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First Published in 1973. This volume brings together a number of studies concerned with the Near East and its history from the sixteenth century. They fall into three groups. The first is concerned with English Arabists of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and particularly with Edward Pococke. The papers in the second group deal with the history of the Nilotic Sudan, and especially attempt to exploit the sparse source-materials available on the Funj Sultanate and to throw some light on developments between the sixteenth and the nineteenth century. Another dark age in modern Near Eastern history is the subject of the third group of papers-the period of Egyptian history from the Ottoman conquest in 1517 to the French occupation in 1798.

First published in 1951, Britain and the Middle East sets forth briefly the relations which the people and the government of Britain had with the Middle East from the earliest records of such relations until 1950. The term “Middle East” used in this book includes what used to be called the Near East as well as most of the Middle East proper. It covers Turkey and Iran (Persia), Cyprus, Syria and Lebanon, Palestine and Trans-Jordan (Israel and Jordan), Iraq, Egypt, the Sudan, and the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.

From the point of view of economic history, the ideal way to study any institution of commercial law would be to compare the information contained in legal codes and treatises with the material relating to its application in economic life as manifested by actual contracts, letters, and business records found in archives and other repositories. In the case of the early centuries of the Islamic period, available sources unfortunately preclude such a procedure. Theoretical legal texts exist in abundance, but any corresponding documentary material is for all practical purposes non-extant. In order to determine if the framework in which the trade and commerce of the early Islamic period was carried on--a trade known to have been active and important--we must of necessity rely on legal treatises for most of our information, which trying wherever possible to call upon whatever meager help other literary sources may provide.In the absence of documentary and similar sources, the possibility of investigating the quantitative aspects of trade is all but eliminated. However, in those areas of trade which have been described as qualitative, such as the variety of goods exchanged, the specialization of the merchant class, and the complexity of business methods, legal and other literary sources provide a great deal of valuable information. It is with the institutions of partnership and commenda in the early Islamic period, two of the qualitative components of trade, that Abraham L. Udovitch makes his primary focus in Partnership and Profit in Medieval Islam.

Is Judaism a religion or a nationality? Can a person claim Jewish nationality and, at the same time, no religion? Does conversion from Judaism prevent an individual from emigrating to Israel under the Law of Return?These questions were recently considered by the Israeli Supreme Court, and the judgments rendered are translated in this volume. Palestinian and Israeli statutes concerning immigration, nationalization, and registration are interpreted by the judges.

The essays in this volume have as their centre the Ancient Near East, the special field of interest of the distinguished scholar of the University of Toronto whom they honour. The authors, specialists in the languages, history, and culture of the Near, Middle, and Far East, are a group of orientalists, classicists, and mediaevalists from among the membership of the Oriental Club of Toronto. T.J. Miik was himself actively concerned with the founding of the Oriental Club, and served as its first president. Theological studies are represented here by W.G. Lambert's discussion of the role of Nebuchadnezzar I in Babylonian religion, by D.K. Andres'inquiry into the origin of the title'Yahweh, the God of the Heavens,'and its significance for post-exile Judaism, by J.W. Wevers'evaluation of contributions to Proto-Septuagini studies, by F.W. Beare's description of the concepts of Zeus in the Hellenistic age, by the examination by John M. Rist of the famous literary fraud which led to the acceptance for many years of St. Denis -- Dionysius the Areopagite -- as the convert of St. Paul, by M.E. Marmura's account of Avicenna's theory of prophecy in the light of Ash'arite theology, and by C.C. Shih's discussion of the origin of ancestor worship in ancient China. Two aspects of Egypt are considered: R.J. Williams discusses the role of literature as political propaganda, and G.M. Wickens writes on Mamluk Egypt. An interesting problem in attempting reconstructions of Solomon's Temple is considered by Gilbert Bagnani. R.A.F. Mackenzie, S.J., discusses ancient Near Eastern law, and E.J. Sherry, S.J., comments on the life and works of Joseph Hazzaya, a prolific writer on behalf of the Nestorians.

