This course introduces students to one of the most important current debates in historical studies and invites them to broaden the geographical scope of their studies to adopt a comparative and global perspective. In the early years of the twenty-first century, it is clear enough that there is a divide between the so-called global 'north' and 'south,' or 'developed' and 'undeveloped' countries, or the 'first' and the 'third' worlds. The former are principally in western Europe and North America; and the latter are in the rest of the world. If we move back to c.1000, however, the picture changes considerably: India, China, and the Islamic Mediterranean were among the most prosperous parts of the world with the most complex and sophisticated economies, and most of Europe was comparatively poor. What brought about the rise of Europe, and the consignment of other regions to the 'third world'? When did this happen? Students will be expected to work on at least three geographical regions over the course of the semester.