Figure 1.--This is a Stereoview of a street in Ramah about 1900. Ramah is mntioned in the Bible where David was hiding from King Sul . [1 Samuel 19: 18-19.] The scene shows men and boys, but as far as we can tell no women. Palestine scenes were popular items for Stereoview companies like Underwood because of the Biblical associations. Look closely at the image, there is absolutely no sign of 19th century. This photograpg could easily have been taken in the 16th century when the Ottomans seized control of Palestine. And except for the headwear we could imagine the photograph showing a scene dating back to Biblical times. The Fez in particular is an Ottomon style. The lack of change is of course an indicator of economic stagntion and poverty. Source: Underwood No. 52-3181

The question arises as to the economic status of Palesinians under Ottoman rule. We have noted references to the people being very poor. This seems to have been the general situation for Arabs living within the Ottoman Empire. This seems to be a fair statement. We do not have any detailed information such as actual income levels. This is of interest because the Israelis contend that Jewish immigration brought prosperity to Palestine while the Arabs complain that the Jews have exploited Palestinians. Not do we know how the Palesinians compared to other Arab populations inside and beyond the Ottoman Empire. One source suggests that Palestine was one of the poorest regions within the Ottoman Empire. We canot yet confirm that this was the case. We do note Palestine being described by travelers as an arid and largely uninhabited wasteland. One traveler describes Da, rather daming with fait praise, "Here were evidences of cultivation — a rare sight in this country — an acre or two of rich soil studded with last season’s dead corn-stalks of the thickness of your thumb and very wide apart. But in such a land it was a thrilling spectacle. Close to it was a stream, and on its banks a great herd of curious-looking Syrian goats and sheep were gratefully eating gravel. I do not state this as a petrified fact — I only suppose they were eating gravel, because there did not appear to be any thing else for them to eat." [Twain, Ch. 46.] Another question of importance is why were the Palestinians and other Arab populations so poor. Were they exploited by the Ottoman Empire? Or did Ottoman regulations prevent economic development. A major factor was that the Palestinians were largely uneducated. The population received little or no formal education and there were no institutions of hihjer education. The Palestinians like most Arab people within the Ottoman Empire had not entered the modern age. An understanding of the economic situation during the Ottoman era is important to understand to place developments during the 20th century in context.

Ottoman Economy

The Turkish tribes of Central Asian were pastoral hearding people who benefitted from the Silk Road both by raiding caravans and running a prorection rackbecame a Persianate society et. They were among the barbarian tribes that raided the settled civilzations to the South. The Selejuk Turks became a Persianate society and established a great empire (1104), driving the Byzantines from much of Anatolia. They were defeated by the Ottiomans, nother Turkic people (1299). The Byantine areas cincuered by the Selejuks and Ottiomans was a highly developed area with an established agricultural economy. The Ottoman ecinomic historu invludes two major periods, first the classic or elargement era and second the reform era. Thriughout both era, agriculture dominated. The classic era was a closed agricultural system with significant regional variation. The system was impaired by the Jelālī / Celâli revolts (16th-17th centuries). The vast Ottoman Empire was hugely rich and for a considerable time time he most powerful state in Europe. From the beginnng there was a focus on agriculture and this never chnged. The Empire also dominted by controlling the western terminus of the Silk Road. The Empire persisted with territorial expansion, monopolies, land holding, and agriculture. At the same time Christian Europe began to change, at first developing Mercantilist economies which led to maritime connctions with the East, undermining Ottomomon control of the Silk Road and southern spice trade. All of this eventually led to capitalism in the West, an even more efficent economic system. Western mercantilists and eventually capitalists gave increasing emphasis to manufacture and industry, far surpassing the wealth-geberating capacity of the Ottomans. The Ottomans continued to view military expansion and fiscalism as the principal source of wealth and agriculture more important than manufacture and commerce. The problem is that the rising wealth generating capacity of the West was a major factor in enabling technological advances and militiary power, As a result, the suscessfil military campigns and expansion ceased. This led to the secomnd Ottoman economic period--the reform era. The Ottomans attempted to deal with the rising power and economic success of the West. In the West, economic success rose upoward the people. The Ottomans attempted to msnage it doward through state mandated reforms. They created administrative and political structures. This began with military reforms extending to military conncted and public craft guilds. They had some positive impacts, but not where near the power generated by the developing capitalist states of the West. The Ottoman Empire by the 18th century had become a backwater of Europe and the economy and culture reflected this. One reader points out that the Balkans areas that had the shortest history under the Ottomans and reccaimed by the Austraians after a relatively short period of Ottomon rule (Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia) are today the most developed area of the Balkans. The areas under the longest period of Ottoman rule and never ruled by the Austrians (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia) are among the least developed. Of coure the reason for this difference is more complex than a simple Ottoman/Turkish differnce, but this would appear to be a significant factor. The Arab lands also under Ottoman rule for an extended period became a bavkwater ofvthe Empire, lnguising in poverty.

