The Europeans were able to increase their influence over the globe in the early modern period in an unprecedented manner. This was due to a combination of factors specific to their geographical and political circumstances. The extent to which Europeans truly influenced the globe is debated by revisionist historians, particularly those from Asian nations, who questioned the standard narrative of superiority as the force behind European domination. However, European nations clearly established unparalleled links with foreign nations across the globe, and this was made possible by the political will of European states, the development of naval power and superior arms, and their strategy of interaction with Indigenous peoples.
The political …show more content…
The Chinese and Europeans both completed imperial expansions, but the Chinese focused on the expansion of their borders, not on overseas territory. Thus the Chinese empire was agrarian in nature, possible due to their large landmass, which Europe lacked. Revisionists such as the Chinese historian Wong argue that the Chinese had no interest in expanding, as they were “too strong and too successful”. Due to the success of their agrarian economy, the Chinese saw overseas expansion in terms of its associated problems, rather than the revenue it could produce. This, however, is a nationalistic perspective, which preserves China’s dignity by suggesting that the European states were inferior because of their need to expand. However, the revisionists are correct in identifying that the political will of the state was key to increasing influence. Europeans were able to extend their influence by lending support to overseas trading expeditions. The British navy gained funding from the profits of their commercial endeavours, feeding back into the expansion of influence. Contrastingly, the Chinese government encouraged an agrarian economy and therefore did not support Chinese merchants financially or militarily. Thus the Europeans were able to increase their influence due to the political will of the state built on geographical …show more content…
This has been linked to the unique political and geographical environment of Europe, which pitted states against each other for 71% of the period between 1550 and 1600. The warfare necessitated the creation of new technology such as the harnessing of gunpowder, in order to gain an advantage over other states. The development of these technologies was less useful for countries such as China, who fought nomads, or for Japan who experienced a period of peace after unification under Tokugawa Shogunate. The superior firepower of guns, armour and steel swords and lances provided a technological advantage that was used in conquering the Incas in America, with their softer bronze weapons and padded armour. However, superior arms was a facilitative factor, and not an obligatory one for Europe, as other empires such as the Omanis successfully attacked Europeans. Linking this back to political will, Andrade remarks that “the technology gradient was not steep enough to prevent a dedicated polity from making up the deficit”. Thus the Europeans were able to expand their influence through maritime technology, but their superior armaments were beneficial rather than
The political …show more content…
The Chinese and Europeans both completed imperial expansions, but the Chinese focused on the expansion of their borders, not on overseas territory. Thus the Chinese empire was agrarian in nature, possible due to their large landmass, which Europe lacked. Revisionists such as the Chinese historian Wong argue that the Chinese had no interest in expanding, as they were “too strong and too successful”. Due to the success of their agrarian economy, the Chinese saw overseas expansion in terms of its associated problems, rather than the revenue it could produce. This, however, is a nationalistic perspective, which preserves China’s dignity by suggesting that the European states were inferior because of their need to expand. However, the revisionists are correct in identifying that the political will of the state was key to increasing influence. Europeans were able to extend their influence by lending support to overseas trading expeditions. The British navy gained funding from the profits of their commercial endeavours, feeding back into the expansion of influence. Contrastingly, the Chinese government encouraged an agrarian economy and therefore did not support Chinese merchants financially or militarily. Thus the Europeans were able to increase their influence due to the political will of the state built on geographical …show more content…
This has been linked to the unique political and geographical environment of Europe, which pitted states against each other for 71% of the period between 1550 and 1600. The warfare necessitated the creation of new technology such as the harnessing of gunpowder, in order to gain an advantage over other states. The development of these technologies was less useful for countries such as China, who fought nomads, or for Japan who experienced a period of peace after unification under Tokugawa Shogunate. The superior firepower of guns, armour and steel swords and lances provided a technological advantage that was used in conquering the Incas in America, with their softer bronze weapons and padded armour. However, superior arms was a facilitative factor, and not an obligatory one for Europe, as other empires such as the Omanis successfully attacked Europeans. Linking this back to political will, Andrade remarks that “the technology gradient was not steep enough to prevent a dedicated polity from making up the deficit”. Thus the Europeans were able to expand their influence through maritime technology, but their superior armaments were beneficial rather than