Since November 8, 1942, when American troops in Operation Torch first landed on the beaches of North Africa, almost a million Americans—military personnel and their dependents—have lived in Morocco. Their impact on the political and social evolution of Morocco has been significant, but historians and political scientists before this book had made little effort to chart its course or to assess its outcome. The naval base at Port Lyautey in Morocco was the first foreign base captured by American troops in World War II, and United States objectives in Morocco continued to be primarily military. In 1942, as the price for French support against the Axis, the United States pledged its support for the restoration of the prewar French colonial empire. In 1950, faced with the threat of Soviet aggression, the United States negotiated an agreement with France and built four United States Air Force bases in Morocco without consultation with or notification of the Moroccan government. In spite of its sterile diplomatic policy and both Communist and Moroccan nationalist demands for evacuation of United States military bases, the United States retained essential military facilities in Morocco for many years. Leon Blair concludes that American military personnel and their dependents favorably conditioned Moroccan public opinion. By their egalitarianism, humanitarianism, and evident interest, they reinforced the idealistic image of the United States that was held by the majority of Moroccans. These Americans were neither individually nor collectively conscious agents in a campaign to modify Moroccan public opinion; they were simply a Western window in the Arab world, through which two civilizations might view one another. In the long run, they made a greater contribution in peace than in war.

The History of Ottoman Poetry, first published in six volumes between 1900 and 1909, was the principal product of E.J.W. Gibb's devotion to Ottoman Turkish literature. By the time of his early death in 1901 only the first volume had appeared in print. The remainder was almost complete and was seen through the press by Gibb's friend and literary executor, the Persian scholar E. G. Browne. The History was designed to provide the first extended account in English of Ottoman literature. The first four volumes cover four developmental phases, largely under the influence of Persian literature, from around 1300 to the middle of the nineteenth century. The fifth volume introduces the ‘New School'of Ottoman poetry produced in Gibb's own era and inspired by French models. The sixth volume contains in Ottoman printed script the texts of all works quoted in English translation in the previous volumes. No comparable study has appeared in English since Gibb's magnum opus. His History of Ottoman Poetry has become a classic work which is still widely referred to and valuable for students, scholars and anyone with a general interest in Middle Eastern literature and culture.Volume V (originally published 1907) concludes Gibb's study of Ottoman poetry. It contains three chapters on the ‘modern school of Ottoman poetry'drafted by him and edited by Browne. Emerging around 1860, this modern school was a product of the Ottoman tanzimat reform era and was strongly influenced by the ‘inspiring genius'of western, particularly French, literary models. To Gibb, it signified ‘a great awakening'. Chapter I provides a general introduction to the poets of the period and their literary and political circumstances. Chapter II is devoted to Şinasi Efendi (d. 1871), ‘the master who laid the foundation of the new learning'; chapter III presents Ziya Bey, later Pasha (d. 1880), a prolific writer in both prose and verse and translator of many French literary works into Ottoman. Gibb died before he could begin an intended study of the person he considered the greatest poet of this new school, Namik Kemal (d. 1888).Volume V contains over 100 pages of indices to all five volumes: of persons and places; of books, journals and poems; of ‘technical terms and Oriental words', and of subjects. The indices were compiled by R. A. Nicholson.

The History of Ottoman Poetry, first published in six volumes between 1900 and 1909, was the principal product of E.J.W. Gibb's devotion to Ottoman Turkish literature. By the time of his early death in 1901 only the first volume had appeared in print. The remainder was almost complete and was seen through the press by Gibb's friend and literary executor, the Persian scholar E. G. Browne. The History was designed to provide the first extended account in English of Ottoman literature. The first four volumes cover four developmental phases, largely under the influence of Persian literature, from around 1300 to the middle of the nineteenth century. The fifth volume introduces the ‘New School'of Ottoman poetry produced in Gibb's own era and inspired by French models. The sixth volume contains in Ottoman printed script the texts of all works quoted in English translation in the previous volumes. No comparable study has appeared in English since Gibb's magnum opus. His History of Ottoman Poetry has become a classic work which is still widely referred to and valuable for students, scholars and anyone with a general interest in Middle Eastern literature and culture.Volume IV (originally published 1905) covers Ottoman poets of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a period regarded by Gibb as one of transition between the classical age of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and that of the modern school beginning around 1860. Persian influences upon Ottoman verse began to give way to more Turkish styles, the Ottomans having grown weary of being, according to Gibb, ‘the parrots of the Persians'. The two trends nevertheless continued side by side for some time, a contest between the new, more sprightly Romanticism, glowing ‘with a brightness of local colour', as represented by Nedim (d. 1730), Sheykh Ghalib (d. 1799), and Sunbulzade Vehbi (d. 1809), and the remaining Persianist tradition exemplified by the poetry of the grand vezir Mehmed Raghib Pasha (d. 1763).

