From the first Arab-Islamic Empire of the mid-seventh century to the Ottomans; the last great Muslim empire; the story of the Middle East has been the story of the rise and fall of universal empires and; no less important; of imperialist dreams. So argues Efraim Karsh in this highly provocative book. Rejecting the conventional Western interpretation of Middle Eastern history as an offshoot of global power politics; Karsh contends that the region’s experience is the culmination of long-existing indigenous trends; passions; and patterns of behavior; and that foremost among these is Islam’s millenarian imperial tradition.The author explores the history of Islam’s imperialism and the persistence of the Ottoman imperialist dream that outlasted World War I to haunt Islamic and Middle Eastern politics to the present day. September 11 can be seen as simply the latest expression of this dream; and such attacks have little to do with U.S. international behavior or policy in the Middle East; says Karsh. The House of Islam’s war for world mastery is traditional; indeed venerable; and it is a quest that is far from over.
#181921 in Books Thomas S Kidd 2016-04-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .72 x 6.12l; .0 #File Name: 0300187327344 pagesAmerican Colonial History Clashing Cultures and Faiths
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