The World Imagined: Collective Beliefs and Political Order in the Sinocentric, Islamic and Southeast Asian International SocietiesTaking an inter-disciplinary approach, Spruyt explains the political organization of three non-European international societies from early modernity to the late nineteenth century. The Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires; the Sinocentric tributary system; and the Southeast Asian galactic empires, all which differed in key respects from the modern Westphalian state system. In each of these societies, collective beliefs were critical in structuring domestic orders and relations with other polities. These multi-ethnic empires allowed for greater accommodation and heterogeneity in comparison to the homogeneity that is demanded by the modern nation-state. Furthermore, Spruyt examines the encounter between these non-European systems and the West. Contrary to unidirectional descriptions of the encounter, these non-Westphalian polities creatively adapted to Western principles of organization and international conduct. By illuminating the encounter of the West and these Eurasian polities, this book serves to question the popular wisdom of modernity, wherein the Western nation-state is perceived as the desired norm, to be replicated in other polities. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The HistoricalSociological Approach to Understanding | 15 |
Collective Beliefs and Visions of Order | 34 |
East Asian Collective Beliefs | 83 |
The East Asian Interstate Society and the Westphalian | 133 |
Collective Imagination and the Conduct of Interpolity | 214 |
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The World Imagined: Collective Beliefs and Political Order in the ... Hendrik Spruyt No preview available - 2020 |
Common terms and phrases
accounts actions actors agreements approach argues Asia authority Central century challenges changes chapter China Chinese Christian civilization claims collective beliefs colonial concept Confucian Consequently constituted continued created cultural defined discussion dominant dynasty early East economic emerged emperor empires engaged equality Europe European example existed forces formal given groups historical idea identity imagination imperial important included influenced interaction interests international relations international society interpretation Islamic Japan king Korea later legitimate logic material means military Ming Mongol Moreover Mughal multiple Muslim nature norms notes organization Ottoman particular patterns performance Persian perspective polities position practices principles Qing recognized regarding region relations religion religious rituals role rule rulers Safavid scholars served shared similar Similarly social Southeast Asian sovereign specific status structure suggests territorial theory tion treaties tributary system understanding United universal various West Western Westphalian