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- "Plenty of money maketh generally things dear, and scarcity of money maketh likewise generally things good cheape."
– Gerard de Malynes
Mercantilism is an Exploration Age civic in Civilization VII.
Strategy[]
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Civilopedia entry[]
The relationship between empire and trade is delicate and has been worthy of concern since the early days of civilization. In the modern era, when colonialism coincided with industrialization, states saw their colonial possessions as sources of raw materials to fuel industrial booms back home. For instance, to ensure Liverpool’s prosperity, England could not have Indian merchants selling raw materials to other countries’ manufacturing centers. Mercantilism was the solution – control over trade that ensured goods could only be exchanged with approved merchants.
In opposition was the notion of free trade, where anyone could sell to anyone. This idea threatened colonial systems with destabilization, as the merchant class in the colonies could become independently wealthy, decreasing their reliance on the state. (In the case of India, free trade proved dangerous as needed goods and food were shifted toward markets where they could yield a larger profit, leaving many hungry.) As such, mercantilism was one of the core complaints of many wealthy colonists and a prime cause of revolutions across the New World.
See also[]
- Mercantilism in other games
| Civilization VII Civics [edit] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Antiquity | Standard | |
| Unique | ||
| Exploration | Standard | |
| Theological | ||
| Unique | ||
| Modern | Standard | |
| Ideological | ||
| Unique | ||
| 1 Requires DLC | ||
