China Normal: Patterns of urbanization, industrialization, and trade on a Eurasian discursive base

Abstract

Comparative historians have illuminated the weaknesses in the Europe-derived and Europe-centred historical paradigms of the preceding century-and-a-half, while questioning the factual foundations and depth of Europe's development towards capitalism, imperialism, and industrialism. But a continental perspective on China's early modern development suggests the possibilities of a vicinage-or integrated environment- A pproach to China's development and its relevance to more widespread changes of the early modern period.