Globalization is one of the most significant developments of our time. But what distinguishes the present era from “golden” periods of empire building in past? Which elements of contemporary globalization and forms of autonomy are particularly novel and which are merely continuations of long-standing historical trends?

To address these questions, Empires and Autonomy brings together a distinguished group of scholars who explore particular historical moments that involved either the establishment or protection of autonomy. These global encounters inevitably involved friction, and the contributors examine the dialectic between globalization and autonomy at historical junctures that range in time from the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1720 to the meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 that led to the end of the Cold War. By examining these uniquely telling moments in the history of globalization and autonomy, this innovative collection provides novel insights into changes that are overtaking our contemporary world.