In the age of overseas colonization and the rise of intracontinental trade, Western Europe"a intercontinental trade with East-Central Europe did not diminish either, but considerably increased in both quantity and significance. Commercial relations within Europe also became a substantial factor in the emerging system of world economy. The "Western challenge" had a profound impact on East-Central Europe, and the 15th-17th centuries proved to be a crucial period for the "economic destiny" of East-Central Europe, among them Hungary. This book analyses the economic history of Europe during the early modern period.