Before Colonization - (Columbia Studies in International Order and Politics) by Charles R Butcher & Ryan D Griffiths

About the Book

"In Before Colonization: Non-Western States and Systems in the Nineteenth Century, Charles Butcher and Ryan D. Griffiths tackle international relations theory's reliance on the European state system by developing a new framework of what counts as statehood across non-European regional contexts over the past two centuries, revealing surprising trends in state formation and state death. Using a unique catalogue of the number of independent states outside of Europe since 1816, Butcher and Griffiths show the extent of variation in centralization, structure, and administration strategy in states across East Asia, South Asia, maritime Southeast Asia, and West Africa. They also examine the effects that war, trade, and interaction capacity have on state formation across regions, taking care to document the large number of states that were extinguished as a consequence of European colonialism and the global enclosure. Through this expanded set of cases in this wide-ranging mixed-methods study, the authors provide nuance and refinements to popular state system theories around international change, the spread of norms, and the project of power"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Prior to European colonization, the world was thickly populated with hundreds of independent states and vibrant regional state systems. Yet these states are typically excluded from traditional international relations scholarship, which has mostly focused on the European experience.

This book provides a groundbreaking comparative analysis of non-Western states and state systems in the nineteenth century. Using an original data set on independent states during this period, Charles R. Butcher and Ryan D. Griffiths answer fundamental questions such as how many states there were, when they arose, and when they died, documenting the large number of states that were extinguished as a consequence of European colonialism. They explore the structure of nineteenth-century state systems in East Asia, South Asia, maritime Southeast Asia, and West Africa, examining the effects of war, trade, and interaction capacity. Through these case studies, Butcher and Griffiths provide novel perspectives on longstanding debates over state centralization and the choice between indirect and direct forms of rule.

Shedding new light on the dynamics of non-Western interstate relations during the nineteenth century, Before Colonization reveals striking similarities between state systems across diverse historical settings.

Review Quotes

Before Colonization is one of the most exciting IR books in recent memory. Butcher and Griffiths significantly expand the field's historical imagination by rethinking the state to properly include non-Western examples. They also manage the very difficult task of building a dataset with a degree of historical sensitivity. This allows them to present the nineteenth century in an entirely novel light. For all these reasons, Before Colonization is a must-read book for anyone interested in IR theory, historical IR, state systems, sovereignty, and international order.--Ayse Zarakol, professor of international relations, University of Cambridge

Critics of mainstream international relations rightly accuse it of Eurocentrism, yet such criticism usually provides little evidence. By providing pioneering new data and thought-provoking analysis of non-European state systems, Before Colonization constitutes a scholarly breakthrough that not only advances our knowledge of precolonial states and their relations but also sheds fresh light on debates about today's state system.--Lars-Erik Cederman, professor of international conflict leadership, ETH Zürich

For too long the study of international systems has been parochially European or anecdotal. More than any other recent book, Before Colonization transcends these limits in presenting the big picture of international politics in genuinely global terms. Thanks to Butcher and Griffiths's inspiring scholarship, we can now much better see the wood for the trees in understanding the broad sweep of interactions among war, state formation, and system transformation before the mass extinction of non-Western polities occasioned by European imperialism.--J. C. Sharman, Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge

About the Author

Charles R. Butcher is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on the legacies of historical states and state systems, democratization, and civil resistance.

Ryan D. Griffiths is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. His books include Secession and the Sovereignty Game: Strategy and Tactics for Aspiring Nations (2021).