Entry 11: The Rise of Spain & the Catholic Monarchs
After Tuesday's lecture on the economic rise of Spain, I am intrigued by two points:
- The notion of the Islamic factoria, and what may be conceived of as their modern analogue in China,
- The deterioration of Western Europe's trade infrastructure during the 16th century
We spoke little of the factoria in class, so I am treading unknown waters to some extent in my speculations, but it seems that the situation and circumstances of the factoria parallel the development of the western manufacturing sector in China. Significantly, the two seem similar in their restriction of the foreign element. In the factoria, workers of other religions were free to speak as they pleased, espousing their faith and acting within their custom. Beyond the walls of the factoria, however, the law forbade evangelism and outright display of religious beliefs alien to Islam. Though I don't believe the religious contention is so serious an issue in China, cultural restriction is taken seriously (it might be argued that these are really very similar issues, religion and culture being irrevocably intertwined). That is not to say that no elements of the flourishing Western manufacturing sector find their way into Chinese culture, but simply that it is discouraged and restricted.
In both cases, the foreign element was encouraged due to the high profitability of the less restrictive policies of the other society... I think this speaks to the value of free trade, insofar as the culturally isolationist societies come to rely on the industry of others for the prosperity of the state, but this is merely a conjecture. Such conclusions require far more depth of examination.
Onto the second point: the deterioration of trade infrastructure. This is another topic about which I'd like to learn more, especially concerning the distribution of accumulated damage to roads and bridges, and the level of societal concern such degeneration brought about. What is clear is how such deterioration must have led to exorbitant wealth for the Crown - nothing could have made the Strait of Gibraltar a more valuable vein to control. I am curious now as to when the British Empire took control of the Strait, and by what means they were able to gain that control (beyond the obvious: arms).