In pre-industrial society population growth wasn't a given. Sometimes it expanded, certainly, but other times it went the other way. Between c. 1200 and 1400 the population of England roughly halved - part of this was due to the Black Death but that's not the only cause: if it was there'd have been a big dip followed by a rebound. Actually even when there wasn't a plague there was a small but steady decline caused by a combination of lesser diseases, bad harvests (some good of course, but more bad than good and so on). During this time many areas reverted to wilderness, forest and similar.
A similar event would only have had to happen for the last 200 - 300 years of the New Era in WoT to produce a similar effect to what we see in the books. It could have been entirely natural (there was no Dark One in Mediaeval England!) but I also like Datakim's idea that it could have been some very slow and subtle seepage from the gradual weakening of the seals.
There doesn't seem to be any evidence for a natural reason for the decline though. Sure, there were a few wars (the Whitecloak War, the Aiel War, the constant wars between Illian/Tear, Andor/Cairhien, etc.) but we've not been told of any plagues or diminishing crops. In fact, until the start of the series, crops had been good, which was why it was a shock to have such a long Winter, then a long Summer, with corresponding bad crop years.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that you present a plausible explanation, I just don't see the in context evidence for it. You're probably right, RJ just didn't explain it enough.
I was Phelix on wotmania, I will always be Phelix in the "real" world, and now I am Phelix on RAFO.
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
Why is humanity receding?
- 02/09/2010 07:10:11 PM
1386 Views
Re: Why is humanity receding?
- 03/09/2010 12:10:30 AM
779 Views
I'm not sure.
- 03/09/2010 12:23:00 AM
618 Views
Sometimes populations just declined
- 03/09/2010 12:30:33 AM
759 Views
I hadn't thought of that.
- 03/09/2010 12:52:01 AM
685 Views
Life conditions have been deteriorating gradually
- 03/09/2010 02:06:03 AM
893 Views
As a peasant, I am offended, but as fan of WoT, I like your analysis =P
- 03/09/2010 05:34:55 PM
623 Views
very nice analysis! I think you summed it up almost perfectly
- 05/09/2010 04:56:11 PM
643 Views
Re: very nice analysis! I think you summed it up almost perfectly
- 08/09/2010 03:59:07 AM
626 Views
Re: Why is humanity receding?
- 03/09/2010 08:56:42 AM
733 Views
Damn. Yeah, I had a much longer theory which basically said the same thing.
- 04/09/2010 12:40:58 AM
671 Views
BWB says Talidar was the culimination of a campaign with 7 major battles
- 23/09/2010 06:16:19 AM
759 Views
Aside from reflexively blaming the Aes Sedai, I think it is the female supremacy situation.
- 04/09/2010 01:49:08 AM
788 Views