Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

The Relationship between Temperature Changes and Peacemaking Events between Farming and Nomadic Groups in Northern China over the Past 2000 Years

Yun Su Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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Yuan Kang Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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Xianshuai Zhai Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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Xiuqi Fang Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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Online Publication:
09 Apr 2021
Print Publication:
01 Apr 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-20-0153.1
Page(s):
327–339
Restricted access

Abstract

Climate change affects relationships between regions. The sequence of peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups in northern China from the Western Han to the Qing dynasty was constructed based on historical documents. We analyzed the impacts of climate change on ethnic relationships using war and temperature sequence data from previous studies. The main results are as follows: 1) There were 504 peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups, with an average frequency of 2.4 times per decade. Paying tribute (68.9%) occurred significantly more frequently than intermarriage for pacification (31.1%). The sequences showed different stages. 2) There were more peacemaking events during cold periods and fewer during warm periods. Intermarriage for pacification played a greater role in peacemaking during warm periods, while paying tribute was more important during cold periods. 3) High-incidence stages of war and of peacemaking events alternated. Peacemaking events occurred more frequently during cold periods and wars occurred more frequently during warm periods. 4) During warm periods, farming and nomadic groups had enough power to contend with each other, wars occurred frequently, and intermarriage was often used for peacemaking. During cold periods, agriculture and animal husbandry declined, both sides weakened, and the power difference between them usually increased. Wars rarely occurred, and paying tribute was often used for peacemaking. Ethnic relationships are affected by many factors. As a background factor influencing land productivity, climate indirectly affected conflict-resolution measures between farming and nomadic groups. We can hereby consider ways to manage interregional ethnic relationships under global climate change today.

Significance Statement

Because of a lack of research, this study aims to construct the long-term and high-resolution sequence of peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups in northern China to depict ethnic relationships with both war and peacemaking and explore how climate change affects them comprehensively. Findings showed that the groups chose war or peacemaking and decided whether the means of peacemaking would be intermarriage for pacification or paying tribute to resolve conflicts of interest according to the power gap influenced by climate change, which could provide a historical reference for dealing with the competition between groups for resources caused by global climate change today. Future work should explore the response mechanisms of ethnic relationships to climate change more comprehensively and deeply.

© 2021 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Yun Su, suyun@bnu.edu.cn

Abstract

Climate change affects relationships between regions. The sequence of peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups in northern China from the Western Han to the Qing dynasty was constructed based on historical documents. We analyzed the impacts of climate change on ethnic relationships using war and temperature sequence data from previous studies. The main results are as follows: 1) There were 504 peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups, with an average frequency of 2.4 times per decade. Paying tribute (68.9%) occurred significantly more frequently than intermarriage for pacification (31.1%). The sequences showed different stages. 2) There were more peacemaking events during cold periods and fewer during warm periods. Intermarriage for pacification played a greater role in peacemaking during warm periods, while paying tribute was more important during cold periods. 3) High-incidence stages of war and of peacemaking events alternated. Peacemaking events occurred more frequently during cold periods and wars occurred more frequently during warm periods. 4) During warm periods, farming and nomadic groups had enough power to contend with each other, wars occurred frequently, and intermarriage was often used for peacemaking. During cold periods, agriculture and animal husbandry declined, both sides weakened, and the power difference between them usually increased. Wars rarely occurred, and paying tribute was often used for peacemaking. Ethnic relationships are affected by many factors. As a background factor influencing land productivity, climate indirectly affected conflict-resolution measures between farming and nomadic groups. We can hereby consider ways to manage interregional ethnic relationships under global climate change today.

Significance Statement

Because of a lack of research, this study aims to construct the long-term and high-resolution sequence of peacemaking events between farming and nomadic groups in northern China to depict ethnic relationships with both war and peacemaking and explore how climate change affects them comprehensively. Findings showed that the groups chose war or peacemaking and decided whether the means of peacemaking would be intermarriage for pacification or paying tribute to resolve conflicts of interest according to the power gap influenced by climate change, which could provide a historical reference for dealing with the competition between groups for resources caused by global climate change today. Future work should explore the response mechanisms of ethnic relationships to climate change more comprehensively and deeply.

© 2021 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Yun Su, suyun@bnu.edu.cn
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