First Published in 1959, The Soviet Union and the Middle East attempts to shed light on the evolution of Soviet attitudes toward the Middle East, its problems, challenges, and opportunities since 1917. Divided into two parts, the first part'The Soviet Image of the Middle East'presents an investigation into the sources of Soviet policy in that area, while the second part'The Great Breakthrough'explores the political, social, and economic conditions in the Middle East. The volume discusses themes like storm over Asia, the arms deal, the year of Suez, the Syrian Crisis of 1957, Soviet trade and economic aid (1954-1958), Soviet cultural policy and the intellectual climate in the Arab world, communism in the Middle East (1955-1958) and communism and Arab nationalism, to ask larger questions like did the Soviet Communists expect the revolutionary events in Asia? Were they instrumental in bringing them about or did they occur quite independently? This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of political history, international relations, West Asian Studies, Russian Studies, and history of communism.

The Kingdom of Jordan stands strategically amidst the countries of the Near East, bordered by Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. A small country, poor in resources, it is torn by conflicting tensions and policies and by strife between pro-Western and pro-Soviet elements. This study of Jordan in the English language surveys all aspects of Jordan's life: the land, the people, their history, politics, economy, society, and culture. Mr. Patai fully considers the issue of Westernization versus traditionalism and its probable bearing on Jordan's future.Originally published in 1958.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This is Volume I of two which looks at the Bedouin tribes of the Euphrates River valley area, Mesopotamia and the western deserts. It was originally published in 1879. This collection has an additional preface in Volume I and chapters in Volume II by the editor.

First Published in 1973. This is an account of the political activities of Gentile Zionists. This title is a portrait of how the Zionist movement reacted to the crises that emerged with persistent regularity in its relations with the government throughout the 1930s. This study seeks to examine Anglo-Zionist relations not only on the official level but also, perhaps mainly, on the more personal plane.

First Published in 1975. The first Kuwait oil concession agreement, granted on 23rd December 1934 by the late Shaikh Ahmad al Jaber al Subah to the Kuwait Oil Company Ltd., has been of fundamental importance in the history of the State of Kuwait; whose great increase in prosperity and international influence during the last twenty-eight years has directly resulted from its oil production since 1946 under the Agreement and its 1951 successor. Hitherto no full or authoritative account of the very long and complex commercial and political negotiations preceding the Agreement has been compiled; and consequently all descriptions of them so far published (except those merely quoting the Agreement's terms and naming the parties concerned) have contained substantial omissions or errors of fact involving a wrong impression of what actually occurred. This text is a record of the negotiations between 1911 and 1934.

This pioneering study wrestles with the perpetual problem of chronology in the Books of Kings. Starting from the conservative assumptions that the courts of Israel and Judah maintained regnal records, and that these for the most part accurately reflect regnal length, the author arrives at a new and persuasive dating for the reigns and their synchronisms.In addition, his chronological scheme includes all points of contact between Israel and Judah and external powers, especially Assyria. The result is one of the most responsible and yet most critical chronologies proposed to date, and will be the standard chronological reference for the next decade, if not longer.

First published in 1923, The Truth about Mesopotamia, Palestine & Syria presents a comprehensive overview of what may be called the Arab or Middle Eastern problem in the earlier part of the twentieth century. Drawing from official publications and first-hand experience in the Middle East, J. de V. Loder discusses themes like the origins of the Arab movement; conditions in the Arab countries under Allied Occupation until the end of 1918; the activities of the Peace Conference and their repercussion in the Arab countries during 1919; Arab nationalism in Syria and Mesopotamia; and the relations between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. With a foreword by Lord Robert Cecil, this book is an important historical document and will be of interest to scholars and researchers of Middle East studies, British foreign policy, and international relations.

