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The Islamic Commercial Crisis: Institutional Roots of Economic Underdevelopment in the Middle East

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Author Info
KURAN, TIMUR
Abstract

During the second millennium, the Middle East s commerce with Western Europe fell increasingly under European domination. Two factors played critical roles. First, the Islamic inheritance system, by raising the costs of dissolving a partnership following a partner s death, kept Middle Eastern commercial enterprises small and ephemeral. Second, certain European inheritance systems facilitated large and durable partnerships by reducing the likelihood of premature dissolution. The upshot is that European enterprises grew larger than those of the Islamic world. Moreover, while ever larger enterprises propelled further organizational transformations in Europe, persistently small enterprises inhibited economic modernization in the Middle East.For useful comments on previous drafts, I am indebted to Scott Altman, Murat izak a, Avner Greif, Eric Jones, Daniel Klerman, Naomi Lamoreaux, evket Pamuk, David Powers, Kenneth Sokoloff, Jan de Vries, Dean Williamson, and three anonymous referees. Excellent research assistance was provided by Hania Abou Al-Shamat, Iva Boz ovi , and Sung Han Tak.

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Article provided by Cambridge University Press in its journal The Journal of Economic History.

Volume (Year): 63 (2003)
Issue (Month): 02 (June)
Pages: 414-446
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Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:63:y:2003:i:02:p:414-446_00

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  1. Khalil, Elias, 2006. "The Roadblock of Culturalist Economics: Economic Change á la Douglass North," MPRA Paper 1045, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  2. François Facchini, 2007. "Islam and private property," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00270475_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
  3. Bosker, Maarten & Buringh, Eltjo & van Zanden, Jan Luiten, 2008. "From Baghdad to London: The Dynamics of Urban Growth in Europe and the Arab World, 800-1800," CEPR Discussion Papers 6833, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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