Modernization in the Middle East during the 19-20th Century - Essay Example

Modernization and Islamic World Your History During 19th and 20th century, modernization impact took place over the parts of Middle East. Muslim world began to lose most of its political and cultural sovereignty to Europe’s culture. This transition of modernization was the outcome of European trade missions associating the Western technology in earlier centuries. The collapse of Ottoman Empire’s power played a major role in accordance with Muslims, highlighting the Western technology and modernization. The Empire was divided into numerous districts. The core of this Empire was Mount Lebanon, which was known as the homeland of Christians. This Empire was formed on the basis of different important religions such as, Orthodox Christians, Druze, Sunni Muslims, Shii Muslims. Other religions like Armenian Christians, Catholic Christians and others were also the part of it, regarding lesser population. This conquer by Christians forced the Middle East Muslims to think as well as question their beliefs and aspirations. This entire dilemma of Western modernization dragged the Muslim culture and politics into it, which later resulted in the major responses of as, ‘Islamic Modernization’. Iraq was the state which majorly got influenced by the Western Modernization. After the Middle East incorporated into the world economy, it brought dramatic changes for Lebanon. From centuries, Lebanon had been famous for its Lebanese silk prized in Europe; the incorporation gave rise to Lebanese silk under the demand of French manufacturers, Japan and China. Assaf, who was the peasant of Mount Lebanon, is well known in relation to the Lebanese silk business. The transitions (political, social, economic) occurred in Mount Lebanon used to be monitored by Assaf. The year 1840 became the most beneficial year for Lebanese silk, whose production collapsed in 1877 & 1888 due to the quality control and silkworm disease. This collapse resulted in the weakening power of Maronite grip of the quasi-feudal elite on the rural populations. Meanwhile it supported the Ottoman government and foreign capitalists power development. (III, 1993) In 1923, Mustapha Kemal, a Young Turk, won victory in the postwar against Greek. Kemal was known as one of the first modernizer in the earlier 20ht century. He promoted the secularism and industrialization along with the abolishment of Polygamy, allowing the women rights to vote. The Islamic caliphate, Sunni Muslim, who usually used to look for leadership was abolished by Kemal. The Islamic school system was abolished with the new state system of education. Islamic court laws were also abolished followed by the Islam disestablishment as the state religion in Turkey, in 1928. The history of women regarding the Middle East has not been so good throughout. Women were used to be treated as slaves, under the dominance of men. Women were given no rights and freedom of speech under Islam. They weren’t even allowed to gain high education to further build up their careers. The history of women slave during the mid-nineteenth century is well known today. Shemsigul, a Cicassian woman is the famous example of woman slavery. (Huston, 1992). She was purchased in the slave market of Istanbul, in 1850, and was brought to Cario. The women in Islam had their own beliefs and understanding of Islam, in comparison to Muslim men. The Grandmothers used to dominance regular former prayers for all the women. Women lives used to circulate around and within the Islamic region. Women lives were all about religion. A women offering prayers and fasting punctually, were used to be considered as a good woman under the light of Islam. The important thing for them was to, what it is to be a good Muslim, relation with God and existence to other human beings. Their individual beliefs, morals, knowledge, attitudes, touch and body used to be the formation for the next generation. Religious instructions by Grandmothers were seen as the essence of Islam. The only significant thing seen for women was their lives portrayed according to Islam. (Ahmed, 1999) Later the representation of women changed with the adaptation of Western Modernization. The women were motivated and began to become the part of this modernization. Several actions of modernizing women have been taken by the Middle East. Women are contributing themselves in building up their careers in various fields, such as medical, politics, social movement etc. Tewhida Ben Sheikh was the first North African Muslim, who accomplished a medical degree, in 1936. After completing her medical diploma in France, she returned to her homeland, Tunisia. She opened a reproductive health clinic in Tunis for the women, which also provided free health services for poor women. Her name is also counted as one of the most active nationalist woman. The education has been given more significance than employment to be accompanied by the women. That is because; education is what brings the change in women self-perception and position in the society. Women are given the equal rights as men to dominate themselves. Middle East modernization has also been seen in the field of poetry. The famous historical figure, Nizami is the best example of it. Poet Nizami (1140-1203 CE) yet comes under the favorite romantic reading. He is known as the chief of story teller, based on love. He has written five long poetic books called as ‘the five treasures’, out of which ‘khosru & shireen’ has been the master piece. Khosru was basically a Prince (A.D. 590) who fought against Greek emperors achieving the victory. He married the daughter of Greek emperor Maurice. The name of his daughter was Irene, called Shireen by Persians. It is a tale about the romantic love story between Shireen and Farhad, a genius sculptor throughout East. Khosru held jealousy against Farhad, and commissioned Farhad to project a piece of work which renders his name immortal. Hence, Farhad’s executions resulted in the passage of great mountain of Beysitoun. Later, Farhad was also asked by Khosru to cause a river to the opposite side of the mountain. (Medieval