RANKOPAN6.mp3 - The Great Divergence, Coal Location, and Global Climate Shocks Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History The Great Divergence seeks to explain how Europe accelerated scientifically and technologically after 1500 to dominat

The John Batchelor Show

RANKOPAN6.mp3 - The Great Divergence, Coal Location, and Global Climate Shocks Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

The Great Divergence seeks to explain how Europe accelerated scientifically and technologically after 1500 to dominate global empires. A key factor was location: England benefited from coal fields situated close to London and easily transportable by sea, unlike China's distant resources. Climate shocks created opportunities for European powers. Severe famines and droughts in India (such as the 1770s Bengal famine that killed 30 million) shattered the Mughal state's ability to collect revenue, facilitating British control. Additionally, the 1783 Laki volcanic eruption caused a climate shock affecting Egypt's Nile, diverting Ottoman focus southward and enabling Catherine the Great to annex Crimea.