Marx’s Concept of The Asiatic Mode of Production and Its Historical Geography

Abstract

The validity and implication of the Asiatic mode of production [AMP] has become one of the most controversial issues in Marxist theory since Marx mentioned this concept. A huge space for understanding and misunderstanding is bequeathed by Marx’s oeuvre because he never systematically elaborated on it in his published work. Based on a close reading of Marx’s texts and their contemporary interpretations, this paper argues for the possibility of understanding the mode of production in terms of property relations by clarifying the two-fold character of property; demonstrating the validity of the AMP by decomposing historical modes of production into two dimensions; clarifying its implications and locating its historical geography by distinguishing it from other modes of production, pointing out its significance for anti-capitalism and anti-privatisation.