A Concise History of the Middle East

by Goldschmidt, Arthur, Jr.

• ISBN13: 9780813338859
• ISBN10: 0813338859
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-07-01
• Publisher: Westview Pr

Summary

The seventh edition of Arthur Goldschmidt's widely acclaimed text has been extensively revised to reflect the latest scholarship and the most recent events in the Middle East, including a refined discussion of the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad and a clarification of the aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As an introduction to the history of this turbulent region from the beginnings of Islam to the present day, the book is distinguished by its clear style, broad scope, and balanced treatment. Written for college students, the text assumes no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern history. It focuses on the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, the modernization efforts of Middle Eastern governments, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the reassertion of Islamic values and power, the aftermath of the Gulf War, and issues surrounding the Palestinian Question. This edition also includes a detailed and updated chronology, a glossary of names and terms, and a bibliographic essay listing books and other sources that will prove helpful to both teachers and students. Maps, tables, and figures enhance the value of this edition.

Author Biography

Arthur Goldschmidt Jr., is Professor Emeritus of Middle East History at Pennsylvania State University. He is (with Lawrence Davidson) the author of A Concise History of the Middle East, Eighth Edition, and is the author as well of Modern Egypt: Foundation of a Nation-State, Second Edition. He is the recipient of the Amoco Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching and the 2000 Middle East Studies Association Mentoring Award.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xi
Preface	xiii
Introduction	1	(14)
What Is History?	1	(3)
Then and Now, There and Here	4	(2)
The Physical Setting	6	(1)
Some Descriptive Geography	7	(3)
Conclusion	10	(5)
The Middle East Before Muhammad	15	(14)
A Minimum of Antiquity	16	(1)
Persia and Rome	16	(5)
The Arabs	21	(6)
Conclusion	27	(2)
The Prophet of Mecca	29	(14)
Muhammad's Early Life	29	(5)
The Emigration (Hijrah)	34	(6)
Assessment	40	(3)
What Is Islam?	43	(8)
Basic Beliefs	43	(3)
The Five Pillars of Islam	46	(4)
Conclusion	50	(1)
The Early Arab Conquests	51	(16)
The Succession Issue	51	(2)
The Initial Conquests	53	(2)
The Beginings of Islamic Government	55	(2)
Dissension in the Ummah	57	(3)
Changes in the Government of Islam	60	(6)
Conclusion	66	(1)
The High Caliphate	67	(14)
Restoration of the Umayyad Order	68	(4)
The Downfall of the Umayyads	72	(1)
The Abbasid Caliphate	73	(6)
The Decline of the Abbasids	79	(1)
Conclusion	80	(1)
Shi'is and Turks, Crusaders and Mongols	81	(18)
Shi'i Islam in Power	82	(5)
The Turks	87	(5)
The Crusades	92	(4)
The Mongol Invasion	96	(2)
Conclusion	98	(1)
Islamic Civilization	99	(20)
The Rules and Laws of Islam	100	(1)
Development of Jurisprudence	100	(6)
Islamic Society	106	(2)
Importance of Family Life	108	(3)
Intellectual Life	111	(2)
Theology	113	(5)
Conclusion	118	(1)
Firearms, Slaves, and Empires	119	(28)
The Mamluks	120	(4)
The Mongol Il-Khanids	124	(1)
The Religious Issue	124	(4)
Gunpowder Technology	128	(1)
The Ottoman Empire	129	(13)
Persia under the Safavids	142	(3)
Conclusion	145	(2)
European Interests and Imperialism	147	(12)
Ottoman Weakness	148	(2)
The European Powers and the Eastern Question	150	(7)
Conclusion	157	(2)
Westernizing Reform in the Nineteenth Century	159	(16)
Egypt	161	(4)
Westernization of the Ottoman Empire	165	(5)
Persia under the Qajars	170	(2)
Some Afterthoughts	172	(3)
The Rise of Nationalism	175	(18)
Egyptian Nationalism	177	(7)
Ottomanism, Pan-Islam, and Turkism	184	(4)
Nationalism in Persia	188	(3)
Conclusion	191	(2)
The Roots of Arab Bitterness	193	(18)
Arab Nationalism	193	(7)
World War I	200	(6)
The Postwar Peace Settlement	206	(4)
Conclusion and Summary	210	(1)
Modernizing Rulers in the Independent States	211	(28)
Turkey: Phoenix from the Ashes	212	(11)
From Persia to Iran	223	(7)
The Rise of Saudi Arabia	230	(6)
Conclusion	236	(3)
Egypt's Struggle for Independence	239	(18)
Britain's Role in Egypt	239	(13)
The Egyptian Revolution	252	(3)
A Strange Ending	255	(2)
The Contest for Palestine	257	(22)
Origins	257	(2)
Prefatory Remarks	259	(2)
The Beginnings of Political Zionism	261	(4)
Britain and the Palestine Problem	265	(13)
Conclusion	278	(1)
Israel's Rebirth and the Rise of Arab Nationalism	279	(38)
Israel's War for Independence	280	(4)
The War's Aftermath	284	(3)
The Arab Countries	287
Israel's Early Years	245	(4)
Middle Eastern Oil	249	(51)
The Great Powers and the Arab World	300	(13)
Conclusion	313	(4)
War and the Quest for Peace	317	(38)
The June 1967 War	318	(5)
The Palestinians	323	(2)
Abortive Peace Efforts	325	(2)
Political Changes: 1967-1970	327	(6)
Danger Signs in the Middle East	333	(4)
The October (Yom Kippur) War	337	(3)
The War's Aftermath	340	(5)
Lebanon: The Arena for a New Arab Struggle	345	(3)
The Road to Camp David	348	(4)
Conclusion	352	(3)
The Reassertion of Islamic Power	355	(30)
Prefatory Remarks on Islam and Politics	357	(1)
The Iranian Revolution	358	(9)
The Struggle for Gulf Supermacy	367	(4)
The Retreat from Camp David	371	(11)
Western Policy Formation and Islamic Polity	382	(3)
The Gulf War and the Peace Process	385	(24)
The Present in Historical Perspective	386	(1)
The Gulf War	386	(7)
Operation Desert Storm	393	(2)
Palestinians and the Peace Process	395	(9)
Whither Islam?	404	(2)
A Parting Message	406	(3)
Chronology	409	(16)
Glossary	425	(32)
Bibliographic Essay	457	(28)
Index	485