Beyond empires' explores the complexity of empire building from the point of view of self-organized networks, rather than from the point of view of the central state. This focus takes readers into a world of cooperative strategies worldwide that emphasises the role played by individuals, rather...

Intro -- Beyond Empires: Global, Self-Organizing, Cross-Imperial Networks, 1500-1800 -- Copyright -- Contents -- General Editor's Foreword -- List of Figures and Tables -- List of Contributors -- Introduction -- 1: The Evolution of Norms in Trade and Financial Networks in the First Global Age:...