 In the 19th century, agriculture had been spread in the steppe and pastureland was increasingly converted to agricultural use.Even during the 18th century growing number of Han settlers had already illegally begun to move into the Inner Mongolian steppe and to lease land from monasteries and banner princes, slowing diminishing the grazing areas for the Mongols' livestock.While alienation of pasture in this way was largely illegal, the practice continued unchecked.