Back إمبراطورية هيدروليكية Arabic Despotisme hidràulic Catalan Hydraulisk despoti Danish Hydraulische Gesellschaft German Υδραυλικός δεσποτισμός Greek Despotismo hidráulico Spanish استبداد آبمحور Persian Despotismo hidráulico Galician Hydraulische samenleving Dutch Despotismo hidráulico Portuguese
A hydraulic empire, also known as a hydraulic despotism, hydraulic society, hydraulic civilization, or water monopoly empire, is a social or government structure which maintains power and control through exclusive control over access to water. It arises through the need for flood control and irrigation, which requires central coordination and a specialized bureaucracy.[1]
Often associated with these terms and concepts is the notion of a water dynasty. This body is a political structure which is commonly characterized by a system of hierarchy and control often based on class or caste. Power, both over resources (food, water, energy) and a means of enforcement such as the military, is vital for the maintenance of control.
- ^ Wittfogel, Karl (1957). Oriental despotism; a comparative study of total power. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-394-74701-9.