Myths, State Expansion, and the Birth of Globalization A Comparative Perspective

Myths are important, yet overlooked. Myths, dreams, desires and false information prime the pump of imperial expansion, which explains how new regions of the world get absorbed into the expanding world system. This book explores the role that information plays in the expansion of the state system. High risk, high return behavior subsidizes later "rational" strategies. The Northwest Passage, Prester John, West African rivers of gold, and Marco Polo's silver-roofed land of Zipangu all provide examples. Not merely an artifact of history, accurate information acquisition and dissemination continues to be relevant, as myths still drive markets and political decision-making.

JON D. CARLSON is a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts at the University of California, Merced.

Broadening and Deepening:  Systemic Expansion, Incorporation and the Zone of Ignorance * New World Empires and Otters: The Scramble for Nootka Sound, the Northwest Passage, and the China Trade * West Africa and the Rise of Asante: Rivers of Gold, a Short Route to China, and the Globalization of Labor * Ethiopia and the Middle East: The Red Sea Trade, Prester John and Christians in the Muslim World * Japan and the Far East: Zipangu, Roofs of Silver and the Lure of the Orient * Conclusion: Myths, Incorporation & Systemic Expansion