This course examines the relations between the human and natural worlds in Asian history. This class pays special attention to the impact of Asian farmers, merchants, indigenous peoples, and states on the natural world. The main focus is on China in the early modern and modern periods, but there will be some discussion of Japan, South, Southeast Asia, and Inner Asia. The basic themes include frontier conquest, land clearance, water conservancy, urban footprints, animals, and relations between agrarian and nonagrarian peoples. Recommended prerequisite: HIST 1618, HIST 1628, or HIST 1708.
