A Glimpse of Capitalism in Ancient World
October 8th 2006 08:11
Ziggurat of Assur Source: Dearquologia.com
I found this suprebly fascinating account of capitalism in ancient world in Gwendolyn Leick's Mesopotamia: The Invention of the CIty which I reviewed before. Read on:
By giving the south Mesopotamian merchants an incentive to buy their tin at Ashur and to sell their wares, particularly fine textiles as well as perhaps copper imported from the Gulf via Ur, Ilshuma made Ashur into the hub of commercial connections. His successor, Erishum, claims to have made ‘silver, gold, copper, tin, barley and wool exempt from taxes’, thereby extending the favourable conditions for trade even further.
The copper and cloth that the Akkadians brought to Ashur were sold for silver and tin…….. It is likely that they took silver and cloth with them, and the Assyrians themselves set up their own trade representations in Anatolia, then a provincial country divided into many small principalities, rich in minerals and metals, and eager to acquire the latest fashion garments and cloth from Mesopotamia. Tin and Babylonian textiles, in several qualities, were transported from Ashur to central Anatolia, where the trading post (Assyrian karum) near Kanesh served as the main entrepot. Although, the government for Ashur seems to have levied some taxes, this was not a state but a private enterprise.
The merchants were entrepreneurs ‘driven by the desire to make profit’. Merchants worked in teams, usually composed of family members. The tin and cloth were transported to Kanesh by donkey caravan. They could either be sold there for silver and gold, which were sent back to Ashur, sealed, with a letter advising the recipient of the exact sum to expect, or else converted into other commodities, such as wool and copper, which were taken to other Anatolian towns, as far afield as the Black Sea, and exchanged there for silver and gold. The selling price for both tin and textiles was double the purchase price. ……….
A typical caravan from Ashur to Kanesh karum would consist of a team of five or six donkeys, in which each beast could carry a weight of 60 to 90 kilograms(2 to 3 talents)…………. It seems actual transport was handed over to specialist haulers who acted as representatives of the company.
Security does not seem to have been a great problem……………..Merchants across the Near East at that time had diplomatic immunity……..As the texts show, the merchants were well aware that ethical practice was essential to inspire confidence and secure repeat business. Weight stones were carefully checked and precise accounts were demanded by the partners of the company.
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The merchant accounts have nothing to say about relations between the city and the local population, or about the role of the temples. This produces an impression that Ashur in the twentieth century BC was primarily a capitalist trading state whose wealth depended exclusively on mercantile enterprise, rather like Abbasid Baghdad of The Thousand and One Nights.
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We are talking about 1800-1900 BC or thereabouts here. Ashur since then went to become the preeminent religious centre of Assyria and also, its political capital for many years. Assyria, remember was a world superpower in ancient times whose effect in religion, art and culture may be discerned even today.The site may be under water now. A dam was to be built close by. Normally, I woudln't have cared so much but I felt so sad after reading this. Ashur itself ahs not been excavated properly. The information above comes from the karum in Kanesh in Anatolia.
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Comment by Justin
Sure it has the qualities of capitalism, but what merchant class or government can survive without making profit? You note it to be "a private interest" which is critical to understanding the differentiation of base economical methodology compared to enfranchising industrialisation to privately owned means. And furthermore to suggest capitalism is simply to be conditional of profit - without having a hot and sweaty rant - is controversial to say the least!
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
Yeah, at that time there were trading and capitalism more or less every city but Ashur is unique because it built its fortunes and became a power through trade and not through agriculture. it was situated on a location not quite hospitable and it started these free trade zones and all.
As for comparing with state-sponsored stuff, it's stated clearly that it was a private and not state enterprise.
Comment by Cathy
Fakes Frauds Fools
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Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
(2) is non related to nukes, but related to some archaeological report I was reading about the Dead Sea lately. It's drying up basically and a small city is being revealed at the bottom of it, as the water subsides. I wondered if this is the actual site of your said city. The geography kinda-fits, doesn't it?
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
I will visit your blog pronto.
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
I will check on the Dead Sea affai but the city I was talking about is near Mosul in present day Iraq.
No, they didn't have nukes back then but how power kept shifting is an interesting question. I think i'll write a big post about it some day.
Comment by Anon