Why did Early Modern populations rise?

So looking at population trends across the World from one glance it is obvious that the advances brought by the Industrial Revolution was what made our population skyrocket and that pre-industrial populations either remained static or slightly growing.

But from seeing some population estimates in Wikipedia (not reliable, i know) and in internet forums it seems like cities like London had a population of 50,000 in 1400, then rising to 300,000 in 1600. Or Ming China having a population of ~60 million in the 15th century while rising to 100 million in about the end of the 16th century. Japan also having around 8 million in 15th century while jumping to 30 million at the start of the 18th century.



What caused these population spurts/increasing urbanization to occur in the Old World in the Early Modern era? Population just seemed flat during all of the Medieval era.
 

Albert.Nik

Banned
More wealth,more resources to live on,more security,lesser frequency of severe warfare,invention of medical science and scientific advancement importantly!
 
The permanent rise in population in Europe came in the 1700s with what has been called the British agricultural revolution. Things like enclosure of common fields, use of nitrogen fixing crops and more horse drawn mechanism.

Before that a cycle of centuries long good weather was behind population increase, with plagues causing crashes in population. For example during the medieval warm period the English population increased to 6.5 million but crashed due to the plague.
 
The permanent rise in population in Europe came in the 1700s with what has been called the British agricultural revolution. Things like enclosure of common fields, use of nitrogen fixing crops and more horse drawn mechanism.

Before that a cycle of centuries long good weather was behind population increase, with plagues causing crashes in population. For example during the medieval warm period the English population increased to 6.5 million but crashed due to the plague.
Honestly I wouldn't call it a cycle, in 1600 Europe's population was generally bigger than it was in 1600 and afterwards only some specific areas suffered mroe than short term decline.
 
The permanent rise in population in Europe came in the 1700s with what has been called the British agricultural revolution. Things like enclosure of common fields, use of nitrogen fixing crops and more horse drawn mechanism.

Before that a cycle of centuries long good weather was behind population increase, with plagues causing crashes in population. For example during the medieval warm period the English population increased to 6.5 million but crashed due to the plague.

The major European nitrogen fixing crop (red clover) was introduced from Spain to Netherlands in the 16th century and from there spread to the rest of Northern Europe, the potato spread in similar manner. The enclosure of the common field wasn’t a agricultural improvement. The main advance spreading from UK was a move away from the heavy plough with the introduction of the Rotherham Plough, which lowered the need for animals significant (meaning less need for grazing and fodder being used to work animals) and lowered the amount of labour needed to work a farm and allowed greater individual ownership of farms.
 
Also a major reason for the population growth after 1500 was the rise of better organized states, which began enforcing a monopoly of force. This meant that while warfare became more brutal, it became less common, allowing some people living entire lives without a looting and raiding army moving through their hamlets. It increased population growth not to have to deal with the regularly marauding army and the local prince having a army to deal with potential bandits.
 
I'll just add the increasingly liberal nobles emphasis on the sanctity of property; attempts such as Magna Carta and such towards creating a legal framework to encourage and protect agricultural improvement.
 
Though mentioned in passing already, I'd say the biggest answer was the Columbian exchange. The introduction of New World crops allowed for previously marginal land to be cultivated, and with it brought significant increases in population.
 
Though mentioned in passing already, I'd say the biggest answer was the Columbian exchange. The introduction of New World crops allowed for previously marginal land to be cultivated, and with it brought significant increases in population.

The population growth began before the spread of New World crops in Europe. Red clover replace less efficient nitrogen fixating crops like peas and native clover. We saw the rise of the Forest Finns and their readoption of the primitive slash and burn agriculture, which allowed increase agricultural production in marginal areas, improved vegetable farming spread from the Netherlands. Potatoes was pretty much just gasoline being thrown on a already burning bonfire. As for Japan and China, the 17th century saw the start of a very long period of peace and stable, which likely helped the population growth just as much as new crops.
 
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