Collateral Influences on Global Commercialization
While the merchants of numerous historic societies were directly involved in the commercial globalization of the world and the ancient products they transacted affected its growth and expansion across territories as enhanced and supported by the social infrastructures that arose around them, other influences contributed to the phenomenon taking place. Religion and government were strong collateral players. They both nourished and directed, allowing the early roots of globalization take form. The philosophical doctrines of religions recognized the need to provide for announced expected ethical behaviors in respect to the exchange process and its by-product (i.e., wealth), reacting to a social mandate from their followers. The rulers of ancient lands began to see that their involvement in, no less control of, foreign commercial venturing was a new stepping-stone outside of war to gain power, prestige, and enrich their kingdoms. Out of these two influential institutional vestiges the need for secular social laws and regulations in respect to property and the right of private transfer were born. The legacy of religion and government intervention still permeates the modern era of globalization.