The Challenge From Industrial Civilization And Economic Transition In The Middle East: 1809-1938

The Middle East just as other oriental regions has encountered the challenge of industrial civilization from Western Europe in modern times. Because of the special geopolitical conditions, history and cultural factors, a different road of economic and social development from others was determined after this challenge. There was a key transmit period from the beginning of the 19th century to the 30s of the 20th century, when many problems in modern society in the Middle East had taken root. At that time, the Ottoman Empire and Persian, as two political entities had already been on the decline. Meanwhile, the clash from industrial civilization was big and powerful, which resulted in sharp conflicts and contradictory in the Middle Eastern society, companied by cultural lash, economic stop and political shock. Confronting the domestic trouble and foreign invasion, the elitists in the Middle East had pushed reforms forward in order to make their country rich and benefit the people, and to catch up with European countries. The reforms drew up the curtain of modernization in the Middle East, but the great reform goal failed. Until the early 20th century, the Middle East had not extricated itself from a predicament, and moreover, these lash, stop and shock had continued till the later 20th century. The fundamental way of explaining why the Middle East society has lagged behind is by analyzing the economy in the Ottoman Empire and Persian since the 19th century and by inquiring into the economic and social transition after clash of industrial civilization. The particularity of modernization in Middle East is also a key problem in our research.A few important subjects are mentioned in this dissertation. The first one is the starting point of modernization of the national states, the reform and its problems in modernizing in the Middle East; the second is the common feature and divergence of economy in the Middle East analyzed from different points of view; the third is the changes of the Middle East after the reform and the changes before and after it has turned into a semi-colonial region, especially the Arabian economy during 1809 to 1938, which are regarded as an important part to understand the base and condition of modern Arabian economy; the forth is a comparative analysis about the mode of economic transition in different countries during modern times in order to look into the particularity and complex of modernizing road in the middle East.There are the following important views about the economic transition and economic development history in the Middle East during 1809 to 1938:(1) The economic transition of the Middle East in modern times has begun since the reforms in economy, which was an effort for modernization. After that the traditional economic mode has been touched and moved slightly by the internal andexternal powers. Although the theme----- challenge and response have beencriticized because of its defects, the start of modernizing and economic transition in the Middle East society had been evidently a reaction after the impact from industrial civilization and stirring only in response to forces emanating from the West. If there had been no impact or challenge from industrial civilization, the reform and start of modernizing would have taken place later, and the economic transition in the Middle East society would have been even more slower.(2) The comprehensive goal that the reformers had sought was to make the country rich and strong. So the reformers had thought it a too simple matter. They thought that if they built a west-like industry and there were an economic increase, their country would inevitably catch up with the developed countries. There was an eager pursue for quick success and instant benefit, the deviation in realize and too high expectation that the reformers themselves in developing countries commonly had. Furthermore, they had tried to introduce "implement just as firearm and practical skills rather than Western legal codes and administrative system for accomplishment of the comprehensive goal, resulted in a failure in that era. However, the concrete reform measures adopted in different departments had effects and results, especially in economy department, the achievements of reform were abundant.(3) The region of the Middle East is undoubtedly not an economy unity and the discrepancy of economy in different parts in this region. Not only the discrepancy of economy had existed, but also the impacts from Europe that different parts had undergone were not in balance. The region near the sea has experienced bigger and enduring influence, but others for example Arabian hinterland , Eastern Anatolian plateau and Iran plateau have experienced smaller and short influence, yet a few parts remained relatively unaffected. The reaction after impact and economic change was not common in different parts, some parts more, some parts little; some field of economy should have been retrogressing even if no impact, but others had its own internal dynamic even if undergoing the impact, or even at its weakest anddisadvantageous in competition.(4) There is a fundamental judge for economy in the Middle East from 1809 to 1938: in point of comparing with past, the economy in the Middle East since the middle period had obvious development for instance, new industry emerged from naught, commerce integrated in the network of world trade; The export-import firms handle and finance the outward flow of agricultural products and the inward flow of manufactures and other consumer goods. So the traditional economic structure had been changed and economy-geography scene (population distribution, industry layout and city scale etc.) had taken on a new look. In point with other developed countries, there are wide gap between economy in the Middle East and economy in Europe even if at the early of 20-th century.(5) It seems possible to sketch the main feature and trends of the development of the Middle East during the 19-th century and the first 30 years in the 20th century, a period from Muhammad Ali's Reform(1809) to eve of the Second World War(1938) that witnessed a fundamental transformation in its economy and society. Even till 1938, we can't think that the Middle East society had already been modern society, because the level that its development reached was not up to the standard that Western Europe reached in early stage of Industrialization. The economy in the Middle East during transition times had been a kind of special mode named "economy of mingling new and old", which is character by remaining traditional economic operation of farming-husbandry, but possessing many economic factors and inter features, as the base and condition for modern industrial society.