social change the capitalist revolutions emerged from particular form of advanced agrarian state...
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Social Change
THE CAPITALIST REVOLUTIONS
Emerged from particular form of advanced agrarian state systems – Feudalism
in Europe and Japan (parallel evol) 800-1400s 1200-1800s
(Before Feudalism, peasant agricultural production was
less organized, less efficient, and less productive)
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FEUDALISM (more about capitalism later)
Note: throughout all of this, peasant life remained basically the same.
Europe 800 – 1450Japan 1200 – 1800’s (six centuries of development!)
Five characteristics:
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1. Landlord-Peasant exploitation - extraction of agricultural surplus by landlords/vassals from peasants.
Class structure – Europe: Landlords, Vassals, Peasants
[+ Merchants, Wageworkers]
Japan: Daimyo, Samurai, Peasants [+ Chonin, Hokonin]
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2. Landlords granted “fiefdoms” to vassals in return for service/loyalty --
“Manors” in Europe -- inherited property
“Owned” by families (inter-generationally)
-- but couldn’t be sold – “inalienable”
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3. Held together by military force
Landlords/vassals were also warriors/military
Leaders -- “warlords”
Loyalty/service included contributing to defense and conquest (often younger
sons)
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4. Oath of fealty --
tied landlords and vassals together forever (intergenerational)
Binding on subsequent generations, etc.
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5. Manors (vassals) granted much autonomy in
return for fealty and tribute (part of local surplus).
Unlike the Romans who allowed little autonomy
– autonomy one of the reasons for slow growth
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Coexisting with Feudal System were largely autonomous merchant towns, protected by landlords.
Based on internal and external trade and craft manufacture by wageworkers/hokonin. Elements included: Factories, wage labor, money-banking-contract systems, legal system, “neutral” govt.
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During the Feudal Period:
More organized peasant production produced
increasingly larger surpluses & growing pops.
Gradual growth of peasant popGrowth of wealth and pop of
landlords/vassals
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Landlords traded part of surplus to merchants
for luxury goods and some technology (to increase peasant prod).
(Landlord wealth in land & luxury goods --
Merchant wealth in money & eventually factories) *****
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Increasing productivity + pop growth expands
merchant towns faster than feudal manors.
Merchants continually expand trade networks
& factory production in towns
(at first feudal-type “craft work” -- later replaced by factory system and wagework
-- Why? More efficient & productive.)
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Merchants seek out colonies for precious metals (gold, etc.) & raw material for
indus (cotton-textiles, etc.). Early colonialism leads to early “Core” (colonizing & exploiting) & “Peripheral” (exploited) structure.
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Over several centuries, this process would have
led to industrialization anyway, but in Europe
and Japan, the Feudal systems “collapsed” and
this led to industrial revolutions rather than
gradual transitions.
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THE COLLAPSE OF FEUDAL SYSTEMS
Characteristics of states where collapse occurred & capitalism emerged
(England, Netherlands, Japan)
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-- Small size - more efficient organized state system and class structure.
less internal warfare
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-- Geography - large access to waterways, more efficient for transportation/trade.
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-- Climate - temperate
(colder climates not as agri productive, tropical climates had less assertive
states) Eventually warmer climates were
exploited for raw materials -- “peripheralized”
(e.g. US South & cotton).
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-- -- Dramatic population growth.
few constraints (wars, etc.)
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-- Most political autonomy for merchants
(in best interests of landlords who benefited
from trade).
Modeled after the fiefdoms!
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Where the feudal system worked best (small states on waterways with temperate climates), productivity was high, population growth was high, and landlords granted a lot of autonomyto merchants.
Productivity and population growth (surplus peasants) provided work force for merchants, and landlords were among the main customers.
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Over generations, population growth among the
landlords and vassals began to dilute the land-based system.
Inheritance increasingly broke up the manors and eventually landlords began to sell off land.
Primogeniture (oldest son inherits) was a response to this.
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Ironically, where feudalism was most successful
was where it collapsed,
spawning capitalism/industrialization.
Revolution and reorganization by merchants –
becoming capitalists
(Marx – the “bourgeois revolutions”)
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Next
Capitalism andEvolution of the WSYS