On The Wool Trade Activities And Influence Of Flemish Merchants In England In The 12th-13th Century

Flanders had the highest level of economic development in medieval Western Europe.Its textile industry is well-known in Europe,mainly urban textile industry,and the woolen produced is exported to many parts of Europe.Flemish merchants played an important role in this and earned a lot of wealth,which was quite powerful in Europe at that time.Since the 12 th century,with the continuous development of the textile industry in Flanders’ cities,the supply of local raw materials has become increasingly insufficient,and its merchants have begun to actively engage in overseas trading activities.With its geographical environment suitable for the development of animal husbandry,large quantity and high-quality wool and relatively close trade distance,Britain has become the most important raw material import place for the Flanders textile industry.The British economy was relatively backward compared to Flanders due to the size of its population,and the dominance of the feudal economy limited the development of commerce.As a result,Flemish merchants dominated the Anglo-Flemish wool trade.The business activities of Flemish merchants were unique in Europe at that time.Flemish merchants first used the trade concession system,a pioneering move that reduced the interference of external factors in the wool trade and further attracted Flemish merchants to trade in England;The Hanse of London,established by Flemish merchants,improved the efficiency of the wool trade and enabled the orderly development of the wool trade between the two places.These measures made the Anglo-Flemish trade one of the most important international trades in Europe at the time.As trade between the two places progressed,the British factor began to influence and promote further trade.At that time,the British crown was financially strapped and could not make ends meet,and the development of trade between the two places made the king discover the huge profits in it,began to encourage the conduct of trade between the two places,and committed to ensuring the royal income by formulating tariff policies,so that the financial pressure of the British king was alleviated to a certain extent;The Anglo-Flemish trade made a lot of profits for British sheep farming,handicrafts and commerce,making it a supporter of British foreign trade.By the 13 th century,trade between the two regions had reached its peak,and Flemish merchants controlled most of England’s wool exports.Anglo-Flemish trade was the "first pot of gold" earned by Britain in foreign economic exchanges after the Norman Conquest,bringing great wealth to Britain.Flemish merchants played the role of the "enlightener" of British modernization,and their business activities in Britain shook the feudal land ownership system,stimulated the development of sheep farming,commerce and other related industries,accelerated the collapse of the British manor system,promoted the transformation and upgrading of the British economy,and also had a certain impact on many aspects of British politics.