Globalisation and Past

There are different definitions of globalisation stated by scholars of various fields.

Economists describe globalisation as an intensification of economic ties between the
states, and political scientists describe it as the exchange of thoughts and cultural
ideas across the globe. The emergence of the internet in the 21st century has
accelerated this process of globalisation. Currently, if an event has taken place in
any part of the world can build a consequence in some other faraway land.
Globalisation is not an immediate process but has transformed and gradually
increased through time; as in aeon, it has different motives for people, and in the
contemporary world, it serves other narratives.
In the pre-historic age before the agricultural revolution, sapiens and other species
migrated to different parts of the world for various reasons, e.g. (to stay away from
the cold climate). Since there was no agriculture practised and no domestication of
animals occurred, the primary work of humans was hunting and gathering to earn a
livelihood.
There was no defined way to communicate; in later phases, cave paintings were one
of the first methods to convey the messages. The exchanges between the different
species of humans were the earliest example of globalisation. They adopted food
and hunting practices of other groups which they met.
Gradually the exchanges increased over time, and agriculture became the primary
dietary habit; from there, the emergence of social classes and patriarchy
institutionalised.
The earlier emperors, such as Sargon of Akkad, were termed as King of the Universe
because of the limited interaction with other civilisations. For the people of that
land, the area which their king ruled was an entire world. From 3500 BC to 1000 BC,
the invention of writing technology spread the ideas, and the states began to
emerge. Through the emergence of states and empires, trade became a prominent
element of the state’s revenue. This was the emergence point of the global economic
chain where different new routes, e.g. (Silk Road) were created, and various empires
seemed to be interconnected for trading purposes. Nevertheless, the economic
system was restricted to only a few commodities.
The advent of religions such as Christianity and Islam caused them to expand their
ideas to other regions; thus, it was a pivotal point where the different
civilisations encountered and clashed with each other.
The creation of maps also plays a critical role here because it puts a perspective
in front of the explorers and emperors to explore the other region and unify it under
a single roof. Thus, during the pre-modern era, the European expedition took place
across the globe to search for new lands, resources and routes. Consequently, the
areas they explored and encountered indigenous people who were not aware of the
outside world. The native population was wiped out due to the massacres and
diseases transmitted by Europeans. Comparably
Europe had also suffered from external diseases, which claimed around half of the
European population in the form of Black Death. The disease reached Europe
through ships carrying goods from China; It was an early example of the
repercussions of globalisation.
Later, Europeans settled in the Americas and other African regions for better
opportunities. Therefore, their civilisation missions caused the slave trade of African
and Asian indigenous people and their forceful displacement to other regions for
working in fields of Europeans. The migrating labourers and communities also carry
heritages of their culture to new places and create a new
heterogenised society in modern times.
In the colonial period, the European settlers introduced new crops and food
practices, in colonies which eventually changed the dietary habits of native people.
The new crops brought by outsiders replaced the traditional foods.
After the industrial revolution in the 18th century, the products of the West became
dominant all over the globe, and Europe became the superior cultural and economic
powerhouse of the world.
The term globalisation should not be loosely associated with the pre-nation-state
era. During the 20th century, the wave of decolonisation spread across continents,
and the new nation-states came out as a by-product. The new states have fixed
boundaries, and as a reason, the emergence of the idea of
globalisation occurred in the 20th century. In the contemporary nation-state, where
all the countries are divided by boundaries, globalisation acts as a unifying force.
In the current scenario, globalisation is also linked with westernisation.
However, that is not valid, as westernisation includes the dominance of western
institutions and practices in other parts of the world. Nevertheless, in the globalised
world, ideas and practices of the different regions also pave their way.
(For example, Yoga began in India but became part of a healthy lifestyle across
continents.)
The contemporary world is transforming itself into a Global village where every
distanced place is linked to each other through forces of globalisation such as the
internet. Due to the fact of interconnectedness, everything now is raised and settled
at the global levels, such as climate or economy-related crises. The interchanges of
diasporas, products and ideas are also the critical features of
globalisation.

The phenomenon of migration is an inevitable process of human existence; thus, it

consistently took place worldwide and created the path for globalisation in earlier
times. Nevertheless, the contemporary manifestation of globalisation is capitalist in
nature that is impacting every individual by disappearing the borders of the Nation-
state. Thus, globalisation should be understood as a historical process of re-
imagining human relations rather than an immediate phenomenon.