Description

This course explores the role of empires in the Middle East from the 18th through the first half of the 20th century. During this period various forms of imperial rule defined the region's governance-from Ottoman rule to the British occupation of Egypt in the late 19th century to British and French mandate states in much of the region post World War I. The course will emphasize comparative approaches to understanding how these empires shaped the region. We will examine how these various forms of empire were engaged by local populations, from elites to peasants, and how their histories impacted the independent nation-states that succeeded them.