Indian Ocean Region: The Neomedieval Analysis 39The New Middle Ages
First we have to briefly introduce the theoretical background and the
examined criteria. The New Middle Age theory is a concept working with
the existence of a complicated geopolitical setting resembling the medieval
“international” system combined with the effects of globalization. As a
result, we may observe a world comprised of state and non-state entities.
These non-state actors are both territorial (clans, cities, etc.) and non-
territorial (multinational corporations, terrorist organizations, etc.).
Furthermore, these actors may cooperate or challenge each other. Due to
the effects of globalization all of these effects may shift across the globe in
relatively short period of time. This presents many opportunities as well as
challenges.
The first author to introduce the concept of the New Middle Ages was
Hedley Bull. In his work, “The Anarchical Society,”^2 he presented
neomedievalism as one of the possible alternatives to the Cold War bipolar
international system. He claimed that five main criteria have to be met in
order for us to be able to speak about the neomedieval order – regional
integration of states, disintegration of states, the restoration of private
violence, the importance of transnational organizations, and the
technological unification of the world. How can we asses these conditions
today? Regional integration is more prominent than ever but, with the
exception of the European Union, it is still not very significant in regard to
states ́ sovereignty. Disintegration of states is in some parts of globe a well
observed phenomenon. If we look at the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa,
or South and Central Asia, we observe many failed or failing states.
Restoration of private violence is once again a well described
phenomenon,^3 with not only non-state actors using unregulated non-state
means of violence but even the strongest military – that of the US – using
private contractors to provide security on some foreign missions. The
importance of transnational organizations is significant as well. This can
be clearly detected from the work of D. Rothkopf^4 who argues that many
companies nowadays are bigger employers with larger budgets than most
states. Finally, technological unification is, in the world of internet
connection and social media, an indisputable fact.
The possibility of the neomedieval setting was neglected until the end
of the Cold War, after which the turmoil of the 1990s led some authors to
re-introduce the concept in order to explain the new phenomena appearing
(^2) Bull, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics.
(^3) See for example Grygiel, 2013.
(^4) Rothkopf, “Inside Power, Inc.”; Rothkopf, “Command and Control”, 44-46.