The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological NarrativeThis clearly written and engaging book presents a global narrative of the origins of the modern world. Unlike most studies, which assume that the 'rise of the West' is the story of the coming of the modern world, this history, drawing upon new scholarship on Asia, Africa, and the New World, constructs a story in which those parts of the world play major roles. Robert Marks defines the modern world as one marked by industry, the nation state, interstate warfare, a large and growing gap between the wealthiest and poorest parts of the world, and an escape from 'the biological old regime.' He explains its origins by emphasizing contingencies (such as the conquest of the New World); the broad comparability of the most advanced regions in China, India, and Europe; the reasons why England was able to escape from common ecological constraints facing all of those regions by the 18th century; and a conjuncture of human and natural forces that solidified a gap between the industrialized and non-industrialized parts of the world. |
Contents
The Material and Trading Worlds circa 1400 | 21 |
Starting with China | 43 |
Empires States and the New World 15001775 | 67 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
The Origins of the Modern World: Fate and Fortune in the Rise of the West Robert Marks Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
Admiral Zheng Africa agricultural Andre Gunder Frank armies Asia Asian Aztecs became biological old regime Black Death Braudel Britain British Cambridge University Press capital chap chapter Chinese cities civilizations coal colonial dar al-Islam developed dominance early East eighteenth century el Niño emperor England especially Eurasia Eurasian continent Eurocentric Europe European export famine Fernand Braudel force France French global growth Guangzhou historians huge human population ideas Imperial important Inca India Indian cotton Indian Ocean Industrial Revolution Japan labor land late living Malacca manufactured Mediterranean merchants Mexico military million modern world Mongol Mongol empire Mughal Muslim narrative nineteenth century nomads North numbers opium Opium War Ottoman Ottoman empire peasant percent political Pomeranz port Portuguese produced rise route rulers Russia ships silk silver slaves society Spanish steam story sugar Tenochtitlán textiles tion trade United wars wealth West Western world economy world history world system York