Who invented mercantilism?

Mercantilism was not invented by a single individual but rather developed as an economic theory and practice in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It emerged as states sought to increase their wealth and power through government regulation of the economy, trade, and colonial expansion. Key figures who contributed to mercantilist thought include Jean-Baptiste Colbert in France and Thomas Mun in England, but it was a collective evolution of ideas rather than the work of one inventor.