The Socio-Cultural Footprint of Ottoman Governance in the Arab Provinces 1830-1914

Abstract

From 1517 onwards, the entire Arab world, exept Morocco, was placed, without much difficulty, under Ottoman influence. This study examines the profound transformations in the Arab Levant during the long nineteenth century, begining with the military campaign of Muhammad Ali Pasha's Egyptian forces (1831-1841). This pivotal occupation shattered the old provincial order, introduced a modernizing administration, and exposed the region to intensified European political and economic influence. The study then explores the distinct era of Sultan  Abdul Hamid (1876-1909), whose autocratic rule emphasized Pan-Islamism and centralized control in a calculated effort to reverse imperial decline and manage the rise of nascent Arab nationalism. Finally, the study concentrates on the period of the Committee of Union and Progress (Young Turks) from 1909 until the outbreak of the First World War. In this field, an in-depth study was carried out on the policy of centralization and Turkification adopted by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) against the Arab elements of the empire and, on the other hand, the arab reactions against this policy. Finally, Western ambitions in arab provinces were also studied, particularly those of France, Great Britain and the Zionist movement. Despite their distinct cultural and social profiles, the Arab provinces all experienced significant hardships under Ottoman rule, with conditions often deteriorating to an unbearable level. Consequently, the era of Ottoman domination in the Arab Levant may be considered one of the most difficult in the region's modern history.