Economic Sectors

Palestine had a basically agricultural economy. Large areas are arid and poorly watered. But there is fertile soil and water in some areas. Both agriculture and settlement depends largely on the availbility of water, which is abundant in few areas. Rain is highest in the cool half of the year. It is highest in the north and deccreases as one moves south and as moves from the ciast inland. There are few perennial rivers. The water problem worsened by the porous limestone revanlent throughout the region. The West Bank is dominated by a mountain range running from north to south which contributed to precipitation. The water accumulates in aquifers and surfaces in springs. There are mountain aquifers in the west and east if the West Bank. They extend to the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan. The coastal aquifer exted to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The River Jordan has historically been another vital source of water, but the water quantity and quality have been reduced in recent years that the river’s importance has significantly declined. Palistinian farmers since ancient times have lived and wiorked in autarkic communities. Important changes in Palestinre began as a result of increasung commercial ties with Western Europe (mid-19th century). Palestinians began exporting grain, citrus fruits, olive oil, and soap. Artisan products (tapestries and glass). The primry ports were Jaffa, Haifa, and Acre. And Western manufactured imports increased. Another part of the economy was the flow of pilgrims through Palestine, both Christian and Muslim. The Christian pilgrims were a relatively new phenonenon kin the 19th century. And the missioins they fiounded also had an impact on the economy.

Economic Trends in Ottoman Palestine

The question arises as to the economic status of Palesinians under Ottoman rule. We have noted references to the people being very poor. This seems to have been the general situation for Arabs living within the Ottoman Empire. This seems to be a fair statement. We do not have any detailed information such as actual income levels. Nor do we know how economic conditions varied during the nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule. This is of interest because the Israelis contend that Jewish immigration brought prosperity to Palestine while the Arabs complain that the Jews have exploited Palestinians. Not do we know how the Palesinians compared to other Arab populations inside and beyond the Ottoman Empire. These are all important questions. Many in the Arab world, and not just the Islamists, are prone to blame the West and or th Jews for problems in Palestine and the wider Arab world. The problem with this line of thought is thatb Western control and influence in the region has been fairly recent and brief and in many cases superficial. Palestine was only in British hands, for example for 30 years (1918-48). The same short European era was also true for other countries in the region (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Libya). For other countries the period of control was somewgat longer (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia). It ws the Ottomans who controlled the Arab countries for an extended period. Even so, at the time of independence following World war II, most of the modrn infrastructure in each of the arab countries came during the brief Europen era.

Mark Twain's Observations (1860s)

