The Classical Eastern Question

In: Middle Eastern studies, Band 36, Heft 4, S. 179-188

Abstract

A review essay on a book by Efraim Karsh & Inari Karsh, Empires of the Sand: The Struggle for Mastery in the Middle East, 1798-1923 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard U Press, 1999) contends that the book discounts Western imperialism & the clash of civilizations, as articulated by Samuel Huntington, as the most significant factors in determining the fate of the Middle East. The Karshes insist that, from 1798 to 1923, the region's destiny remained in the hands of local actors, who played their parts in accordance with indigenous trends & patterns of behavior as they attempted to withstand the pressures of external forces by using time-honored wiles & stratagems. The authors rely heavily on original documents that record in minute detail the twists & turns of political events. These documents refute many traditional assumptions about the Eastern Question & European diplomacy. In addition, they shed light on what has been called "Britain's moment" in the Middle East. Although Empires in the Sand is sometimes carping & astringent in tone, it is a bold & imaginative reinterpretation of a controversial stretch of Middle Eastern history. 2 References. A. Funderburg