Curriculum A History of Banking

A History of Banking

How banking evolved over four thousand years: temple lending in Mesopotamia, Roman money-changers, the Knights Templar, the Medici, Amsterdam's exchange bank, the Rothschilds, India's presidency banks, the 1907 panic, Depression-era bank failures and Glass-Steagall, India's 1969 bank nationalisation, the rise of global megabanks and lessons from history.

Temple Lending in Ancient Mesopotamia How temples and palaces in ancient Mesopotamia stored grain and silver and made loans with interest, and how the Code of Hammurabi regulated lending around 1750 BCE. 📄 Read-aloud
Roman Money-Changers and Bankers How Roman argentarii changed money, took deposits and made loans in the Forum, and how credit crises occurred even in ancient Rome. 📄 Read-aloud
The Knights Templar as Bankers How the Knights Templar, a medieval military order, let pilgrims deposit money in Europe and withdraw it in Jerusalem, creating an early international banking network. 📄 Read-aloud
The Medici Bank How the Medici family of Florence built a powerful bank in the 15th century using branches, double-entry bookkeeping and bills of exchange, and how it collapsed. 📄 Read-aloud
Amsterdam's Exchange Bank How the Bank of Amsterdam, founded in 1609, created a stable bank money that made Amsterdam the centre of world trade and finance. 📄 Read-aloud
The Rothschilds and International Finance How the Rothschild family built banks in five European cities in the 19th century, financed governments and railways, and pioneered international bond markets. 📄 Read-aloud
A History of Banking: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on early banking, Rome, the Templars, the Medici and Amsterdam. 5 questions
India's Presidency Banks and the Imperial Bank How British India's presidency banks in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras merged into the Imperial Bank of India in 1921, which became the State Bank of India in 1955. 📄 Read-aloud
The Panic of 1907 How a failed attempt to corner copper shares triggered bank runs in New York in 1907, how J.P. Morgan organised a rescue, and why it led to the creation of the Federal Reserve. 📄 Read-aloud
Depression Bank Failures and Glass-Steagall How thousands of US banks failed during the Great Depression, how the 1933 banking holiday and deposit insurance restored trust, and why Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking. 📄 Read-aloud
India's 1969 Bank Nationalisation How Indira Gandhi nationalised 14 major banks in July 1969 to direct credit to farmers and small businesses, and the long-term effects on branch expansion and efficiency. 📄 Read-aloud
The Rise of Global Megabanks How deregulation and mergers from the 1980s created giant global banks like JPMorgan and HSBC, and how the 2008 crisis exposed the risks of banks that are too big to fail. 📄 Read-aloud
Lessons from Banking History What four thousand years of banking teach about trust, lending to rulers, panics, regulation and innovation, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud