Common Property and Power: Insights from a Spatial Analysis of Historical and Contemporary Pasture Boundaries among Pastoralists in Central Tibet

Abstract

Significant political and economic changes occurred in Tibetan pastoral areas after the 1950s: Tibet's political economy was transformed from a feudal theocracy, to collectivized communes (1967- 1980), through to the contemporary hybrid of capitalism and socialism (1981-present). These sweeping changes prompt this investigation into the dynamics of common property in relation to political developments. Given the marginality of Tibet's environment, it is tempting initially to hypothesize that resource use and property regimes were determined by natural conditions, which inherently limited alternatives, rather than political circumstances. Following this line of thinking, one would posit that ecological factors like climate change and bio-productivity were determinative of Tibetan herders' adaptive choices and arrangements for sharing resources. Moreover, one would presume stability in the location of pasture boundaries and venture that opportunities of resource access have not changed significantly, despite tumultuous changes in Tibet's governance. Instead, this article documents how territorial boundaries and patterns of resource availability in the Porong region have, in fact, been dynamic and are more complex than common property theorists have generally insinuated. Having compiled and analyzed data from historical archives, field observations, interviews, and satellite images, this article argues that common property regimes are contingent on political processes and that state entities have played a central and abiding role in the delineation of pastures boundaries, access to rangeland resources, and the mediation of conflict.