"Gran provides fresh and nuanced insight into the collusion of interests among rich classes across national boundaries. He presents an alternative approach to world history than the one informed by the ‘clash of civilizations’ perspective. . . . A rich and informative follow-up to Gran’s earlier major work, Beyond Eurocentrism."—Teshale Tibebu, author of The Making of Modern Ethiopia: 1896–1974
"The breadth of discussion in the text, combined with the breadth of citations in the notes, make this a world historian’s world history."—Patrick Manning, author of Navigating World History
Description
“The rise of the west” has long been the accepted doctrine for framing analysis for world history. Privileging a Eurocentric approach, this traditional paradigm obscures the significance of the indigenous rich in non-Western regions and fails to recognize the contributions of the Orient. In this book, Peter Gran seeks to reframe current historical debates, presenting a model of analysis based on the rise of the rich. Gran outlines the structure of this new paradigm, building upon meta-narrative concepts from Marxism to liberalism.
Rather than a history of clashing civilizations, he identifies a history of resolving conflicts through negotiations among wealthy classes in various regions. Fundamental to his theory is the assumption of non-European ruling classes with power in interregional affairs. Far-reaching in its historical scope, Gran’s work lays the foundation for a critical rethinking of world history and offers a vital contribution the field.
About the Author
Peter Gran is professor of history at Temple University. He is author of Islamic Roots of Capitalism: Egypt, 1760–1840 and Beyond Eurocentrism: A New View of Modern World History, both published by Syracuse University Press.
6 x 6, 304 pages
February 2009