THE TAKE-OFF OF THE COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION
Robert Sabatino Lopez
THE USES OF AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS Even as demographic growth was a prime motor of agricultural progress, so progress an essential prerequisite the Commercial Revolution. So long peasants were barely able to insure their own subsistance and that lords, all other activities had be minimal. When food surpluses increased, it became possible release more people for governmental, religious, cultural pursuits. Towns re-emerged from protracted depression. Merchants craftsmen do than providing fistful luxuries rich very few indispensable goods entire agrarian community. From this point view, is proper say revolution took off manor. It takes surplus, however, reorient society balance commercial restlessness. We have seen Roman slave-exploiting landowners, who controlled larger part did not participate actively in business; commerce industry expanded point, then settled down golden mediocrity. The medieval lords on whole still contemptuous trade; best one would expect them they might patronize slightly improved version industrial A pattern kind may observed history China, spite obvious differences detail. China's ancient economy many points common with those Rome:
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