Abstract
This article contributes to the ongoing debate on the causes of the great divergence by comparing the use of expensive labour-saving capital goods—water-mills, windmills, and cranes—in medieval western Europe and the Middle East. Using novel ways of measuring, we find that whereas the use of these goods increased in Europe, in the Middle East their prevalence decreased, or they were not used at all. We investigate several possible explanations and reject most of them, including religion, geography, technological knowledge, and disparities in wages and cost of capital. Our analysis shows that differences in lordship systems and the security of property rights best explain the patterns found.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 31-54 |
| Journal | The Economic History Review |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2018 |
Keywords
- Great divergence
- immovable capital goods
- Western Europe
- Middle East
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van Bavel, B. J. P., Buringh, E. (2018). Mills, cranes, and the great divergence: The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries. The Economic History Review, 71(1), 31-54. https://doi.org/10.1111/ehr.12571
van Bavel, B.J.P. ; Buringh, E. ; Dijkman, J.E.C. / Mills, cranes, and the great divergence : The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries. In: The Economic History Review. 2018 ; Vol. 71, No. 1. pp. 31-54.
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abstract = "This article contributes to the ongoing debate on the causes of the great divergence by comparing the use of expensive labour-saving capital goods—water-mills, windmills, and cranes—in medieval western Europe and the Middle East. Using novel ways of measuring, we find that whereas the use of these goods increased in Europe, in the Middle East their prevalence decreased, or they were not used at all. We investigate several possible explanations and reject most of them, including religion, geography, technological knowledge, and disparities in wages and cost of capital. Our analysis shows that differences in lordship systems and the security of property rights best explain the patterns found.",
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van Bavel, BJP, Buringh, E 2018, 'Mills, cranes, and the great divergence: The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries', The Economic History Review, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 31-54. https://doi.org/10.1111/ehr.12571
Mills, cranes, and the great divergence: The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries. / van Bavel, B.J.P.; Buringh, E.; Dijkman, J.E.C.
In: The Economic History Review, Vol. 71, No. 1, 02.2018, p. 31-54.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
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T2 - The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries
AU - van Bavel, B.J.P.
AU - Buringh, E.
AU - Dijkman, J.E.C.
PY - 2018/2
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N2 - This article contributes to the ongoing debate on the causes of the great divergence by comparing the use of expensive labour-saving capital goods—water-mills, windmills, and cranes—in medieval western Europe and the Middle East. Using novel ways of measuring, we find that whereas the use of these goods increased in Europe, in the Middle East their prevalence decreased, or they were not used at all. We investigate several possible explanations and reject most of them, including religion, geography, technological knowledge, and disparities in wages and cost of capital. Our analysis shows that differences in lordship systems and the security of property rights best explain the patterns found.
AB - This article contributes to the ongoing debate on the causes of the great divergence by comparing the use of expensive labour-saving capital goods—water-mills, windmills, and cranes—in medieval western Europe and the Middle East. Using novel ways of measuring, we find that whereas the use of these goods increased in Europe, in the Middle East their prevalence decreased, or they were not used at all. We investigate several possible explanations and reject most of them, including religion, geography, technological knowledge, and disparities in wages and cost of capital. Our analysis shows that differences in lordship systems and the security of property rights best explain the patterns found.
KW - Great divergence
KW - immovable capital goods
KW - Western Europe
KW - Middle East
U2 - 10.1111/ehr.12571
DO - 10.1111/ehr.12571
M3 - Article
SN - 1468-0289
VL - 71
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JO - The Economic History Review
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ER -
van Bavel BJP, Buringh E, Dijkman JEC. Mills, cranes, and the great divergence: The use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries. The Economic History Review. 2018 Feb;71(1):31-54. doi: 10.1111/ehr.12571
