Agrarian Change in Late Antiquity: Gold, Labour, and Aristocratic Dominance

by Jairus Banaji

This book argues that the late empire saw substantial economic and social change, propelled by the powerful stimulus of a stable gold coinage that circulated widely. Exploiting a wide range of sources, Agrarian Change in Late Antiquity weaves together different strands of historiography
(Weber, Mickwitz, papyrology, agrarian history) into a fascinating interpretation that challenges the minimalist orthodoxies about late antiquity and the ancient economy more generally.

Genres: History, Classics

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Jairus Banaji spent most of his academic life at Oxford. He has been a Research Associate in the Department of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London, for the past several years. Banaji's main research interests have included: agrarian history; Late Antiquity and early Islam; historical materialism; Marx's method in Capital; the fate of the peasantry under capitalism; and, unions and industrial relations in India.

Reviews

[G BA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not particularly accessible but exquisitely sourced materialist account of an overlooked subject in history