Why did Henri Pirenne’s model of the city fail to describe urban cultures outside medieval Europe?

Henri Pirenne’s model of the city is often considered deficient because it was based on an ethnocentric view that took the European medieval city and its burgher culture as the only "true" or typical form of urban life.1

In his work Medieval Cities, Pirenne argued that two characteristics were fundamental to urban culture: a bourgeoisie that relies on trade for wealth and political autonomy, and a communal organization that allows the city to function independently of feudal or religious authorities.1

This model failed to describe urban cultures outside of medieval Europe because it excluded diverse historical and global urban forms that did not share these specific European conditions. By defining the city solely through the lens of commercial functions and Western-style municipal autonomy, Pirenne’s framework could not account for cities where urban life was organized around different social, religious, or administrative structures. Consequently, his formulation lacked the cross-cultural and historical validity necessary to serve as a universal definition of the city.1