Collection of Preliminary Studies on the History of East and West in the 15th and 16th Centuries

Author: Wu Yuqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The 15th and 16th centuries were significant turning points in world history. The agrarian economies of feudal states on both ends of the Eurasian continent underwent noticeable changes during these two centuries. The combination of agriculture and weaving tended to decompose, production shifted toward commercialization, and new forms or modifications of management, production organization, and ownership were sought. Additionally, the relationship between rural and urban areas, under varying historical conditions, revealed the weakening of the old system's dominance and the emergence of new turning points or trends. Accompanying these changes, particularly in the more intense and profound regions of the western end of Eurasia, maritime activities began to break free from the confines of coastal and inland seas, soaring into transoceanic voyages that connected the old and new continents of the world. As a result, the isolated state of agrarian-based regions and ethnic groups began to experience a decisive breakthrough. The scattered and isolated world gradually transformed into a unified global fabric. Humanity's "history increasingly became a history of the world."