Manors and Markets: Economy and Society in the Low Countries 500-1600

✍ Scribed by Bas van Bavel

• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 507
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Low Countries-an area roughly embracing the present-day Netherlands and Belgium-formed a patchwork of varied economic and social development in the Middle Ages, with some regions displaying a remarkable dynamism. Manors and Markets charts the history of these vibrant economies and societies, and contrasts them with alternative paths of development, from the early medieval period to the beginning of the seventeenth century. Providing a concise overview of social and economic changes over more than a thousand years, Bas van Bavel assesses the impact of the social and institutional organization that saw the Low Countries become the most urbanized and densely populated part of Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. By delving into the early and high medieval history of society, van Bavel uncovers the foundations of the flourishing of the medieval Flemish towns and the forces that propelled Holland towards its Golden Age.Exploring the Low Countries at a regional level, van Bavel highlights the importance of localized structures for determining the nature of social transitions and economic growth. He assesses the role of manorial organization, the emergence of markets, the rise of towns, the quest for self-determination by ordinary people, and the sharp regional differences in development that can be observed in the very long run. In doing so, the book offers a significant contribution to the debate about the causes of economic and social change, both past and present.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
List of Tables and Maps......Page 12
Preface......Page 14
I.1. The Low Countries in the later Middle Ages......Page 16
I.2. Explanations for Pre-industrial Growth and Development......Page 18
I.3. Approach and Outline......Page 23
II.1. Landscape and Soil......Page 30
II.2. Man-made Land: Early Occupation and Reclamation......Page 42
Ethnic Composition After the Roman Era......Page 43
Occupation in the Early Middle Ages......Page 47
Early Medieval Population Numbers......Page 50
Occupation and Reclamation in the High Middle Ages......Page 53
Hydrological Projects......Page 56
Interaction Between Man and Landscape......Page 59
III. The Emergence of a Regional Framework in the Early and High Middle Ages: Power, Property, and Social Structures......Page 66
Royal Properties......Page 67
The Homines Franci and Smaller Landholders......Page 72
Properties of Religious Institutions......Page 76
The Rise of Banal and Territorial Lords......Page 78
III.2. Manors and Freedom......Page 90
The Rise and Nature of Manorial Organization......Page 91
Reclamation, Manors, and Freedom in the High Middle Ages......Page 98
The Dissolution of Manorialism......Page 101
Village Communities......Page 108
Towns in the Early and High Middle Ages......Page 116
Urban Communities and Territorial Lords......Page 125
Urban Elites, Guilds, and Urban Government......Page 132
IV.1. Agriculture in the Early and High Middle Ages......Page 139
Organization of Early Medieval Agriculture: Manor, Family Holding, and Village......Page 141
Cereal Culture and Pastoral Farming in the Carolingian Period......Page 144
Agrarian Technology in the High Middle Ages......Page 148
Communal Organizations and Customs......Page 151
Agriculture and Living Standards......Page 155
Manors and Early Medieval Production......Page 161
Industrial Specializations......Page 164
Industries in Town and Countryside......Page 167
Technology......Page 172
Rights to Land and Their Transfer......Page 177
The Role of Public Authorities......Page 182
The Exploitation of Land Ownership: The Emergence of Leasing......Page 185
The Mobility of Land in the Market......Page 193
V.2. The Capital Market......Page 196
The Emergence of Capital Markets......Page 197
Further Institutional Improvements in the 15th and 16th Centuries......Page 202
Coin Production......Page 208
Emergence of Labour Markets......Page 215
The Nature of Wage Labour, Labour Relations, and Organization of Labour Markets......Page 220
Quantitative Indicators......Page 226
The Institutional Organization of Trade in the Carolingian Period......Page 228
Towns and Trade in the High and Late Middle Ages......Page 233
Government Influence on Trade......Page 243
Improvements in Transport and the Growth of Markets......Page 249
Social Transformations in the Countryside......Page 257
Social Transformations in the Towns......Page 267
State Formation, Fiscality, and Bureaucracy......Page 278
Social Conflicts......Page 286
Population Numbers and Urbanization......Page 293
Regional Differences in Demographic Development......Page 297
The Position of Women......Page 307
VI.3. Commercialization and Occupational Differentiation......Page 309
Wages and Standards of Living......Page 319
Poor Relief......Page 322
Education and Literacy......Page 328
Living Conditions......Page 335
Population Pressure and the Growth of Markets, 1100–1350......Page 340
Population Decline, Transition, and Specialization, 1350–1600......Page 345
Fishing......Page 353
Growth and Sustainability......Page 355
Industrial Concentrations in Town and Countryside......Page 358
Different Strategies of Urban Industries: Flanders and Holland......Page 361
Technological Innovation......Page 365
Sources of Energy......Page 371
Rural and Urban Industries in the 16th Century......Page 376
Scale-Enlargement and Regional Specialization......Page 379
The Main Lines of Industrial Development......Page 382
Extensive Growth......Page 387
Intensive Growth......Page 388
Real Wages and Standards of Living......Page 391
Phases and Regional Patterns of Growth......Page 393
Geography......Page 395
Demography and Urbanization......Page 398
Polities......Page 400
The Path-dependency of Socio-institutional Arrangements at the Regional Level......Page 402
The Effects of Socio-institutional Constellations on Economic Development......Page 412
The Low Countries in European Perspective......Page 421
Bibliography......Page 425
A......Page 478
B......Page 479
C......Page 480
D......Page 482
E......Page 483
F......Page 486
G......Page 487
H......Page 488
J......Page 489
L......Page 490
M......Page 493
N......Page 495
O......Page 496
P......Page 497
R......Page 499
S......Page 500
T......Page 503
U......Page 505
W......Page 506
Z......Page 507