Oriental Despotism is the quality ascribed by Karl Marx to large cities of the Middle East and Asia, which would not have been truly independent, mainly due to their geographical location. Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 Trier, Germany – March 14, 1883 London) was an immensely influential German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

The premise is that there existed some forms of state, which were ruled by tribute-collecting despots based on the system of production-property relations, described as "Asiatic mode of production". Oriental despotism is, thus, the political superstructure that was developped in succession. It was explained to have prevented states from progressing, or, as Marx said, "Asia fell asleep in history". Dynasties might have changed, but overall the structure of the state remained the same - until an outside force (i.e. Western powers) artificially enforces "progressive" reforms. A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution) is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contests, of submission or allegiance. ... Despotism is government by a singular authority, either a single person or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute power. ... Relations of production (German: Produktionsverhaltnisse) is a concept frequently used by Karl Marx in his theory of historical materialism and in Das Kapital. ... // Sociological concept In social sciences, superstructure is the set of socio-psychological feedback loops that maintain a coherent and meaningful structure in a given society, or part thereof. ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Within such socio-economic formations, the most obvious of which being the agrarian-based empires of Ancient Egypt and China, an absolute ruler farmed out the right to collect tribute from peasant villagers to a hierarchy of provincial petty officials, who also had responsibility for organizing the construction and maintenance of extensive irrigation works, upon which agricultural production was dependent. Extorting tribute from village communities became the universal mode of enrichment by the ruling class of military-priestly nobles. The divine kings also wasted resources on useless monument-building. Agriculture (a term which encompasses farming) is the art, science or practice of producing food, feed, fiber and many other desired goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals. ... Ancient Egypt was an African civilization located along the upper Nile, reaching from the Nile Delta in the north to as far south as Jebel Barkal at the Fourth Cataract of the Nile at the time of its greatest extension (15th century BC). ... An official (from the Latin Officialis, person – or object – related to an officium, see that article) is, in the primary sense, someone who holds an office (i. ... High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... In Marxian political economics, the ruling class refers to that segment or class of society that has the most economic and political power. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ...

Oriental despotism as a discourse was criticized as being orientalist, based on poor empirical evidence, and full of generalizations. It has been attacked by historians and social scientists for being erroneous and racist. Marx's excuse for capitalist imperialism as a way to help for example Asia progress from "slave states" and "feudalism" jarringly conflicts with his anti-imperialism. Orientalism is the study of Near and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages and peoples by Western scholars. ... Empirical method is generally meant as the collection of a large amount of data on which to base a theory or derive a conclusion in science. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated streetcar terminal in the United States in 1939. ... Imperialism is a policy of extending control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial conquest or settlement, or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. ... It has been suggested that Chattel slavery be merged into this article or section. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ...

See also

• Orientalism
• Karl August Wittfogel
• Hydraulic empire
• Hydraulic despotism