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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   4073 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 29, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

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The obvious answer is the industrial revolution.

The more nuanced answer is all the things that led to the Industrial revolution occurring in England and not anywhere else.

It was always going to be between 3 great civilizations. Europe (the west), China & India.

The key years were 1400-1600. Everything after was unsurprising.

Key events:

  • Competitors fall behind due to Mongol/Islamic invaders, but the west doesn't

    • The fall of the last wealthy Hindu empire - Vijayanagara to Mongols (Mughals)

    • The fall of the last wealthy Han empire - Ming dynasty to Mongols (Manchus)

    • Post-crusade stability allowed the space needed for the Renaissance to happen

  • Sea based superiority

    • India and China move to inland capitals (Delhi, Beijing) cutting their focus from the sea

    • Western Europe has access to an ocean that the rest of Europe didn't have

  • First contact

    • First ships from Europe land in India + China. Most importantly, in fringes of the current empire

    • Columbus lands in America

  • Establishment of extractive colonies & economic slack

    • America, Coastal India, Coastal China, Philippines are colonized

    • Britain has the money to think & build

The industrial revolution was by no means guaranteed. But, it is not surprising that it occurred in England. Best colonies, best access to the ocean, best protection from war.

It is possible for the industrial revolution to have never happened. In the case, I can see the ebb & flow of power between the various great civilizations switching hands again. But, the industrial revolution allowed England, and subsequently the west, to overshadow everyone else overnight.

Case to be made that needing coal for fuel and having flood-prone coal mines was why Newcomen developed the steam engine and later why Watt improved it- https://acoup.blog/2022/08/26/collections-why-no-roman-industrial-revolution/

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