Sourcebook: Nizami (1140-1203 CE): Khosru & Shireen, c. 1190) Talking about the religion and philosophy of Middle East, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali has been highlighted in the historical modernization. Ghazali was born in 450/41 A.H/1058. A.D, and originally belonged from the region of Iran. He happened to complete his qualifications from Baghdad, and gained the scholarship in religion and philosophy. Ghazali was appointed as a Professor in the University of Baghdad, Nizamiyah. This University was popular as one of the reputed institutions, regarding the learning in golden era of Muslim history. After giving up his Academics contribution, Ghazali became a wandering ascetic. This period was known for the mystical transformation. Most of contribution done by Ghazali, was in favor of philosophy, religion and Sufism. Several Muslims are in contact with the viewpoints of Greek philosophy and Neoplatonic philosophy. These philosophies held confliction in relation to numerous Islamic teachings, meanwhile Sufism proportion was increasing. As being a successful philosopher, Ghazali rectified the trends associating both philosophy and Sufism. He also opened the new doors in philosophy, regarding the mathematics and science. He sabotaged the negative impact of the Aristotelianism and rationalism, with help of their respective technical tools. In accordance of some Muslim Philosophers (al-farabi), Ghazali also brought in attention the reasons to understand the absolute and the infinite. There were some Muslim philosophers who termed universe as finite in space, but infinite in time. It was Ghazali who demonstrated the theory of an infinite time in relation to the infinite space. He also purified the Sufism as the authority of Sunni religion. Being a prolific writer, Ghazali wrote some books such as, Tahafut al-Falasifa, Maqasid al-Falasifa, Ihya al-Ulum al-islamia, Deliverance of errors (intellectual autobiography). Ghazali is being considered as the greatest Theologians of Islam. His understanding of religion and philosophy had been the strong influence to Europe. His experience and teachings also influenced Christians and Jewish Scholasticism, adopted by Thomas in the reestablishment of the authority of Christian religion in west. (Claud Field, 1909) Jewish history regarding the year 1492, is considered important as in the Europe and American history. Spain removed the whole Jewish community from their lands in order to abandon the Jewish settlement in Europe. Jewish were considered as the most intelligent, industrious, and cultured among others. Expulsion of Jewish was under the pet project of Spain, under the dominance of King Ferdinand of Aragon. Father Thomas de Torquemada believed that, is Jewish aren’t expelled from Spain, the tens and thousands of Jewish convertors would influence Christian community, in order to practice Judaism. Spanish army defeated Muslims of Granada and expelled Jewish, to overrule the Christianity in the entire Spain. Spain enforced Jews to liquidate their businesses and properties at low prices, meanwhile the priests continuously encouraged the Jews to adopt Christianity, in order to avoid the expulsion and to gain the salvation in this world and the next. Most of the Jews migrated to Turkey and were warmly welcomed by Sultan Bajazet. Some of the refugees landed in Portugal, where later, the Portugal King agreed to marry the daughter of Spain’s monarchs, if he expels Portugal Jews. As a result eight Portugal Jews were expelled and rest was enforced to convert themselves into Christians on the pain of death. The rest of the Jews who ended up in Italy, Turkey, North Africa, Europe and Arab world were known to be as, Sephardim. The main motive of this expulsion was the religious discrimination against Christianity. (Jewish history source book - Expulsion from Spain) The only way to achieve the success and advance the Islamic regions against Europeans regarding education, industry, science, judicial institutions and military, was to utterly adapt the Western civilization. In order to introduce the European civilization by Ottoman Sultan, the need of advancing the habits of clothing, building, eating, furniture and consuming was required. European imperialism is basically based on private capitalism; hence by the exercising of system of state capitalism the prevention dissatisfaction and predatory capitalist rises in a country. Modernization turned out to be the vast influence on the interpretation of entire Islam. The 19th and 20th centuries stood out in the reformation of Islam, along with the emergence of Muslim World for Egypt to Southeast Asia. The transitions in the Islamic principles of science, politics, education and culture were projected to meet the challenges of the modern life and the West. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani’s is remembered as one of the greatest pioneers regarding the Islamic Modernization, with the belief of Islamic principles compatibility with science to counter the European power. Turkey becomes the very first Muslim state to adapt the modernism transitioning the shift in scientific methods with legal thoughts. (Asia and the Middle East - The making of Modern turkey). World War l demolished the main Islamic modernist movement, and the Muslims happened to lose their faiths over the culture of science and materials. Works Cited Ahmed, L. (1999). The Renewal of Islam - Chapter 38, . Asia and the Middle East - The making of Modern turkey. (n.d.). Claud Field, J. M. (1909). The Confessions of al-Ghazali - Medieval source book. London. Huston, P. (1992). Motherhood by Choice: Pioneers in Women’s Health and Family Planning. New York:: The Feminist Press. III, E. B. (1993). Struggle and Survival in the Modern Middle East - chapter two. California : Berkeley: University of California Press. Jewish history source book - Expulsion from Spain. (n.d.). Medieval Sourcebook: Nizami (1140-1203 CE): Khosru & Shireen, c. 1190. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://legacy.fordham.edu/: http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1190nizami1.asp Read More