HST 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Indus River, Hybridity
Document Summary
1/2 of the area of china is dry. Desert habitat (dry) - nomadism, herding, few people. Monsoon habitat (wet) - farming, settled communities, and lots of people--99% of them. Rice (and wheat and other grains) - made civilization possible, organizes society. Tax collection - extra money is given away. Corvee labor - preindustrial times, taxation by working for the king/representative x. High number of days you had to work on the road, cut grass, etc. for the government War and marauding armies and bands - being in the middle of wars. Named the biggest highland area zomia - sw china, vietnam, burma, laos, etc. Aside from hills, people escape to deserts, swamps, and distant territories. James scott - the art of not being governed. Kingdoms in asia were always ruled from the center to the edge. The power of the king was greater in the center than the edge.
