Borderland Transformation: Colonial Ottomanism in al-Karak, 1893-1918

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to show how the empire established a system of governance referred to as Colonial Ottomanism in the town of Karak and its environs, one of the southernmost districts in what in the Province of Syria, from 1893 to1918. Chapter 1 analyzes how the numerous Tanzimat reforms, a civilizing attitude, and imperial concerns facilitated the Ottoman Empire’s consolidation of southern Syria throughout the 19th century, and how these multifaceted processes transformed these areas. The second chapter takes a step back to comprehensively and holistically analyze the society in Karak prior to the establishment of direct Ottoman rule. A local history is presented, followed by a detailed analysis of the society, including for traditional legal system. Lastly, Chapter 3 sheds light on how the twin factors of the civilizing attitude and the threat of imperial competition together dictated how the empire produced and governed this space. The intertwining of these two factors would result in the reproduction and institutionalization of the perceived cultural inferiority of the local people, and through it, a system of governance best described as Colonial Ottomanism.