[Abstract]
GIS (Geographic Information System) can be a key tool for widening and deepening the research potential of economic history. The session provides a platform for discussion about the application of the GIS to modern economic history in Asia and Africa.
Recently, some historians have attempted to use GIS for their studies and they began to show high possibility for drastic development in historiography. GIS-based research is going to contribute in terms of the spatial analysis, beyond the advantage of previous research in terms of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. However, the application is literally a continuous process of trial and error. Especially, in the field of Asian and African economic history, GIS-based research remains very exceptional compared with the research about the Western world. This is due to comparative shortage of available historical sources and language difficulties. Under these conditions, creating an opportunity to discuss the methodology for the application of GIS to economic history, clarifying the major problems, and exchanging the possible solutions in the research process is a must to facilitate further development. A new perspective on global history based upon GIS analysis would be the result in future.
The session sheds light on the modern Asian and African economic history. So far five researchers have agreed paper contributions in this proposed session. They work on several countries in Asia and Africa including China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Japan. The period covered runs from the eighteenth century to the twentieth century. The main theme is agricultural development in the different parts of Asia and Africa. Especially the session will discuss the following topics: changes in traditional peasant economy, development of plantation and suburban agriculture, and commodity transaction and market. All paper contributors are specialists to work on GIS-based economic history and they are exploring better understanding of modern agricultural development in terms of spatial aspects.
In fact, in the modern period, the agricultural sector in Asia and Africa developed on a large scale. This development was realized by domestic and overseas demands due to the development of industrial sectors and the growth of population. Faced with growing demand, the agricultural sector developed in several ways and spaces. Land development in the interior, in the deltas, and in the formerly forest area greatly progressed not only by European plantation capital but also by small peasants, very often migrants from some other areas. Clarifying the pattern of development, its distinctive spherical features, and the local responses in different parts of Asia and Africa will highly contribute to the deeper understanding of global economic history at the time of global integration in the modern period.
Finally, the organizer have a plan to “call for papers”, after the acceptance of the session, and then around eight papers are estimated to be presented for this session.

Session Organizer
Prof. Tsukasa Mizushima (The University of Tokyo, Japan)

Expected Participants
Hiroshi Kato(Hitotsubashi University, Japan)
I-Chun Fan (Academia Sinica, Taiwan)
Tomohiro Ichinose (Keio University, Japan)
Biplab Biswas (The University of Burdwan, India)
Ryuto Shimada (The University of Tokyo, Japan)