Asiatic Mode of Production

The Asiatic mode of production was a concept developed by Karl Marx in the 19th century. It was based on the idea that in India and other Asian countries, before colonialism, surplus was captured or appropriated by the state, leading to the emergence of a society composed of a large number of autonomous and internally egalitarian village communities.

The imperial court presided over these village communities, respecting their autonomy as long as the flow of surplus was unimpeded. Marx viewed this system as stagnant and characterized by a lack of economic development.

However, this picture of rural society was far from true, as during the 16th and 17th centuries, rural society was characterized by considerable social and economic differentiation. At one end of the spectrum were the big zamindars, who enjoyed superior rights in land, and at the other, the "untouchable" landless.

Marx's concept of the Asiatic mode of production was influenced by earlier Western theorists such as Montesquieu, who developed the idea of oriental despotism, according to which rulers in Asia enjoyed absolute authority over their subjects, who were kept in conditions of subjugation and poverty, with no private property. This view portrayed Asian societies as stagnant and lacking in economic development, and Marx's concept was a response to this view. Interestingly Montesquieu used Bernier's description for his study.