This course is an introduction to world economic history. Main topics include: Neolithic (agricultural) revolution, ancient economies, slave mode of production, medieval economies, serfdom and feudalism, evolution of markets and commercial/financial networks, geographical discoveries, colonization, mercantilism, capitalism, industrious revolution, industrial revolution, imperialism, and the historical roles of technology and institutions in economic development. The course covers the structural patterns and historical evolution of the world economy from Neolithic and ancient times to the World War I (1914-1918) [Post-World War I developments in the world economy are covered in another must course in the Economics Program (ECO 480: World Economy)].

The primary goal is to enable students to learn the major topics summarized above. Another important objective is to demonstrate that ‘economic history’ is, in a sense, the history of ‘economic development’, which, in turn, has historically depended on four major factors in the long term; that is to say, population, resources, technology and institutions. Yet another crucial purpose of the course is to draw attention to the importance of ‘economic history’ as a fundamental field by way of which the development of earlier and contemporary economic theories/ideas can be much better conceived [Along with these objectives, this course also provides the scholarly background to another must course in the Economics Program (ECO 212: History of Economic Thought)].