Understanding the Global Approach in Environmental
Studies:Richards and the “social
learning/social ecology” argument
Contextualizing Richard’s Ideas:• An attempt to see human history as
interconnected—links b/w far away places such as the Netherlands and S. Asia
• To trace the origins of the modern global economy and its environmental impact long term (contrast w/ theories of the industrial revolution post 1850s)
• Understand the social/cultural impact of environmental interaction—on political structures, human activity, ethics
VOC trading ports
Commodities of Trade• From S. Asia:
– Textiles, mainly cotton– Silk yarn and brocades– Rice for Dutch colonies in SE Asia– Dyes such as indigo– Saltpeter (for gunpowder)
• From Netherlands:– Bullion, primarily silver
• Circulation b/w other points of trade:– Silver from American mines, Japan– Slaves from Africa and also India (less well known)
Characteristics of Trade• Not just a two-way trade b/w European companies such
as VOC and India• Multiple stops—American colonies, Africa, South East
Asia, Japan, China• VOC and other companies compete with Asian, Middle
Eastern, and African traders in Indian Ocean trade• By 1500s enjoy slight advantage due to
– Willingness to use guns on ships– Joint stock structure protects merchants from risk– Acquire local partners and access local credit– Ships from Atlantic adapted to deep oceans, local ships adapted
to costal bars/reefs (exception Chinese Junks)
Role of the States in Trade• Varies greatly from place to place• S. Asia—Mughals have an open economy,
encourage private/market enterprise, fully monetized, no restrictions on foreigners
• China/Japan—Active large economies, but centrally regulated, limit travel and trade by foreign merchants
• Dutch—economy much more dependent on trade than in Asia, largest shipping fleet in the world—in part due to history of naval warfare
Early Modern as a term• Starting in the 1940s historians began to argue that the
loose use of “modern” and the stereotypes associated with it were ahistorical and vague
• What does “pre-modern” or “modern” really mean?• Larger continuity of certain factors helped create
modernity as we know it—– Large centralized states with complex bureaucracies– Extensive record keeping and rising literacy– New global economies based on extensive credit and monetary
networks– Similar patterns of political, social, economic consolidation in
multiple world regions
For Environmental History this is significant because:
• Large bureaucratic states create cultures that valorize economic expansion and agriculture extension to generate revenue
• Monetized economies are heavier users of resources
• Capital has its own logic of constant growth • Eventually leads to a non-state actors—
companies, associations, etc. creating greater demands for commodities and resources
Background for the Dutch Wars and the Golden Age
• The struggle for Dutch independence is related to the consolidation of Hapsburg territories and its inheritance by Spanish monarch
• Netherlands has a larger protestant population• Local resistance to Spanish crown grows, Dutch
rally under Prince William of Orange• Dutch seek help from Elizabeth of England,
Count Anjou from France, and other Protestant states.
Points to consider (Similar points for Mughals):
• How did the experience of war and resistance shape the Dutch state?
• What impact did this have on the Dutch Economy?
• In what ways did the scale and nature of Dutch economic/political activity impact the environment?
• What social behaviors did this encourage?
Mughal State in India
• Begins with Babur, a chieftain from the Ferghana Valley in Central Asia invading India
• Defeats local Indian Afghan, Turkish, Rajput aristocracy (both Hindu and Muslim)
• Establishes the Mughal Empire which will last till the 1720s.
Important Developments:• Greatest expansion and consolidation under
Akbar (ruled 1556-1605)• New centralized bureaucracy created• Hybridized Hindu-Persian-Turkish court creates
a common culture• Economy booms both in response to greater
peace, but also due to administrative reforms:– Expansion of agriculture– Extension of monetization and credit– Encouragement of trade– Flexibility in tax system
Comparison of Dutch/Mughal States
Dutch• 1.9 million people/42,000
sq km.• Northern, cooler climate,
impact of Little Ice Age• Decentralized state• Heavily dependent on
trade and manufacture, urbanized
• Mughal India• 100-150 million, 3.2
million sq km by 1700s• Warmer temp. climate
lesser impact of LIA• Highly centralized, but
with open economy• Largely agrarian, volume
of trade huge, but a tiny share of a much larger economy
Areas of settlement and agriculture
Rembrandt’s “Mughal” sketches
Top Related