Critique of Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah Nathan Provost History of the Middle East 600-1914 Dr. Serdar Poyraz April 5, 2014 The Muqaddimah is a thirteenth century historical and sociological work that was written by one of the greatest historians at the time, Ibn Khaldun. His work was used all the way up until the 19th century because no other work has given so much in-depth detail to the history and society of the Middle East in the Middle Ages and prior to that. Ibn Khaldun has read more first-hand
The United States first became involved with the Middle East during World War II. In the 50 years that followed, tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union tightened over political and economic aspirations in the Middle East. Eventually, most of the countries in the Middle East adopted a new idea of government that was based off of extreme Islamic views. When this happened, the United States’ involvement with the Middle East lessened, but they stayed present as they were a prime source to get
Egypt is the Middle East’s only authentic emerging market story, and it has the most compelling long-term potential. The costs of the revolution in terms of lost economic output, higher levels of debt and much reduced savings have been high and will continue to mount while growth remains sub-trend. However, the fundamentals that established Egypt as an attractive economy pre-revolution – its demographics, geographical position, natural resources, infrastructure and service sector needs – are intact
Gelvin’s book, The Modern Middle East, he not only refers to this absolutism but also furthers it by using it in a historical construct. Gelvin replaces individuals with the collective and the collective here is nations. As human beings, we cannot neglect this absolute truth. Hence we cannot deny that the occurrence of one country occupying another, that country leaves its’ “footprint” on the other. Thusly, Gelvin’s crux is to challenge the reader’s notions of the Middle East by focusing on the dialectic
How was world history depicted in the past? Was it depicted the same way as it is now? Hitherto, people believe world history is the history of the entire globe, including every country. However, the perceptions and definitions of world history have changed over time. In the past, world history meant Western history and Islam was not included. History was biased and still continues to be due to various factors as Bentley discusses. Understanding the meaning of orientalism and its true definition
understanding the contemporary politics and history of the Middle East. His theory is too simplistic and does not consider the complexity of the region. Indeed, Said is correct to call Huntington’s theory a ‘clash of ignorance’ as one cannot gain an understanding of the Middle East through an orientalised lens. This essay aims to show the complexity of the history and politics of the Middle East. This will be done by looking at the history of the Middle East, Pan-Arabism and the Arab Spring. It will
in the Middle East? This question weighs heavy on the minds of many individuals and international players. Turmoil and conflict in the Middle East not only affects the people inhabiting this region, but also has global consequences. To answer this question, one must analyze the sources of conflict in the Middle East, historically, currently, and in the future. The limited amount of natural resources in this region has arguably served as the most major source of conflict in the Middle East. Other
The text begins its history with the Middle East around the time of Muhammad and the creation of Islam. From that time forth uprisings, demonstrations and acts of violence were commonplace and have continued to be since that time. To dig a little deeper and go back a little further in Middle East history one will find that this pattern of unrest stems from as far back as proof provides. To see a timeline of significant wars or battles of the Middle East, the picture is better illustrated on just
According to Zubaida (2003), the Middle East is located in parts of Western Asia spreading from the eastern Mediterranean coastline of Turkey and Syria, through the desert to Iraq and Arabia, and to the East through Iran to the Caspian, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea. Into Africa, it includes Egypt, and, by some accounts, Arab North Africa. This area comprises of mountains, deserts, fertile plains watered by grand rivers, and seacoasts. Climatic ally, the Middle East ranges from the extreme temperature
Owing to events like the 9/11 attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City in the United States and the Arab Spring in North African and the Middle Eastern countries, there is a growing interest in the West from people who want to know what is happening with the Arab world. Margaret Nydell in the book, Understanding Arabs , provides information to instruct those who want to increase their understanding about the Arab people in general. Nydell describes Arab beliefs, values, and concepts