Before European Hegemony Free Essay Example, 1500 words

In my opinion, the period covered in the readings is important from the point of view of understanding why Europe rose to prominence after the middle ages and what were the contributing features to the rise of Europe in the latter part of the millennium. Further, the fact that Islamic civilization flowered during these times is an important indicator of the way things were in the world system during the middle ages. The fact remains that there is always an ebb and flow of the civilization’s characteristic and the point that though the crusades had failed, Europe rose to pre-eminence mostly as a consequence of learning the lessons from the debacle and the fact that there were renewed bursts of activity in the period immediately following the Middle Ages. The European renaissance began mostly as a result of the rise in cities following the crusades. In this part of the paper, I look at the development of cities and the role that they played in this tumultuous chapter of world history. To quote from the readings, â€Å"The thirteenth century was remarkable for the way in which so many cultures across the old world and the new world came together† (Abu-Lughod, 4) This quote underscores the fact that this was time when the leading powers of the world engaged with each other culturally and economically to produce a fusion of sorts in the scientific advances that were a hallmark of the world system. According to Abu-Lughod, the development of capitalist systems of thought and practice began during this period as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Before European Hegemony or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The readings note that the dating of the capitalist system is something that has eluded many people including Marx. However, Abu-Lughod makes a strong pitch for the theory that the early beginnings of the capitalist system began in the time period corresponding to the middle ages. The readings make it clear the exchanges in commerce and trade that characterized this time and the resultant rise in mercantilist tendencies that accompanied the exchange can be thought of as the beginnings of capitalist systems. The middle ages were the first time in world history where established cities began to play a dominant role in the affairs of the regions and the countries. The fact that Cairo revived itself after the Black Death meant that the cities of the countries covered in the readings had their own forms of rejuvenation and revitalization that laid the foundations for their subsequent recovery. This is an important lesson for students of history concerne d with the rise and fall of civilizations.