Spain. The First Globalization

By the end of the 16th century, China concentrated a quarter of the world's population and represented 40% of the planet's wealth. In 1580, the emperor's secretary, Zhang Juzheng, completely modified the tax system and the unit of collection changed from rice to silver. But there was a problem: China had no silver. Only the Spanish, already established in Manila, were in a position to meet this need stably and with quality guarantees, thanks to America's silver. This confluence of interests connected the two most powerful economies in the world at that time: the Hispanic and the Chinese, the Habsburgs and the Ming. In a few decades, from East to West, the world became aware of its shape, and the Hispanic monarchy transformed into the engine of an unprecedented globalization. The history of the Spanish Empire is unknown to most Spaniards; it is good to know it. It is worth it. There is no other history that can be compared.