Cover -- THE ORIGINS OF CAPITALISM AND THE "RISE OF THE WEST" -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Chapter One: Perspectives on the Origins of Merchant Capitalism in Europe -- Orthodox Marxism -- Brennerism (or the Brenner Approach) -- The Modernization Theory -- World-Systems Analysis -- Temporal Predisposition -- Spatial Predisposition -- The Inter-City-State System of the Middle Ages -- Tentative Conclusions -- Chapter Two: The Political Economies of China and Europe Compared -- The Chinese Socioeconomic Revolution during the Sung Dynasty (circa 900-1280) -- China and the Mongols -- Ming China and Europe: Divergent Paths -- Conclusions vis- a-vis European Capitalism -- Chapter Three: The Political Economies of South Asia and Europe Compared -- Trade and Commodity Flows in the South Asian Region -- States and State Structures in South Asia -- The Strategies of Elites in South Asia and Europe -- The Impact of the Perilous Frontier -- Conclusions -- Chapter Four: The Political Economies of Western Europe and Northern Africa Compared -- Northern Africa and the Sudanic States (circa 1200-1500) -- North African Cities, States, and the Balance of Power in the Mediterranean -- Conclusions -- Chapter Five: Conclusion: Was the Western-European City-State in the Middle Ages a European Miracle? -- Bibliography -- Index.