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Plagues, Wages, and Economic Change in the Islamic Middle East, 700–1500

Author

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  • Pamuk, Şevket
  • Shatzmiller, Maya

Abstract

This study establishes long-term trends in the purchasing power of the wages of unskilled workers and develops estimates for GDP per capita for medieval Egypt and Iraq. Wages were heavily influenced by two long-lasting demographic shocks, the Justinian Plague and the Black Death and the slow population recovery that followed. As a result, they remained above the subsistence minimum for most of the medieval era. We also argue that the environment of high wages that emerged after the Justinian Plague contributed to the Golden Age of Islam by creating demand for higher income goods.

Suggested Citation

  • Pamuk, Şevket & Shatzmiller, Maya, 2014. "Plagues, Wages, and Economic Change in the Islamic Middle East, 700–1500," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(1), pages 196-229, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:74:y:2014:i:01:p:196-229_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Maya Shatzmiller, 2022. "Structural change and economic development in the Islamic Middle East 700–1500: Population levels and property rights," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 69(1), pages 4-22, February.
    2. Bernard, Seth, 2024. "The premium for skilled labor in the Roman world," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Bas Van Bavel & Eltjo Buringh & Jessica Dijkman, 2018. "Mills, cranes, and the great divergence: the use of immovable capital goods in western Europe and the Middle East, ninth to sixteenth centuries," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 71(1), pages 31-54, February.
    4. Bas van Bavel & Eltjo Buringh & Jessica Dijkman, 2015. "Immovable capital goods in medieval Muslim lands: why water-mills and building cranes went missing," Working Papers 0069, Utrecht University, Centre for Global Economic History.
    5. Vincent Geloso & Peter T. Leeson, 2020. "Are Anarcho-Capitalists Insane? Medieval Icelandic Conflict Institutions in Comparative Perspective," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 130(6), pages 957-974.
    6. Robert C. Allen, 2019. "Real wages once more: a response to Judy Stephenson," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 72(2), pages 738-754, May.
    7. Ilan Noy & Tomáš Uher, 2022. "Four New Horsemen of an Apocalypse? Solar Flares, Super-volcanoes, Pandemics, and Artificial Intelligence," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 393-416, July.
    8. Robert C. Allen & Leander Heldring, 2022. "The Collapse of Civilization in Southern Mesopotamia," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 16(2), pages 369-404, May.
    9. Anthony Edo & Jacques Melitz, 2023. "Wealth and shifting demand pressures on the price level in England after the Black Death," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 17(1), pages 91-124, January.
    10. Hans-Bernd Schaefer & Rok Spruk, 2024. "Islamic Law, Western European Law and the Roots of Middle East's Long Divergence: a Comparative Empirical Investigation (800-1600)," Papers 2401.14435, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    11. Maya Shatzmiller, 2015. "An early knowledge economy: the adoption of paper, human capital and economic change in the medieval Islamic Middle East, 700-1300 AD," Working Papers 0064, Utrecht University, Centre for Global Economic History.
    12. Fochesato, Mattia, 2018. "Origins of Europe’s north-south divide: Population changes, real wages and the ‘little divergence’ in early modern Europe," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 91-131.
    13. van Bavel, Bas, 2016. "The Invisible Hand?: How Market Economies have Emerged and Declined Since AD 500," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199608133.
    14. Jatmiko, Wahyu & Ebrahim, M. Shahid & Smaoui, Houcem, 2023. "Sukūk development and income inequality," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Adham Sayed & Bin Peng, 2021. "Pandemics and income inequality: a historical review," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 1-17, April.

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