Product Description
This digital document is an article from Middle East Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 4459 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Saudi Arabia woos China and India.
Author: Harsh V. Pant
Publication: Middle East Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 13Issue: 4Page: 45(8)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
During a period when established Western economies are treading water at best, industry and development are exploding in China and India. The world's two most populous nations are the biggest reasons for Asia's growing footprint on other global regions. The impact of that footprint is especially important in the Middle East, given that region's role as an economic and geopolitical linchpin.

In The East Moves West, Geoffrey Kemp details the growing interdependence of the Middle East and Asia and projects the likely ramifications of this evolving relationship. Geoffrey Kemp, a veteran analyst of global security and political economy, compares and contrasts Indian and Chinese involvement in the Middle East, stressing an embedded historical dimension that gives India substantially more familiarity and interest in the region.

Does the emergence of these Asian giants with their increasingly huge need for energy strengthen the case for cooperative security, particularly in the maritime arena? After all, safe open sea lanes remain an essential component of mutually beneficial intercontinental trade, making India and China increasingly dependent on safe passage of oil tankers. Or will we see reversion to more traditional competition and even conflict, given that the major Asian powers themselves have so many unresolved problems and that U.S. presence in the area may be on the decline?

In many ways, the growing Asian presence in the Middle East comes as a breath of fresh air in comparison to the bitter historic legacies of European dominance and the contemporary antagonism toward America's hegemonic role. The major Asian players in the Middle East feel no guilt about the past, and they have no emotional stake in the Arab-Israeli conflict. On the one hand, this means they approach the region's many unresolved conflicts with what some would argue is a cynical, laissez-faire attitude. On the other, it means that they have refrained from interfering directly in Middle East politics and therefore enjoy good relations with most states. It is unclear how long they can sustain this hands off approach if, by virtue of their economic dominance and their own strategic stakes in the region, they get drawn into the messiness of Middle East politics at a time when the United States becomes disillusioned by the burdens of hegemony.
&#151Geoffrey Kemp in The East Moves West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kemp on India and China in the Middle East
Geoff Kemp has been one of the leading commentators/analysts on the Middle East for the last several decades.This book follows in that tradition, and is well worth buying.It has helped my own research immensely. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the second, thoroughly revised edition of Shereen Ratnagar's Encounters: The Westerly Trade of the Harappa Civilization. The book explores the scope of the trading contacts of the centres that fell within the "Indus Valley" civilizations. In doing so, it describes the remarkable range of merchandise and the long distances over which luxuries and ordinary goods were transported. In this new edition, Shereen Ratnagar has expanded her scope of study considerably and has included exciting new data recently available from excavations in West Asia. These have helped refine the perspective on trade in this period. Using all this information, the author takes forward her hypothesis of the Harappa Civilization being part of a World System. In this new edition, Shereen Ratnagar also indicates that for understanding Harappa, a chronology based on synchronisms with Meopotamia is important. Finally, the new information also provides a fresh perspective to understanding the decline of the Harappa Civilization. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a study of the activities and economic significance of the Indian merchant communities that traded in Iran, Central Asia and Russia in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and their role within the hegemonic trade diaspora of the period. The author has made use of Russian material, hitherto largely ignored, to highlight the importance of these mercantile communities, and to challenge the conventional view of world economic history in the early modern era. The book not only demonstrates the vitality of Indian mercantile capitalism at the time, but also offers a unique insight into the social characteristics of an expatriate community in the Volga-Caspian port of Astrakhan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

satisfied buyer!
I purchased this book for research for a project I had to do and was blown away by the amount of pictures and great photography and material they had in it.Great anectdotes about one of the lost periods of our time, the East India Company.

Amazing book, would recommend to those who wish to know more about this great period in World History.

Excellent, well illustrated
This lavishly illustrated volume gives an excellent view of the East India Company - the experiences of the British in India, the spices and goods of interest to the West, and the history of the company over the centuries.

History that is Informative and Relevant
This book is deserving than more than just 5 stars.

As a historian myself, the biggest problem in expressing yourself is making"old" topics informative and interesting to modern generations.Antony Wild has succeeded beyond any scale of recognition in his book TheEast India Company: Trade and Conquest from 1600.

This book, whichdetails the English East India Company's history will appeal to anyone withan interest in British, Indian, Asian, American, military, nautical, orcommerical history-- it is that wide-ranging. This book is also a must-readfor anyone interested or concerned over the so-called modern phenomenon of"globalization." After reading Wild's account, one can see thatglobalization has been around for nearly four hundred years, if notlonger.

The English East India Company, acting under a royal charter fromQueen Elizabeth I, sought entry into the Spice Trade in Asia. Soon,however, it found itself involved with Indian piece trade and trade fromthe Middle East and Arabia. Its trade interests in India eventually led tode facto conquest and colonization on that subcontinent-- all with thetacit support of the crown. The company reached into China and even NorthAmerica-- it was East India Company tea that got dumped into Boston Harborduring the Tea Party.

