and Unwin, 1936), xxiv + 168.
George B. Cressey. “The Geographic Regions of China”. Worcester: Clark University.
Owen Lattimore, “An Inner Asian Approach to the Historical Geography of China”. Walter Hines School of International Relations: Johns Hopkins University. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1789948
In contrast to the north, the south is mountainous and wet; the primary food crop is rice and the population is concentrated along narrow river valleys4
G.B. Roorbach. “China: Geography and Resources”. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,
Vol. 39, China: Social and Economic Conditions. 1912. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1012079
Luo Guanzhong, “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. Translated by C.H. Brewitt-Taylor. Adelaide: The University of Adelaide Library. 2013. https://archive.org/details/romance-of-the-three-kingdoms-ebook
The difficultly of travelling north-south compared to travelling along the Huang He or Yangtze and their tributaries in the east-west axis means that there was developed a distinct cultural boundary between the two. As early as the Romance, Sun Quan quipped “So the southerners can’t ride, eh?”6
Guanzhong, “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. 1074.
Chi, “Key Economic Areas in Chinese History, as Revealed in the Development of Public Works for Water-Control”. 1.
The interplay between geography and the historical trajectory of dynastic China highlights the significant role that physical landscapes play in shaping societal development. The unique agricultural practices, cultural identities, and political frameworks arising from geographic divisions have impacted the form and path of ancient China. An understanding of these geographical impacts is essential for a comprehensive appreciation of China’s multifaceted history and ongoing narrative, as they illuminate the lasting legacy of the land in influencing the lives and identities of its populace. This geographic perspective is a key way to look into how historical legacies inform challenges and aspirations throughout the vast scope of premodern China.