Were the Miao Kings "Prophets of Renewal"? The Case of the 1795-1797 Hunan Miao Revolt

This essay considers the concept of "prophets of renewal" introduced by James Scott in The Art of Not Being Governed:An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia (2009),as seen in the context of the 1795-97 Miao revolt along China's Hunan-Guizhou border.The appearance ofa "Miao King" and four "Wu kings" centering anti-Qing resistance in an intractable highland-utilizing native legends,spirit possession,investment of officials,and multi-ethnic recruitment-suggests a case of"Zomia" (the vast Southeast Asian Massif) prophets in action,as Scott himself suggests.Closer examination,however,reveals a more complex and uncertain picture,characterized by division between rival lords and an overall dearth of institutional,ideological,or cosmological elaboration,all further obscured by a paucity of historical sources.The Miao kings might be seen as prophets of renewal in a general sense,but the fit is inexact.There is still value,however,in considering Scott's model in the study of this event.It enables a sharper conceptualization of the agency of the Miao people,while offering a case for comparison with analogous instances of religiously-based native resistance on other Qing frontiers.     

On the Subject of the “Unified” Geography (Landscape and Ethnos,VI)

A theory of ethnogenesis is advanced, associating stability of ethnic communities with homogeneous landscapes and ethnic change leading to the formation of new communities with heterogeneous landscapes. The ethnic aspect of population, unlike the social and political aspects, is found to be a function of geographical factors. The study of the interplay between ethnic man and the environment does not require an integration of the geographic disciplines but can be investigated within the framework of a special discipline, say, ethnology within geography.     

18th‐Century pacific voyages of discovery, “big science”, and the shaping of an European scientific and technological culture

Abstract

The European exploration of the Pacific Ocean in the latter half of the eighteenth century is usually presented as part of the Enlightenment's quest for pure knowledge, knowledge which was shared freely in the “Republic of Letters”. In this essay, however, these expeditions are set against the background of a ferocious struggle between western European states to dominate the world, bringing together national political, commercial, military, and learned institutions, showing them to be more akin to today's “big science” than to an activity of free‐minded, autonomous, gentlemen. The holistic approach developed to apprehend “big science” in today's world is thus used to reexamine scientific cooperation as well as the circulation of men, objects, texts (including maps) and ideas in the politico‐economic context of early modern Britain, France and Holland, the relationship between this “big science” and eighteenth‐century, western European society, and how these shaped European scientific culture and identity. The paper ends with some reflections on the contrast between “big scientific” activity in the two periods.     

Notes on the Cameroon province (with special‐reference to the Bamenda division)

The location decisions of settlers to Upper Canada, 1782‐1851, are related to several factors. Initial settlement cores resulted from the previous pattern of French occupation and the need to strengthen the border with the United States. The availability of surveyed land influenced location decisions throughout the period. Of less significance were the land‐granting procedure and the various official policies which prompted land speculation and resulted in areas of reserved land.     

The gardens of Dunroamin: History and cultural values with specific reference to the gardens of the inter‐war semi1

The study of landscape and garden history is now well established and is beginning to widen its focus. The importance of the vernacular garden both as an expression of popular culture and as an important element in the contemporary environment is beginning to be recognised and is forcing a reappraisal of the concepts of heritage and a reassessment of established recording techniques and methodologies. This paper is part of a study of one type of popular garden and looks particularly at the contemporary response to the gardens of the inter‐war semi‐detached house and at their role as complex social and cultural artefacts.     

My Work as Secretary General of the KMT Tibet Office(Ⅱ)

EDITOR'S NOTE: As World War II was about to end in the 1940s, the KMT Government built the Xikang-Tibet Highway and dispatched troops into the region, and Chiang Kai-shek appointed Shen Zonglian Director of the Tibet Office. The KMT Tibet Office remained in operation until in 1949, when the Tibetan government reacted to "drive the Hans out of Tibet." The author of the following story was secretary general of the KMT Tibet Office at that time. The following is the second part o…     

On the distribution of certain forest trees in Scotland,as shown by the investigation of post‐glacial deposits

An attempt is made to identify the main trends in the development of physical geography as a distinctive discipline. In particular the relationship between physical and human geography is examined with a view to identifying possible paths for the future development of physical geography as an integrated discipline.     

Italian welfare as seen from the standpoint of the International Labour Organization (1944–68)

The evolution of Italian welfare cannot be properly understood unless it is viewed within a scenario that goes beyond the national one and accounts for both the different state experiences and geopolitical and supranational conditioning. By adopting a supranational standpoint, the aim of this article is to offer some new sources of reflection on the role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in conditioning and assessing the Italian welfare model starting from the end of the Second World War to the 1960s. I intend to linger both on the ILO’s role in urging the development of modern social security systems and the adoption of certain welfare measures and on the representation and assessments carried out by the ILO regarding the actual development of the Italian welfare state.     

Geography at Moscow University over the Last 50 Years (1917–67)

A review of geography at Moscow University by a former dean of the Geography Faculty /1956–66/. After a table of organization, developments are traced chronologically with emphasis on three aspects: (1) the relationship between geographers and practical needs; (2) the interplay among the geographic sciences, the integrated approach vs. the particular; (3) the role of Soviet geography on the world scene.     

The role of fluctuating soundscapes in shaping the emotional geographies of individuals living with Ménière’s disease

Abstract

The potential for everyday soundscapes to evoke diverse emotions amongst different cultural and acoustic communities is increasingly recognised within the literature. However, few studies have examined how these soundscapes can shift with the onset and progression of specific hearing impairments. This paper explores such shifts, drawing on a series of in-depth narrative interviews conducted in the south west of England with individuals diagnosed with Ménière’s disease; a long-term progressive vestibular disorder characterised by episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss and, for some people, hyperacusis (high sensitivity to sudden irregular sounds). Located in the subfield of ‘emotional geographies’, the paper discusses how participants were forced to connect with and attune to previously unremarkable aspects of their everyday soundscapes in ways that were both emotionally and socially challenging. Four aspects of participants’ embodied, emotional soundscapes are critically explored: hearing life in ‘2D’; corporeal and environmental ‘sonic intruders’; corporeal sound ‘symbols’; and seeking to regain a semblance of control through soundscape (re)-negotiations. Such insights are important to inform conscious acoustic design efforts that respect the ‘ears and voice’ of people living with varying levels of auditory sensitivity, rather than urban and community planning policies that continue to prioritise vision and transit.