The company exported and imported goods, laid thefoundations for three important Indian cities, fought land wars and navalbattles with other European merchant powers or local natives, and brought ahost of new products and new words into the consciousness of theEnglish-speaking world.

India proved to be the company's lasting legacy,and not always a positive one. However Wild provides a well-balancedaccount that does not paint the company as either completely ethicaltraders or imperialistic devils. No matter one's opinion, India proved tothe company's (and Britain's) largest asset and also the cause for thecompany's eventual dissolution.

The book is well-illustrated and is aneasy but very informative read. I would rank this amongst the top 10 booksI have read in the last 5 years. ... Read more

Product Description
The New Industrializing Countries (NICs) of the Pacific Basin--Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore--differ in many ways such as their languages, cultures, political and economic systems. What is interesting is what economic characteristic they hold in common. Each has succeeded in defying in what Chow and Kellman define as a "vicious circle of poverty" following World War II. They provide a comprehensive analysis of the economic factors which fueled the "engine of growth." The authors combine a detailed body of empirical data with an unusually broad theoretical framework to highlight the factors in each industry and market which contributed to the success of these countries. The work examines and forecasts potential competition from the surrounding geographic area in specific markets. It contrasts the development of the NICs with Japan, with "next tier NICs," and with each other in markets, including those of the United States and the forthcoming united Europe. Using modern economic theory and sophisticated quantitative techniques, Trade - The Engine of Growth in East Asia will clearly help scholars, students, policymakers, and professionals in understanding these East Asian models of growth. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A historical survey of the Mediterranean-Black Sea Routes, the Great Desert Route, the Persian Royal Road, and the Indian Grand Road. ... Read more

Product Description
India and West Asia is a critical analysis of India's economic ties with the West Asian region. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting
I was interested in learning about the UK's earliest travels to India and beyond and this book certainly was informative. I thought the author went into an overly exhaustive explanation of some things and he seemed to re-visit certain periods over and over but all in all it was interesting and I'm glad I bought the book. If you're looking for more of a brief overview of this era this is not the book for you.

seeks an alternative
Has faithfully laboured,to bring alive this remarkable enterprise with colours flying.Be warned, Keay crams his story with extensive quotes from the archives, and that in italics, so bring a magnifying glass,and be prepared to do a little re-reading. My copy refers to a paperback.The hardcover may be kinder to the eye.

This book assumes you are familiar with Indian geography.As such to me who does not the book simply goes begging for accompanying topographic maps,and I would advise anyone considering giving it a read to get some.

A Grand Society
It wasn't too long ago that it could be said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire."Much of the credit for this truism goes to The English East India Company--a huge commercial enterprise that grew from a small group of Elizabethan tradesmen into the "grandest society of merchants in all history." The expansion and colonization that made England great was for the most part due to the efforts of that Honourable Company.

It is to John Keay's credit that he is able to tell the story of the early beginnings and subsequent growth of the this group of merchants and administrators in such a lively and anecdotal manner while keeping strictly to historical accuracy.

Whether you are a writer of historical fiction or an avid history buff, this is a great addition to your library.

good writer - book could have been better
At times I loved the writing. Plenty of great, amazing, 17th century adventure stories. It got hard to keep track of the characters. He fails to step back often enough and remind the reader of the broader patterns. In fact, I'm not sure he sees them himself. Plenty of material on British insensitive arrogance. Page 308 f is a hilarious story. I was unaware of how the French and British jostled for power in India in the 1700s. It would have been better with more maps and illustrations inserted at appropriate places. See page 424 for unfair cynicism. Much mockery of the company and its leaders. The title of the book is itself a mockery. This book is a reaction against the older, hero-oriented British imperial histories.

A daunting task admirably done...
Recording 200+ years of East India Company history is no small feat for, in such a work, this far-flung commercial enterprise produces a litany of ships, ports, merchandise, employees, currencies, costs, indigenous rulers, company directors, parliamentarians, military men, privateers, and scalawags.That John Keay kept it straight is admirable.That the reader can is even more so.

The Honourable Company is a witty, insightful and, at times, painstakingly detailed account of the East India Company's cyclical expansion, retraction, retrenchment, and re-expansion over the course of three centuries.From the island of St. Helena to Canton, China, Keay patiently plots the monopoly's course.Ever eager to highlight the irony, inanity, and ignominy characteristic of such an enterprise, Keay provides several humorous asides in addition to those moments when the reader can't but shake his head at these haughty, ill-informed, greedy and grasping monopolists.

