rial ization ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁phase ▁in ▁this ▁transformation , ▁following ▁the ▁weak ening ▁of ▁the ▁man orial ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁High ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁Later ▁histor ians ▁identified ▁similar ▁situations ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁including ▁India , ▁China , ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁former ▁Muslim ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁applic ability ▁of ▁proto - indust rial ization ▁in ▁Europe ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁challeng ed . ▁Martin ▁Da un ton , ▁for ▁example , ▁arg ues ▁that ▁proto - indust rial isation ▁" ex cludes ▁too ▁much " ▁to ▁fully ▁explain ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁industry : ▁not ▁only ▁do ▁pro ponents ▁of ▁proto - indust rial isation ▁ignore ▁the ▁vital ▁town - based ▁indust ries ▁in ▁pre - indust rial ▁econom ies , ▁but ▁also ▁ign ores ▁" r ural ▁and ▁urban ▁industry ▁based ▁upon ▁non - dom estic ▁organisation "; ▁referring ▁to ▁how ▁mines , ▁mill s , ▁for ges ▁and ▁furn aces ▁fit ▁into ▁the ▁agr arian ▁economy . ▁ ▁M ug hal ▁India ▁and ▁Beng al ▁ ▁Some ▁histor ians ▁have ▁identified ▁proto - indust rial ization ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁modern ▁Indian ▁sub cont inent , ▁mainly ▁in ▁its ▁wealth iest ▁and ▁largest ▁sub div ision , ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁Beng al ▁( today ' s ▁modern ▁Bang l adesh ▁and ▁West ▁Beng al ), ▁a ▁major ▁trad ing ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁commercial ▁contact ▁with ▁global ▁mark ets ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁The ▁M ug