Carneiro's Circumscription Theory
Encyclopedia
Carneiro's Circumscription Theory is an influential theory of the role of warfare in state formation in political anthropology
, created by anthropologist Robert Carneiro
(1927- ).
If there is no environmental circumscription, then losers in a war can migrate out from the region and settle somewhere else. If there is environmental circumscription, then losers in warfare are forced to submit to their conquerors, because migration is not an option and the populations of the conquered and conqueror are united. The new state organization strives to alleviate the population pressure by increasing the productive capacity of agricultural land through, for instance, more intensive cultivation using irrigation.
Example #1: The mountainous river valleys of Peru were severely environmentally circumscribed. More intensive terrace cultivation under one large state was the result.
Example #2: Amazonian Indians could always retreat into deeper forest, whereas Native Americans could not.
, on the ground that considerable contrary evidence can be found to Carneiro's theory. For example, the formation of some early states in East Africa, Sri Lanka and Polynesia do not easily fit with Carneiro's model. Hence Claessen's school developed a "complex interaction model" to explain early state formation, in which factors such as ecology, social and demographic structure, economic conditions, conflicts and ideology become aligned in ways which favour state organisation.
Political anthropology
Political anthropology concerns the structure of political systems, looked at from the basis of the structure of societies. Political anthropologists include Pierre Clastres, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Meyer Fortes, Georges Balandier, Fredrik Bailey, Jeremy Boissevain, Marc Abélès, Jocelyne...
, created by anthropologist Robert Carneiro
Robert L. Carneiro
Robert Leonard Carneiro is a prominent American anthropologist and curator of the American Museum of Natural History. Carneiro earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1957....
(1927- ).
Outline of the theory
The theory begins with some assumptions. Warfare usually disperses people rather than uniting them. Environmental circumscription occurs when an area of productive agricultural land is surrounded by a less productive area such as the mountains, desert, or sea. Application of extensive agriculture would bring severely diminishing returns.If there is no environmental circumscription, then losers in a war can migrate out from the region and settle somewhere else. If there is environmental circumscription, then losers in warfare are forced to submit to their conquerors, because migration is not an option and the populations of the conquered and conqueror are united. The new state organization strives to alleviate the population pressure by increasing the productive capacity of agricultural land through, for instance, more intensive cultivation using irrigation.
Primary and secondary state development
Primary state development occurred in the six original states of the Nile Valley, Peru, Mesoamerican, Yellow River Valley China, Indus River Valley, and Mesopotamia. Secondary state development occurred in states that developed from contact with already existing states. Primary state development occurred in areas with environmental circumscription.Example #1: The mountainous river valleys of Peru were severely environmentally circumscribed. More intensive terrace cultivation under one large state was the result.
Example #2: Amazonian Indians could always retreat into deeper forest, whereas Native Americans could not.
Criticism
Carneiro's theory has been criticized by the Dutch "early state school" emerging in the 1970s around cultural anthropologist Henri J.M. ClaessenHenri J. M. Claessen
Henri J. M. Claessen is a famous cultural anthropologist. He is Professor of Social Anthropology at Leiden University, an honorary member of several scholarly institutions ; Center for Asian and Pacific Studies ;...
, on the ground that considerable contrary evidence can be found to Carneiro's theory. For example, the formation of some early states in East Africa, Sri Lanka and Polynesia do not easily fit with Carneiro's model. Hence Claessen's school developed a "complex interaction model" to explain early state formation, in which factors such as ecology, social and demographic structure, economic conditions, conflicts and ideology become aligned in ways which favour state organisation.
External links
- Carneiro's Circumscription Theory on the Origin of the State, by Kathryn W. Kemp