Palestine in Transformation, 1856-1882: Studies in Social, Economic and Political Development

This book, first printed in hardcopy in 1993 and reprinted in paperback in 2006, was written by the late German historian Alexander Scholch. Palestine in Transformation is indispensable for understanding the history of Palestine in the decades following the introudction of the Ottoman Tanzimat (reforms). Based on archival and consular materials, the studies show the extent to which the processes of modernization and integration into the world economic system had already begun in the crucial period before the first wave of Jewish immigration.

The work examines nineteenth-century European interest in the "Holy Land" and how competing interests led to the economic penetration of the southern and eastern periphery of the Mediterranean, and to the presence of British, French, Prussian, and Russian consuls in Palestine. In light of European penetration, the economic development of Palestine is discussed, focusing both on agrarian and industrial advances.

The author goes on to describe the rivalries among the various local lords during the mid-nineteenth century and the eventual integration of these local leaderships into the administrative structures of the Tanzimat. The text is enhanced and clarified by fifty-one tables and eight maps.

Through its close examination of social, economic, and political developments in Palestine during the late Ottoman period, Palestine in Transformation, 1856-1882 provides an important background to the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict essential for students and scholars of the Middle East.