The relationship between the spread of the Catholic Church and the shifting agro-pastoral line in the Chahar Region of northern China

摘要

The Great Wall of China roughly follows a transition belt between subhumid region and arid/semiarid region, often thought of as a boundary between agricultural and pastoral area. However, in the mid-18th century, the farming activity began to cross the Great Wall and infiltrate the pastoral region. The agro-pastoral line moved substantially northwards and westwards resulting in a changing landscape beyond the Great Wall. The Catholic Church, which had been proselytizing in Inner Mongolia since the turn of the 18th century, played an important role in this historical process. This paper evaluates the role of Catholic churches in this shift of the agro-pastoral line in Chahar Region in the 19th century.