The wars that the new state of Medina wages against tribes in the Arabian Peninsula, after the death of Muhammad, have been known traditionally as Hurub al-Riddah to denote an apostasy from Islam and forcible reconversion. The application of the term Riddah by the classical Muslim historians implied that Arabia was unified and completely converted to Islam before the Prophet's death. Because this legend has been contested by modern scholarship in its re-evaluation of Muhammad's political achievements, a thorough examination of the whole question of the Riddah -- as it is treated in the first sources -- has been rendered inevitable. Dr. Shoufani's conclusions are the outcome of careful comparative study of the traditional sources in the light of modern criticism of these sources. Dr. Shoufani concludes that only some tribes of Najd deserve this unflattering epithet'Ahl al-Riddah,'or apostates. Contrary to what Muslim historians have claimed of it, the Riddah was not a religious movement directed against Islam, the Muslims, or their beliefs: it was the Najdi trides'repudiation of their fiscal obligations to Medina, which they had unwillingly agreed to pay yearly in taxes. In fact, Arabia was far from being unified at the time of the Prophet's death. The appellation Riddah was carelessly extended by early story-tellers to cover all movements in Arabia which were antagonistic to Medina. Later, Muslim jurists adapted the facts to fit their legal discourse, thus giving their accounts a religious turn: and, after that, historians embraced the early jurists'interpretations. Dr. Shoufani further holds -- contrary to current opinions that the Muslim armies fought the Wars of Apostasy first, then made their thrust into Syria -- that al-Riddah and the Arab Conquest Movement were one and the same operation. The Muslim armies were fighting on several fronts; this was made possible by recruiting the defeated tribes into the Muslim army and, with their help, furthering the conquest movement. In a detailed analysis of the political forces then at work, Dr. Shoufani shows the tremendous influence of the Meccan aristocracy on the policies of Muhammad in his last two years, on his adoption of the northern strategy aimed at invading Syria, and later, on the election of Abu Bakr. Dr. Shoufani contents that there is a remarkable continuity in the motivational thrust behind the events in the early 7th century of Middle Eastern history.

The Ways of the Desert, translated from the French, offers an introduction to the North African Arab nomads—their way of life, customs, dress, and religion. The companion to this volume, The Horses of the Sahara, provides a detailed description and history of the great breeds of Arab horses. While part of this book is devoted to descriptions of the various animals that are both hunted and used for hunting, its appeal goes well beyond its attraction for those with a special interest in the lore of desert hunt and chase. General Daumas and his major collaborator-informant, the Emir Abd-el-Kader, together provide sensitive insights into the total culture of the North African desert people of the nineteenth century. Both spiritual and material aspects of desert life are encompassed in this work, which ranges from translations of Arab poetry to descriptions of the uses of the fat and remains of the ostrich. The patterns of conviction and conduct described form an important part of the rich cultural heritage of the modern Maghreb nations. The way of life described in this book is often presented from what comes very close to being an inside point of view. Occasionally Daumas feels obliged to disapprove of certain practices or beliefs or to criticize his Arab friends, but in large part his underlying sympathy for the Arab people permits his informants to speak clearly through his pen. General Melchior Joseph Eugene Daumas took part in the conquest of Algeria by France and, for his distinguished service, was named Director of the Bureau of Algerian Affairs in the French Ministry of War. During the campaigns and the occupation that followed, he studied and attempted to understand the native peoples with an objectivity and sympathy unusual among the colonialists of the period. He recorded a way of life that has changed much since the nineteenth century, and much of what he recorded has since been lost. His account, as well as being an important source for the historian and ethnographer, provides for the general reader a fascinating record of the vanishing ways of the desert.

A survey of the extent to which Islamic law is applied in those parts of East and West Africa which were at one time under British administration.

First published in 1939, Syria As It Is provides a comprehensive overview of the political history of Syria. It covers themes like the great Lebanon; the oldest city of the world; Druzes of Lebanon; stronghold of Islam; means of salvation; government of the Djebel Druze; Easter at Hama and Homs; disunited Syria; Republic of Syria till 1922; government of Latakia; and cedars of Lebanon. Rich in archival sources, maps, and images, this book is an essential read for students and scholars of Middle East history, Syrian history, and history in general.

First published in 1928, Palestine Old and New is a historical travel guide providing a preliminary account of Palestine through the eye of a Zionist. The book takes the reader through the natural landscape of Palestine, familiarizing them with the local Muslim, Jewish and Christian populations, and providing both historical and Biblical accounts of various sites. As the chief immigration officer in British Mandate of Palestine from 1921 to 1934, the intended audience of the author was the Jews thinking about immigrating to Palestine, but his descriptive portrayal of the currently occupied territory is a rich account for present readers of the Palestine that was. The language used is a reflection of its era and no offence is meant by the Publishers to any reader by this republication. This book will be of interest to students of history, political science, international relations and geography.

