1. 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)

2. Social Change FEUDALISM (more about capitalism later) Note: throughout all of this, peasant life remained basically the same. Europe 800 – 1450 Japan 1200 – 1800’s (six centuries of development!) Five characteristics:

3. Social Change 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]

4. Social Change 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”

5. Social Change 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)

6. Social Change 4. Oath of fealty -- tied landlords and vassals together forever (intergenerational) Binding on subsequent generations, etc.

7. Social Change 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

8. Social Change 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.

9. Social Change During the Feudal Period: More organized peasant production produced increasingly larger surpluses & growing pops. Gradual growth of peasant pop Growth of wealth and pop of landlords/vassals

10. Social Change 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) *****

11. Social Change 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.)

12. Social Change 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.

13. Social Change 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.

14. Social Change THE COLLAPSE OF FEUDAL SYSTEMS Characteristics of states where collapse occurred & capitalism emerged (England, Netherlands, Japan)

15. Social Change -- Small size - more efficient organized state system and class structure. less internal warfare

16. Social Change -- Geography - large access to waterways, more efficient for transportation/trade.

17. Social Change -- 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).

18. Social Change -- -- Dramatic population growth. few constraints (wars, etc.)

19. Social Change -- Most political autonomy for merchants (in best interests of landlords who benefited from trade). Modeled after the fiefdoms!

20. Social Change 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 autonomy to merchants. Productivity and population growth (surplus peasants) provided work force for merchants, and landlords were among the main customers.

21. Social Change 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.

22. Social Change Ironically, where feudalism was most successful was where it collapsed, spawning capitalism/industrialization. Revolution and reorganization by merchants – becoming capitalists (Marx – the “bourgeois revolutions”)

23. Social Change Next Capitalism and Evolution of the WSYS