Well-researched, well-written, and a delight to consume, The Honourable Company suffers only when the blander details of global trade begin to inhibit it's otherwise excellent pace. The sheer volume of material required to catalog an endeavor of this magnitude makes it difficult to entice the reader page after page.Yet, John Keay pulls it off smartly and for this The Honourable Company merits a rating of 4+ stars.

... Read more

Product Description
This is the first short history of the East India Company from its founding in 1600 to its demise in 1857, designed for students and academics. The Company was central to the growth of the British Empire in India, to the development of overseas trade, and to the rise of shareholder capitalism, so this survey will be essential reading for imperial and economic historians and historians of Asia alike. It stresses the neglected early years of the Company, and its intimate relationship with (and impact upon) the domestic British scene. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Objective Overview of a Sizeable Subject
This book is a great overview of the East India Company to those who are looking for a good introduction to the subject. This book isn't aimed at hardcore academics, but more to students and the rest of us who watch the History Channel. Philip Lawson has taken an objective overview of his subject, which is important because it's easy to focus on the larger issue of colonialism.

By reading this mini-epic you will get to trace the history of the company from it's start in the Elizabethan era until it's end in the mid-1800's. The book is packed with a cast of characters ranging from humble bookkeepers to greedy heads of state. There are some nice details about the history of tea and trading (example: I had no idea that it was the English who first put tea and sugar together around the 1680's).

Now you may ask yourself why you should read this if you are an American? Well our own history starts off with the Boston teaparty, which was raiding an East India Company ship. More important the books touches on the subject of monopolies, which will be of interest to anyone into modern economics. What's great about this book is that it also serves as a good introduction to other books on the subject, so if you are interested you will know where to start.

Excellent text by an author who died young
Philip Lawson is much missed.He died at age 46 with a promising career ahead and an impressive list of books and articles (most dealing with imperial topics) behind him.He was the most gifted of the younger generation of scholars whowrite imperial history not from the perspectiveof the metropole but from the periphery. This survey of the John Companyconstitutes the best introduction to the subject yet written. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book on the Eurasian silk trade in early modern times. Most of the raw silk spun in Europe from the late sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries was imported from Iran via the Ottoman markets. For the Eurasian silk trade, the armenian suburb of New Julfa was the hub and controlled a vast commercial network covering half the world, from Amsterdam to the Philippines. Silk was exchanged for Europe's imported American silver. Iran was entirely dependent on these Armenian silver imports reaped from the silk trade. The cash brought in by the silk trade was used for Iran's state building and centralization in the seventeenth century. Studying this trade as well as the administration which organized it, brings to light, for the very first time, the political economy of Safavid Iran. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Reviw
I found this book to be an excellent analysis of part of the Iranian economy during the Safavi period.Although it is slanted toward the Armenian minority and does not cover the whole economy, it provides aunique and perceptive view of a section of the economy that has been previously ignored.Aside from bringing to light the power of the Armenian minorityin a hypothetically theocratic state, it will change the reader'sperception of the economic, political and social sophistication of Iranand, in fact, the Middle East at the time of European expansion. The bookis very well written and the analysis excellent.The absence of tables inthe discussion of the volume of exports as given in different sources andand conversions of currency is sorely missed.Such tables would have madeit considerably easier to compare the various references.However, this isminor in the general context of the book.

Excellent window onto early Asian/European trade
A detailed and fascinating study of international trade and Safavid politics in the seventeenth century. I found it to be extremely well researched, drawing together evidence from Armenian and Persian documents,as well as European archival collections. The book chiefly focuses on theArmenian merchants who managed the export of silk from Iran to Europe, andthe import of European silver back to Iran and India. It successfullydemonstrates the crucial financial role these merchants played in theconsolidation of the Safavid state in Iran, with comparisons to otheroutsiders financing the formation of absolutist states in Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1987, this book examines the consequences of the nineteenth-century economic penetration of Europe into the Ottoman Empire. Professor Pamuk makes subtle use of a very wide range of sources encompassing the statistics of most of the European countries and Ottoman records not previously tapped for this purpose. His economic and quantitative analysis established the long-term trends of Ottoman foreign trade and European investment in the Empire. The later chapters focus on the commercialisation of agriculture and the decline as well as the resistance of handicrafts. Geographically, most of the volume focuses on the area within the 1911 borders of the Empire - Turkey, northern Greece, Greater Syria and Iraq. Professor Pamuk compares the relationship of the Ottoman Empire to the world economy with that of other parts of the non-European world and concludes that the two distinguishing features of the Ottoman case were the environment of Great Power rivalry and the ability of the government to react against European pressures. ... Read more

Product Description
This text is concerned with the concept of time in the Bible and in later literature, primarily that of the Judaean Desert sect. The work discusses issues of terminology, substance and ideology that arise from the totality of texts dealing with the subject of time. ... Read more