The Rise of Fiscal States
A Global History, 1500–1914

Leading economic historians present a groundbreaking series of country case studies exploring the formation of fiscal states in Eurasia.

Bartolomé Yun-Casalilla (Edited by), Patrick K. O'Brien (Edited by), Francisco Comín Comín (With)

9781107521278, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 14 May 2015

494 pages, 41 b/w illus. 52 tables
23 x 15.3 x 2.5 cm, 0.71 kg

From the Netherlands to the Ottoman Empire, to Japan and India, this groundbreaking volume confronts the complex and diverse problem of the formation of fiscal states in Eurasia between 1500 and 1914. This series of country case studies from leading economic historians reveals that distinctive features of the fiscal state appeared across the region at different moments in time as a result of multiple independent but often interacting stimuli such as internal competition over resources, European expansion, international trade, globalisation and war. The essays offer a comparative framework for re-examining the causes of economic development across this period and show, for instance, the central role that the more effective fiscal systems of Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries played in the divergence of east and west as well as the very different paths to modernisation taken across the world.

1. Introduction: the rise of the fiscal state in Eurasia from a global, comparative and transnational perspective BARTOLOMÉ Yun-Casalilla
Part I. North Atlantic Europe: 2. Long-term trends in the fiscal history of the Netherlands, 1515–1913 Wantje Fritschy, MARJOLEIN 't Hart and Edwin Horlings
3. Taxation in the Habsburg Low Countries and Belgium, 1579–1914 Paul Janssens
4. The rise of the fiscal state in France, 1500–1914 Richard Bonney
5. The politics of British taxation, from the Glorious Revolution to the Great War Martin Daunton
Part II. Central and Eastern Europe: 6. Finances and power in the German state system Michael North
7. Financing an empire: the Austrian composite monarchy, 1650–1848 Renate Pieper
8. The Russian fiscal state, 1600–1914 Peter Gatrell
Part III. South Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean: 9. From pioneer mercantile state to ordinary fiscal state: Portugal, 1498–1914 EUGENIA MATA
10. Spain: from composite monarchy to nation state, 1492–1914. An exceptional case? FRANCISCO Comín Comín and Bartolomé Yun-Casalilla
11. Republics and principalities in Italy Luciano Pezzolo
12. The formation of fiscal states in Italy: the Papal States Fausto Piola Caselli
13. The evolution of fiscal institutions in the Ottoman empire, 1500–1914 ?evket Pamuk
Part IV. Asia: 14. Continuation and efficiency of the Chinese fiscal state, 700 BC–1911 AD Kent Deng
15. Taxation and good governance in China, 1500–1914 R. Bin Wong
16. The rise of a Japanese fiscal state Masaki Nakabayashi
17. Fiscal states in Mughal and British India John F. Richards
18. Afterword: reflexions on fiscal foundations and contexts for the formation of economically effective Eurasian states from the rise of Venice to the Opium War Patrick K. O'Brien.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], General & world history [HBG]