ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that the processes of change ‘were incremental and gradual: their “turning points” can be located at different moments for different questions in different places’. It examines the consequences of the cross-cultural contacts brought on by the period of European expansion, which created whole new dynamics of cultural exchange between Europe and the globe and altered the course of world history. The book demonstrates how engagement with ‘Gender and social structures’ is fundamental to understanding the age. It explores recent work on the Renaissance and presents traditional storylines of discovery and empire-building with more recent scholarly priorities. The book also examines challenges to ‘master narratives’ in the field, paying special attention to aspects of quantitative methodology and substantiation. It traces changes in the historiographies concerned with the state, sovereignty, and political rights.