We do have one deailed account on conditions in Ottoman-controlled Palestine. One source suggests that Palestine was one of the poorest regions within the Ottoman Empire. We canot yet confirm that this was the case. We do note Palestine during th 1860s being described by travelers as an arid and largely uninhabited wasteland. One notable traveler describes Palestine, sarcastically daming with fait praise, "Here were evidences of cultivation — a rare sight in this country — an acre or two of rich soil studded with last season’s dead corn-stalks of the thickness of your thumb and very wide apart. But in such a land it was a thrilling spectacle. Close to it was a stream, and on its banks a great herd of curious-looking Syrian goats and sheep were gratefully eating gravel. I do not state this as a petrified fact — I only suppose they were eating gravel, because there did not appear to be any thing else for them to eat." [Twain, Ch. 46.] Later Twain described Magdala near Tiberias with brutal clarity, "MAGDALA is not a beautiful place… The streets of Magdala are any where from three to six feet wide, and reeking with uncleanliness. The houses are from five to seven feet high, and all built upon one arbitrary plan — the ungraceful form of a dry-goods box. The sides are daubed with a smooth white plaster, and tastefully frescoed aloft and alow with disks of camel-dung placed there to dry. This gives the edifice the romantic appearance of having been riddled with cannon-balls, and imparts to it a very warlike aspect…. There are no windows to a Syrian hut, and no chimneys. When I used to read that they let a bed-ridden man down through the roof of a house in Capernaum to get him into the presence of the leader, I generally had a three-story brick in my mind, and marveled that they did not break his neck with the strange experiment. I perceive now, however, that they might have taken him by the heels and thrown him clear over the house without discommoding him very much. Palestine is not changed any since those days, in manners, customs, architecture, or people. As we rode into Magdala not a soul was visible. But the ring of the horses’ hoofs roused the stupid population, and they all came trooping out — old men and old women, boys and girls, the blind, the crazy, and the crippled, all in ragged, soiled and scanty raiment, and all abject beggars by nature, instinct and education. How the vermin-tortured vagabonds did swarm! How they showed their scars and sores, and piteously pointed to their maimed and crooked limbs, and begged with their pleading eyes for charity! We had invoked a spirit we could not lay. They hung to the horses’s tails, clung to their manes and the stirrups, closed in on every aide in scorn of dangerous hoofs — and out of their infidel throats, with one accord, burst an agonizing and most infernal chorus: “Howajji, bucksheesh! howajji, bucksheesh! howajji, bucksheesh! bucksheesh! bucksheesh!” I never was in a storm like that before…. …Squalor and poverty are the pride of Tiberias. The young women wear their dower strung upon a strong wire that curves downward from the top of the head to the jaw — Turkish silver coins which they have raked together or inherited. Most of these maidens were not wealthy, but some few had been very kindly dealt with by fortune. I saw heiresses there worth, in their own right — worth, well, I suppose I might venture to say, as much as nine dollars and a half. But such cases are rare. When you come across one of these, she naturally puts on airs. She will not ask for bucksheesh. She will not even permit of undue familiarity. She assumes a crushing dignity and goes on serenely practicing with her fine-tooth comb and quoting poetry just the same as if you were not present at all. Some people can not stand prosperity." Then he drescribes Ein Dor (Endor). "We rode a little way up a hill and found ourselves at Endor, famous for its witch. Her descendants are there yet. They were the wildest horde of half-naked savages we have found thus far. They swarmed out of mud bee-hives; out of hovels of the dry-goods box pattern; out of gaping caves under shelving rocks; out of crevices in the earth. In five minutes the dead solitude and silence of the place were no more, and a begging, screeching, shouting mob were struggling about the horses’ feet and blocking the way. ”Bucksheesh! bucksheesh ! bucksheesh! howajji, bucksheesh !” It was Magdala over again… Dirt, degradation and savagery are Endor’s specialty. We say no more about Magdala and Deburieh now. Endor heads the list. It is worse than any Indian campoodie. The hill is barren, rocky, and forbidding. No sprig of grass is visible, and only one tree. This is a fig-tree, which maintains a precarious footing among the rocks at the mouth of the dismal cavern once occupied by the veritable Witch of Endor. [Twain, Ch. 51.]

Causes

Another question of importance is why were the Palestinians and other Arab populations so poor. Were they exploited by the Ottoman Empire? Or did Ottoman regulations prevent economic development. A major factor was that the Palestinians were largely uneducated. The population received little or no formal education and there were no institutions of hihjer education. The Palestinians like most Arab people within the Ottoman Empire had not entered the modern age. An understanding of the economic situation during the Ottoman era is important to understand to place developments during the 20th century in context.

Sources

Twain, Mark. Inocents Abroad (1869).

Created: 8:26 AM 2/18/2013
Last updated: 6:33 AM 11/16/2018