Janet Abu-Lughod

Janet Abu-Lughod was an American sociologist and urban historian whose research connected city development with larger economic and social systems. Her work challenged explanations of world history that begin with European dominance.

Before European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350 describes an interconnected world economy before Europe's later rise to global dominance. It follows commercial and urban links across Europe, the Middle East, India, and East Asia.

The period captures a major Eurasian commercial system before the transformations associated with European oceanic expansion. It lets her study cities and trade networks before European hegemony became the organizing force of world history.

Cities are important evidence, but Abu-Lughod uses them to explain wider systems of trade, production, politics, and cultural exchange. The book's main subject is the network connecting urban regions rather than one metropolis.