AHC challenge Byzantium in the 12th century centralizes

Alright so most economic historians agree that the reason why Byzantine power declined during the Komnenoi period was because the state lost its control to provide according to Knight political goods and lost its hold over the ability to aquire and exchange information. So is their a way to prevent this from happening and if so in what direction would Byzantium have developed
 
Alright so most economic historians agree that the reason why Byzantine power declined during the Komnenoi period was because the state lost its control to provide according to Knight political goods and lost its hold over the ability to aquire and exchange information. So is their a way to prevent this from happening and if so in what direction would Byzantium have developed

I thought the Komnenoi halted the Byzantine Empire's decline? Also, wasn't the Byzantine Empire the most centralized state in the world at that time (with the exception of China)?
 
I thought the Komnenoi halted the Byzantine Empire's decline? Also, wasn't the Byzantine Empire the most centralized state in the world at that time (with the exception of China)?

you would think so but the quantitative data paints a different picture.In fact the Komneoi increased Byzantine decline. It was related to growth of provinces economically, greater trade specialization causing these regions to assert their independance from state oversight, the beurocracy decreased, the byzantines relied on foreign navies, the state saw the loss of peaseants to landlords and a decline in revenu as a result. Money too played a role. You should read this paper by Knight it is quite interesting. Now his argument rests on previous historians including Angeliki Laio, Griffiths, Treadgold, and Holmes to name a few.

http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/55961/1/__...t_Economic history - working papers_WP187.pdf
 
Alright so most economic historians agree that the reason why Byzantine power declined during the Komnenoi period was because the state lost its control to provide according to Knight political goods and lost its hold over the ability to aquire and exchange information. So is their a way to prevent this from happening and if so in what direction would Byzantium have developed

Not necessarily possible. The hindrance to this is civil war after Manzikert and how good the Komnenois are.

Even without the Komnenois running the show, you still got an issue on how to deal with rhomanias smaller territories after manzikert and civil war. The economic policies by the Komnenois were product of the time. and fortunate/unfortunate for them, the Komnenoi were good enough to manage a less than centralized state compare to Basil 2's time.

Under the Komnenoi, Rhomania relied on the capability of the emperor rather than imperial system to run the show. But you can make a case that relying on the emperors personal capabilities is centralized enough but very fragile compared to relying on imperial bureaucracy.
 
I thought the Komnenoi halted the Byzantine Empire's decline? Also, wasn't the Byzantine Empire the most centralized state in the world at that time (with the exception of China)?

The Komnenoi basically gave a soddy patch up job to the ERE that stopped the blood,but caused a major infection.Many of Alexios' reforms were ad hoc.
 
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