Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue
This introductory article sets the scene for this special issue on water, infrastructure and political rule. It makes the case for revisiting the complex relationships between these three dimensions which have fascinated scholars since Wittfogel’s pioneering – if much criticised – work on causal lin...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Water Alternatives Association
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Water Alternatives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/311-a9-2-1/file |
| _version_ | 1818270458963820544 |
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| author | Julia Obertreis Timothy Moss Peter Mollinga Christine Bichsel |
| author_facet | Julia Obertreis Timothy Moss Peter Mollinga Christine Bichsel |
| author_sort | Julia Obertreis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This introductory article sets the scene for this special issue on water, infrastructure and political rule. It makes the case for revisiting the complex relationships between these three dimensions which have fascinated scholars since Wittfogel’s pioneering – if much criticised – work on causal links between large-scale irrigation systems and autocratic leadership. Scholarship on water, on infrastructure, as well as on political rule has made huge advances since Wittfogel’s days, requiring a wholesome reappraisal of their triangular relationship. In this article, we review the relevant advances in scientific knowledge and epistemological approaches on each dimension. We subsequently summarise the different ways in which each of the following papers takes up and interrogates the relationship between water, infrastructure and political rule prior to the final paper which synthesises the principal findings emerging from the special issue. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T21:10:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-093b2a527c1c4933a0e277f21c6cf0f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1965-0175 1965-0175 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T21:10:36Z |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Water Alternatives Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Alternatives |
| spelling | doaj.art-093b2a527c1c4933a0e277f21c6cf0f82022-12-22T00:11:53ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01751965-01752016-06-0192168181Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issueJulia Obertreis0Timothy Moss1Peter Mollinga2Christine Bichsel3Department of History, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, GermanyUniversity of Berlin,SOAS University of LondonUniversity of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland;This introductory article sets the scene for this special issue on water, infrastructure and political rule. It makes the case for revisiting the complex relationships between these three dimensions which have fascinated scholars since Wittfogel’s pioneering – if much criticised – work on causal links between large-scale irrigation systems and autocratic leadership. Scholarship on water, on infrastructure, as well as on political rule has made huge advances since Wittfogel’s days, requiring a wholesome reappraisal of their triangular relationship. In this article, we review the relevant advances in scientific knowledge and epistemological approaches on each dimension. We subsequently summarise the different ways in which each of the following papers takes up and interrogates the relationship between water, infrastructure and political rule prior to the final paper which synthesises the principal findings emerging from the special issue.http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/311-a9-2-1/fileWaterinfrastructureruleOriental despotism |
| spellingShingle | Julia Obertreis Timothy Moss Peter Mollinga Christine Bichsel Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue Water Alternatives Water infrastructure rule Oriental despotism |
| title | Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue |
| title_full | Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue |
| title_fullStr | Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue |
| title_short | Water, infrastructure and political rule: Introduction to the special issue |
| title_sort | water infrastructure and political rule introduction to the special issue |
| topic | Water infrastructure rule Oriental despotism |
| url | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/311-a9-2-1/file |
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