The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, dating back to the 14th century BCE. They are located in the Theban Necropolis in Luxor, Egypt, and originally stood at the entrance to the pharaoh's mortuary temple. As significant historical landmarks, they have attracted travelers for centuries, including figures like the 14th-century scholar Ibn Battuta, as depicted in a well-known illustration.

Google

Ibn Battuta (1304–1368) was a Moroccan scholar, merchant, and traveller from the fourteenth century, renowned for his extensive journeys documented in his work, the Rihla. His travels spanned approximately 30 years and covered a vast portion of the world, including north and west Africa, eastern Europe, the Middle East, and south and central Asia, as well as China. In an era predating systematic data collection, the accounts of travelers like Ibn Battuta were a primary source of information on global economic conditions. His comparative observations, such as his description of Bengal's abundance, are therefore highly significant. His travels also took him to Egypt, where a famous illustration depicts him at the Colossi of Memnon.

Ibn Battuta

To cite the ebook, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/.

To cite a unit, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/ Unit [unit number] (url).

CORE Econ - The Economy 2.0: Microeconomics

Historical accounts from the 14th to 17th centuries reveal a world where economic inequality *within* a country was far more significant than the differences *between* countries. While some regions, like Italy, were moderately wealthier than places such as Britain, India, and Japan, these international disparities were overshadowed by the vast gap between the rich and poor within any given society. An individual's economic destiny was primarily determined by their parents' social position and their gender, with social status often marked by titles like feudal lord, serf, royalty, subject, merchant, or even enslaved person. In this era, the specific country a person was born in was a much less critical factor for their financial prospects compared to the modern day.

Intra-Country vs. Inter-Country Inequality in the 14th-17th Centuries

There is a stark contrast between historical and contemporary sources of economic information. In the past, understanding of global economic conditions was based on the subjective impressions of a few explorers, such as Ibn Battuta. Today, economic knowledge is built upon vast datasets compiled and analyzed by large, interdisciplinary teams of experts, including statisticians, historians, computer scientists, and economists.

Comparison of Historical and Modern Economic Information Sources

Colossi of Memnon

During his visit to the Indian subcontinent in the 14th century, the Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta documented the remarkable prosperity of the Bengal region. He characterized it as a large area with an exceptional surplus of rice, quoting, 'A country of great extent, and one in which rice is extremely abundant. Indeed, I have seen no region of the earth in which provisions are so plentiful.' This firsthand, comparative account serves as crucial historical evidence for understanding Bengal's economic state during that period.

Ibn Battuta's Description of Abundance in 14th-Century Bengal

In West Bengal, the traditional sharecropping contract was remarkably consistent across different villages. For centuries, it was the standard practice for tenant farmers, or 'bargadars', to give exactly half of their harvest to the landowner. This 50% norm is known to have been in place since at least the 14th century, as documented by the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta during his visit to the region.

Learn Before

Related