The introduction presents the problem of early modern extraterritoriality, followed by the context, argument, and methods used for tackling this problem. Before closing with an outline of the book’s chapters, the introductory chapter defines the project’s three main axes; law, empires, and capital. In particular, it discusses why we need to separately conceptualise law in terms of jurisdiction, why we need another book on early modern European empires, and why we need to include capital from a Marxist perspective in a historical sociology of international law.