Origins of Globalization in the Framework of the Afroeurasian World-System History

Abstract

On Objectives and Tasks of the ArticleWithin the framework of this article we attempt to solve the following tasks: 1) to demonstrate that as early as a few thousand years ago (at least since the formation of the system of long-distance and large-scale trade in metals in the fourth millennium BCE) the scale of systemic trade relations overgrew significantly the local level and became regional (and even transcontinental in a certain sense);2) to show that already in the late first millennium BCE the scale of processes and links within the Afroeurasian world-system not only exceeded the regional level, as well as reached the continental level, but it also went beyond continental limits. That is why we contend that within this system, the marginal systemic contacts between the agents of various levels (from societies to individuals) may be defined as transcontinental (note that we deal here not only with overland contacts, because after the late first millennium BCE in some cases we can speak about the oceanic contacts -the most salient case is represented here by the Indian Ocean communication network [for more details see Chew in this issue]);3) to demonstrate that even prior to the Great Geographic Discoveries the scale of the global integration in certain respects could be compared with the global integration Grinin and Korotayev • Origins of Globalization 33in more recent periods. In particular, in terms of demography, even two thousand years ago a really integrated part of the humankind encompassed 90 per cent of the total world population. 1 Our analysis suggests that the above-mentioned marginal level of integration within the Afroeurasian world-system can be hardly considered as something insignificant or virtual; it substantially influenced the general direction of development and accelerated the development of many social systems. The article also deals with a number of other issues that are important both for the world-system approach and for the study of the history of globalization -such as the typology of the world-system links, peculiar features of the Afroeurasian world-system, the possible dating of the start of its formation, factors of its transformation into the planetary World System, and so on.

The Syrian Crisis and Iran's Mideast Politics. Global and Regional Dimensions

“…In fact, globalization considerably changes the states' sovereign prerogatives, as it contributes to changing and reducing of the scope of the states' sovereign powers (Grinin and Korotayev 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2011Grinin 2012). Syria's former political system and its institutions (Perthes 2001 143-154;Seal 1988: 420-440) have been deformed and the country's new environment has made them incapable of influencing the conflict without foreign assistance (Quilliam 1999: 27-60).…”

Demographic Transformations in the Light of Technological Development: Types of Demographic Reproduction in the Past and in the Future

“…This is, in particular the Near East, where a model has developed with a higher than in Europe but lower than in China population density due to more fertile soils; 4) an arid model, with infertile lands and sparse population, where nomadic animal husbandry was developed. Both models played important roles in history; the nomads were an element that united the World System and was a kind of barbarian periphery (Grinin, Korotayev 2012a, 2018Korotayev, Grinin, Grinin 2021. In addition, we may also speak about the African model, where farming was mainly non-irrigated and manual (Grinin 2011;Korotayev and Khaltourina, 2006;Korotayev et al 2016).…”

Great Divergence and Great Convergence

“…The point is that that the globalization does not only increase the number of economic ties, it also extends enormously the world economic space. And this means a constant transformation of the international division of labor, which in the developing countries, as we have seen above, was transformed from colonial to more advanced Actually this could have only happened in the following way-while advanced countries concentrated on the development of new sectors, the technologies of older generations must have been transferred to less developed countries (Гринин 2013 ;Grinin and Korotayev 2014 ; see also Amsden 2004 ). One should also take into account the exhaustion of labor resources in the developed countries, and the abundance of such resources in the Third World.…”