First published in 1930, Palestine To-day and Tomorrow provides a comprehensive overview of John Haynes Holmes's experiences in Palestine. Chapter one is a running account, written on the spot, of his experiences in Palestine. Chapter two presents a brief statement of the facts and forces in Jewish history culminating in Zionism, is intended primarily for readers who may not be familiar with them. Chapter three is intended to be a careful and rather elaborate presentation of the difficulties and dangers which beset the path of Zionism in Palestine. Chapter four is an account of what has been done by the Jews in Palestine during a period of fifty years. And finally chapter five, in many ways the most important in the book is a discussion of the ideas and ideals of Zionism as these have appeared again and again in author's presentation of the more practical aspects of the movement. This book is an important historical reference work to understand the history of the Arab - Jewish situation and the question of the English mandate.

An analysis of Ying huan chih lueh, a work on world geography written by the Chinese official Hsu Chi-yü and published in 1848. Provides an account of Hsu's life and career and includes a translation of much of Ying huan chih lueh as well.

Catalogues approximately 2,000 documents from the Kwangtung Provincial Archives that are now deposited at the Public Record Office of London. These documents were captured at Canton on January 5, 1858, when the city fell to British and French forces. Topics include military matters, finance, education, and government administration.

A compilation of the foreign trade statistics compiled by Chinese Maritime Customs, which began publishing such statistics soon after Westerners were appointed as its administrators in the 1850s. With the passage of time the quality and quantity of the publications were constantly improved.

A detailed study of the factional struggles and political purges that occurred in Yi Korea in 1498, 1504, and 1519. Also includes a description of the administrative structure of the early Yi dynasty government.

A comparative study of business contracts and institutional developments during the early years of the People's Republic of China. Includes a case study of contracts in Chinese agriculture.

An in-depth study of French policy in Japan and the bakufu during the bakamatsu period. Includes chapters on the mission of Baron Gros, Franco-Japanese commercial relations 1859-1863, the Ikeda mission, Leon Roches and the new French policy, anglo-french differences, the Yokosuka arsenal, military assistance, Roches and Tokugawa Keiki, and the Meiji Restoration and the failure of the Roches policy.

Includes chapters on China's policies toward India, the role of trade in China's diplomacy with Japan, China's attitude toward trade with the United States, and China's competitive diplomacy in Africa.

Describes the background of the Bakamatsu currency crisis during the 1850s, including negotiations on the rate of exchange between Japanese currency and the Mexican silver dollar, and the effects of monetary upheaval produced by the opening of Japan to foreign trade.

Provides a history of the modernization of the Chinese postal service, with chapters on the problems of modernizing postal communication, the Ch'ing official post, letter agencies, early foreign postal establishments in China, the origin and development of the customs post, attempts to create a national postal service, and the establishment of the Imperial Post Office.

By detailing the extent of foreign domination and privilege in China in the period between the first and second world wars, when the'unequal treaty'system of the nineteenth century persisted in the face of burgeoning Chinese nationalism, John Carter Vincent helps us to understand the sources of Chinese Communist resentment and conduct.

Examines the status and structure of rural communes in China in the mid-1960s. Includes desciptions of collective finances, wages, technology, and the importance of private plots to family income.

First published in 1964, The Kurdish War tells not only David Adamson's 200-mile journey on foot and horseback through the rebel mountains of Iraq but also of the circuitous route through the Middle East the author had to take to get there. For possibly 4000 years the Kurds have lived in the mountains between the Tigris and Armenia, owing fitful allegiance to many empires among them those of the Turks, Arabs, Persians, and briefly the British. Revolts against their overlords have been haphazard, bloody, and ill-fated. The one which began in Iraq towards the end of 1961 looked as if it would fall into the usual pattern, but in fact it was the deciding factor among the several which led to the overthrow of the late General Kassem. In the summer of 1962 David Adamson was working in Paris for the Sunday Telegraph when he met Emir Bedir Khan, the doyen of the Kurdish nationalist movement. From that meeting sprang the discussion to try to enter the rebel held territory in the north-west of Iraq. In this book the author describes the leaders of the revolt and the aspirations, history, background of the Kurdish nationalists. This firsthand historical account is an essential read for scholars and researchers of Middle East history, Middle East studies, and history in general.

An account of the events of the Iranian Tobacco protest of 1891 to 1892. This book examines the developments which led to this sudden outburst of opposition, traces the course of events in each city and notes the importance of the protest for the creation of the Iranian opposition movemnent.

This study of political relations in the Middle East analyzes the reasons behind the instability of the region.