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Yale Agrarian Studies Series
The Yellow River: A Natural and Unnatural History
A three-thousand-year history of China’s Yellow River and the legacy of interactions between humans and the natural landscape
“No other scholar has produced such a systematic, comprehensive account of the long-term changes in the river’s function and structure. I consider it to be the definitive work on the topic of the Yellow River to date.”—Peter C. Perdue, author of China Marches The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia
From Neolithic times to the present day, the Yellow River and its watershed have both shaped and been shaped by human society. Using the Yellow River to illustrate the long-term effects of environmentally significant human activity, Ruth Mostern unravels the long history of the human relationship with water and soil and the consequences, at times disastrous, of ecological transformations that resulted from human decisions.
As Mostern follows the Yellow River through three millennia of history, she underlines how governments consistently ignored the dynamic interrelationships of the river’s varied ecosystems—grasslands, riparian forests, wetlands, and deserts—and the ecological and cultural impacts of their policies. With an interdisciplinary approach informed by archival research and GIS (geographical information system) records, this groundbreaking volume provides unique insight into patterns, transformations, and devastating ruptures throughout ecological history and offers profound conclusions about the way we continue to affect the natural systems upon which we depend.
“No other scholar has produced such a systematic, comprehensive account of the long-term changes in the river’s function and structure. I consider it to be the definitive work on the topic of the Yellow River to date.”—Peter C. Perdue, author of China Marches The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia
From Neolithic times to the present day, the Yellow River and its watershed have both shaped and been shaped by human society. Using the Yellow River to illustrate the long-term effects of environmentally significant human activity, Ruth Mostern unravels the long history of the human relationship with water and soil and the consequences, at times disastrous, of ecological transformations that resulted from human decisions.
As Mostern follows the Yellow River through three millennia of history, she underlines how governments consistently ignored the dynamic interrelationships of the river’s varied ecosystems—grasslands, riparian forests, wetlands, and deserts—and the ecological and cultural impacts of their policies. With an interdisciplinary approach informed by archival research and GIS (geographical information system) records, this groundbreaking volume provides unique insight into patterns, transformations, and devastating ruptures throughout ecological history and offers profound conclusions about the way we continue to affect the natural systems upon which we depend.
- GenresChinaHistoryEnvironment
376 pages, Hardcover
Published September 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 7, 2023
Excellent use of statistical graphics to uncover the history of the river. The author makes the case that the river's notoriously heavy load of silt is primarily the result of deforestation of the Ordos Plateau.
February 1, 2024
Magnificent longue duree history of the Yellow River basin that simultaneously transcends, incorporates and enriches the sociopolitical history of China.
Thesis: Yellow River basin was not always China’s sorrow; instead, its disastrous flooding is due to erosion on Loess Plateau on the middle course, which builds up sediment rapidly, and while Chinese bureaucrats were aware of issue, policymakers tend to only focus on (magnificent) engineering solutions on the floodplain downriver that never hold back the river indefinitely. The history of the Yellow River basin needs to be understood over millennia across the entire basin, and its relationship with political developments is a feedback loop. Flooding not correlated with climate change but with human activity and development leading to erosion.
It was amazing to think of the North China Plain in its natural state as a marshy floodplain instead of what it is today. I wish there were more literary moments helping us imagine a different world but the book is laser focused on marshaling resources to defend its thesis.
Prose is crisp but technical and dry. The maps are helpful but the tables/charts are not clear at all.
Overall, strongly recommend for any serious student of Chinese history (professional or amateur).
Thesis: Yellow River basin was not always China’s sorrow; instead, its disastrous flooding is due to erosion on Loess Plateau on the middle course, which builds up sediment rapidly, and while Chinese bureaucrats were aware of issue, policymakers tend to only focus on (magnificent) engineering solutions on the floodplain downriver that never hold back the river indefinitely. The history of the Yellow River basin needs to be understood over millennia across the entire basin, and its relationship with political developments is a feedback loop. Flooding not correlated with climate change but with human activity and development leading to erosion.
It was amazing to think of the North China Plain in its natural state as a marshy floodplain instead of what it is today. I wish there were more literary moments helping us imagine a different world but the book is laser focused on marshaling resources to defend its thesis.
Prose is crisp but technical and dry. The maps are helpful but the tables/charts are not clear at all.
Overall, strongly recommend for any serious student of Chinese history (professional or amateur).
April 7, 2022
An impressive work demonstrating the massive potential for digital humanities research and dissemination of ideas in academic circles, as well as in communication with a broader audience.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews