Globalization is one of the most significant developments of our time. But what distinguishes the present era from the Age of Empire that spanned the decades leading up to the First World War? Which elements of contemporary globalization and forms of autonomy are particularly novel and which are merely continuations of long-standing historical trends? Empires and Autonomy brings together a distinguished group of scholars who focus on particular historical moments â incidents, innovations, movements, or rounds of negotiation â to explore these issues. Global encounters that involved the establishment or protection of autonomy in specific places inevitably involved friction, and the contributors examine the dialectic between globalization and autonomy as it played out st historical junctures that range from the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1720 to the meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 that led to the end of the Cold War. These tightly focused, interdisciplinary essays show that globalization has been anything but systematic or complete. By examining these uniquely telling moments in the history of globalization and autonomy, this innovative collection provides novel insights into changes that are overtaking the contemporary world. It will be of interest to students and practitioners of globalization studies and international relations and political economy.
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