An Introduction to the History of Capitalism 600-1900 AD
by Benedikt Koehler, David Abulafia, Victoria Bateman, Huw Bowen, Nicholas Crafts
with an introduction by Hywel Williams

THE CULTURE OF PROSPERITY | APRIL 2015

ABOUT THE LEGATUM INSTITUTE
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History of Capitalism
In the wake of the banking collapse of 2008 capitalism has had to
surmount a profound economic crisis while also confronting severe attacks
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and development of a movement of thought and endeavour which has
transformed the human condition.
CONTENTS
Introduction 2
by Hywel Williams

Early Islam and the Birth of Capitalism 4
by Benedikt Koehler

A Global Transition: From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic 12
by David Abulafia

A The Changing Axis of Economic Power in the Early Modern Period 22
by Victoria Bateman

Making Money, Making Empires: The Case of the East India Company 32
by Huw Bowen

Industrialisation: Why Britain Got There First 38
by Nicholas Crafts


About the Authors