What did Montesquieu claim about land ownership in Asian societies based on Bernier’s descriptions?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option 3 - The king owned all land, and private property was non-existent
Montesquieu, influenced by Bernier, argued that in Asia, all land belonged to the emperor, leaving no room for private property, which he saw as a sign of despotism.
Bernier’s descriptions influenced Western theorists from the eighteenth century onwards. The French philosopher Montesquieu, for instance, used this account to develop the idea of oriental despotism, according to which rulers in Asia (the Orient or the East) enjoyed absolute authority over their subjects, who were kept in conditions of subjugation and poverty, arguing that all land belonged to the king and that private property was non-existent. According to this view, everybody, except the emperor and his nobles, barely managed to survive.