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2.2 Asia on the Verge of the Great Divergence - Coggle Diagram
2.2 Asia on the Verge of the Great Divergence
China
Most studied region on the topic of divergence
California school:
Wong (1997) China and Europe experienced similar growth and innovation
Frank (1998), Pomeranz (2001): advanced regions of China and Europe underwent similar social and economic changes in the 17th and 18th centuries, "a world of surprising resemblances"
Lee and Feng (2002) on population, Li Bozhong (1998) on agriculture, Wang (2000) on capitalism
Critiques Huang (2002), Brenner and Isett (2002). Critiqued Malthusian explanations for divergence
Trade and consumption continued to be high in China. If Asian and European economies were performing similarly - when and why did they diverge?
Consensus was that divergence occured in the 18th century, explanations focussed on demographic explanations
Some stressed the superiority of European commercial practice
Thesis that Chinese economy stagnated in the 18th century has now been undermined
Andre Gunder Frank - China grew rapidly in the 18th century
E
xports increased from 1m tael in 1760s to 6m taels 1817-1833
(90% of this was tea), as good as England's growth
Caloric productivity was the same in southern China as in England. Above subsistence level, with disposible income
China imported an average of 7m taels worth of silver, chief import
A vibrant, growing, infrastructurally sound economy. Idea of divergence in 18th century is now debated
South-East and Central Asia
Closely related to Chinese trade
Anthony Reid (1997) shows rapid e
xport growth of more than 4% a yea
r. Maritime commerce between SE Asia and Chinesa
tripled
16th-18th century, extensive trade routes to Europe through C Asia
India
Historiography more controversial
From 16th century, there was a long lasting commercial boom. Markets and merchant networks expanded
In the nationalist / Marxist view, domestic textile production significantly declined alongside EIC colonisation. Increased poverty and famines among the peasantry (1770 Bengal Famine)
Almost no exports before 1796 to 100,000 pounds a year by 1810. India also payed captors sum as a form of tribute
Impact of Britain has caused a significant debate in scholarship
Revisionist school challenges conceptions of the decline of the Indian economy (Roy 1999). Argues Indian industries adapted and survived colonisation, continuing vitality
Historians like Parthasarati (1998) interested in arguing for the Indian economy's abilities of adaptation and survival
Kashmiri shawls adapted for British markets in the form of Paisley cloth, began to be produced in Scotland around 1830
Western manufacturers frequently imitated Asian designs and techniques
Historical narrative more and more nuanced
West Asia
In 18th century, industry went from expansion to contraction. New research highlights recovery from this contraction
Exceptional prosperity for Persia with the capture of Basrah, before two decades of civil war
Ottoman Empire
Anatolia was a main corridor of trade, bridging Asia and Eastern Europe
Contemporary historiography categorises it as a militaristic land empire, but dichotomies between land and maritime empires are increasingly questioned. Now seen as more mediterranean orientated
Prosperity of many ottoman cities dependend on trade, Bursa on silk. Rulers facilitated trade with caravansarais
Ottomans processed and re-exported Persian silks
Slaves were a significant part of the labour force, with upwards mobility based on production quotas
Persian-Ottoman wars in the 16th century had a significant impact on trade, with embargoes. Persia tried to trade through the Indian ocean
Levant company was a trade agreement (1581) between Ottomans and England for silk
Silk revenues important for the Ottoman state and taxed. Sophisticated handicraft industry
From mid 16th century,
price revolution
transformed the industry. Influence of inflation negatively impacted Anatolian industry. Profits in Bursa significantly decrease, but domestic production and export of silk increased
18th c saw growth of Italian silk industry. Bursa turned towards cultivation of raw silk. Decreases as British tastes turn towards Indian and Chinese silks
Asian economies were not stagnant in the period, but responded to changes in the global econmy as well as European encroachment
Places like Bursa respond to changes in the global economy. Stagnation thesis turned on its head