Merchants, markets and towns
Peter Johanek
The beginnings of the European town in form known to us from late Middle Ages lie tenth century. trading Islamic merchants was shaped by a detailed legislative framework based on writing. In regions outside old Roman Empire incorporated into Frankish empire during Merovingian and Carolingian periods, people find very varying for quasi-urban settlements mercantile centres. Markets wholesale long-distance trade, merchants' inns, also markets agrarian produce hinterland lay periphery. transalpine former empire, what were becoming France Ottonian Germany, development towns took quite different path. Although France, Lotharingia Germany strongly influenced regional political forces, rulers played decisive part.
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