So far in our class, we have examined the ways that imperialist societies have constructed political and social strategies for ruling over their conquered populations. In this essay, I would like you to compare and contrast the different approaches to imperial governance over time in the Middle East, beginning with the Islamic empires (Arabs, Ottomans, Mongols, etc.) and then engaging with the early European encroachments into the region (the French in Algeria and the British in Egypt). In what ways did conquering empires use economic strategies, legal structures, and militarism in their imperial systems? How did they deal with the diversity of people on the ground? In what ways did colonialism shape their rule? How did they meet resistance? The overarching question for this essay is this: is empire always a struggle between the conqueror and the conquered, or is it more complicated than that – and how do these examples help you answer that question?
