Before European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350By the end of the thirteenth century the regions of Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean area, and China were becoming integrated--through activities in an archipelago of cities located along major land and sea routes--into a world system of commerce and production, albeit one in which Europe still played a minor role. This book traces the formation of the system and explores how the Black Death, circa 1350, and the subsequent isolation of China under the Ming dynasty interrupted its further development. Abu-Lughod argues that demographic, geographic, and political factors, rather than any unique qualities of Western capitalism or "personality," account for the eventual triumph of "the West" during the ensuing period of six hundred years, and suggests that current transformations in the world system may signal the end of this aberrant phase of world history. |
Contents
Studying a System in Formation | 3 |
List of Illustrations and Maps | 34 |
Emergence from Old Empires | 43 |
Copyright | |
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Aden Al-Muqaddasi Arab Arabian Ashtor Asian Baghdad Basra became Black Death Bruges Cairo Calicut capital caravan Central Asia Champagne fairs Chapter China Chinese Chola circuit cloth coast commenda commercial Constantinople Crusaders culture decline developed documents early eastern economic Egypt eleventh empire entrepĂ´t Europe European exchange expanded Fatimid fifteenth century Flanders Flemish foreign fourteenth century Fustat Genoa Genoese Ghent Goitein Gujarat Hormuz Ibn Majid important Indian Ocean industry Islam Italian merchants Karimi Khan Labib land later long-distance trade Malabar Malacca Mamluk medieval Mediterranean Middle East Mongol Muslim Muslim merchants overland Palembang Peninsula period Persian Gulf population port Portuguese production prosperity Provins Red Sea region reprinted role Roover sailing Samarkand sea route ships silk slaves Southeast Asia spices Srivijaya Strait subsystem Sumatra Syria tenth century textile thirteenth century towns trans Troyes twelfth century Udovitch urban Venetians Venice western world system