Essay
history essay 4
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- History
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- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
Essay of 5 pages for the course History at UCT (history essay 4)
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Between the 16th and 18th centuries, war capitalism resulted in the rise of global cottontextile production. The notion of war capitalism can be understood by looking at enslaved
Africans who were used for cotton production on plantations. In understanding how Europe
expanded into Asia, the Americas, and Africa, we can look at states' protectionist policies,
policies that protected overseas traders, and policies that transferred Asian knowledge.
Considering these factors and the argument Sven Beckert made, it was war capitalism which
altered global economic order in relation to the global cotton textile industry.
Beckert’s concept of war capitalism points to the intervention in global markets by private
actors who were protected by states. Therefore, we can understand war capitalism as
including mercantilist practices while emphasising the violent domination of global
production, the expropriation of land and the enslavement of labour. In economic terms,
capitalism was seen as the root cause of modern industrialisation. 1 Practices of monopoly,
collusion, and coercion also characterised capitalism.2 A new global economic order also
brought about imperialism, expropriation, and slavery.3 With millions of Africans deported to
the Americas, India was forced to gain more cotton cloth as the demand grew. As a result,
Europe established a more significant presence in Africa. The 19th century saw the
manifestation of war capitalism, an alternative economic system. 4 The "inside" represented
laws, institutions, and customs. Economic interests, the institutions of the state and the laws
of the state resulted from the "outside". The "outside" was characterised by imperial
dominance.5 War capitalism further influenced the development of modern finance and
secondary sectors such as shipping, which would be important to the development of the
cotton industry.6 War capitalism enables the future development of global economic
integration because it is adopted so early in history.7
An example of war capitalism was the use of enslaved Africans on plantations, during the
slave trade, to increase the demand for cotton fabrics and expand European cotton
manufacturing. African consumers purchased Indian cotton textiles in return for slaves,
1
Vries, Peer. "The California School and beyond: how to study the Great Divergence?" History Compass 8, no. 7
(2010):731.
2
Vries, Peer. "The California School and beyond: how to study the Great Divergence?" History Compass 8, no. 7
(2010):732.
3
Sven Beckert, Empire of Cotton: A Global History (New York: Knopf, 2014), page 9.
4
Ibid, pp 9.
5
Ibid, pp10.
6
Ibid, pp 18.
7
Ibid, pp 20.
, therefore, it was important that the tastes of African consumers were satisfied. Textiles
bought by African consumers had to meet certain requirements so that Europe could continue
expanding their cotton production.8 In order to secure workers for their plantations,
Europeans deported millions of Africans to the Americas. Over eight million slaves were
brought to the Americas in the centuries following 1500. 9 It was the excellent design and
vibrant colours of Indian textiles, which made them so popular with African consumers. 10
Historically, African appreciation for cotton was shaped by their own cotton industry and by
their experience with Indian textiles.11
Due to the growing influence of war capitalism and the change in global order, there were
changes within Europe itself. As European merchants and their sponsoring states became
more influential in India, this had large effects on Europe. With greater quantities of Indian
cotton traveling to Europe, contemporary trends and markets emerged. 12 “Atlantic” powers
such as Netherlands, Great Britain, and France replaced economic powerhouses. From the
16th century onward, cities with Atlantic ties emerged as centres of cotton textile
manufacturing. For the cotton industry to expand in Europe, there had to be a link to the
rapidly expanding markets in the Atlantic region. 13
By the 18th century, Europe benefited
from a new position within global cotton networks. Although cotton was still produced
primarily in Asia, Europeans soon became the dominant exporters. Strong European states
had also created obstacles to foreign textile imports. European businesses could control
global trade in Indian textiles while keeping Asian textiles out of Europe.14
European capitalists used various methods to insert themselves into the networks of the
global cotton industry. Aside from integrating themselves into the global cotton trade
network, the Europeans developed networks that linked Africa, America, and Europe.
Europe's first attempts at entering the global cotton market were unsuccessful. However, as
new generations of European capitalists developed comparative advantages, they were able to
extend their position of power. Due to their ability to shape and dominate global networks of
cotton trade, Europeans were crucial to the world's cotton markets. Through armed trade,
8
Ibid, pp 4.
9
Ibid, pp 7.
10
Ibid, pp 15.
11
Ibid, pp 17.
12
Ibid, pp 7.
13
Ibid, pp 10.
14
Ibid, pp 19.
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