The Alawite State, 1920–46

Colonial Legacies and the Foundations of Assad’s Syria

AvFadi Esber

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

Del i serien I.B. Tauris

1 479 kr

Kommande

Beskrivning

The Alawite State (1920–1946) was a politically autonomous entity created under the French Mandate for Syria.This book is the first in-depth study dedicated to this state experience. Fadi Esber argues that the Alawite State was not merely a colonial construct. It was a transformative political experiment that reshaped Alawite identity, redefined their role in Syrian politics, and propelled them into modern political life. Crucially, he shows that this period of history shaped the political consciousness of the generation of Alawites that later took power in Damascus, notably, Hafez al-Assad and his inner circle who grew up in an era when Alawites, for the first time, were active participants in Syria’s political landscape.By linking colonial history with contemporary politics, this book illuminates the enduring legacies of the French Mandate in shaping Syria’s fragile sectarian and political future. Using untapped French, British and Syrian archival sources, the study provides a solid analysis of the Alawite State in the framework of colonialism and modern nation building the Middle East.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2026-09-17
Mått:156 x 234 x 12 mm
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:I.B. Tauris
Antal sidor:216
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:9780755659494

Utforska kategorier

Mer om författaren

Fadi Esber is a co-founder of the Damascus History Foundation, Syria. He has a PhD in History from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK. Specialising in Syrian and Middle East history, his publications include a chapter in The Middle East in 1958 (Bloomsbury, 2020) and an article in The Middle East Journal, exploring unexamined episodes in Syria’s history.

Recensioner i media

This valuable and timely study is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the complex communal politics of modern Syria. It fills an important gap in the literature related to understanding Alawite politics apart from its association with the Baathist and Assad family dynasty era of Syrian politics. This carefully researched and balanced book is vital reading as Syrian enters a new era.

Innehållsförteckning

Acknowledgements. Introduction. One Thousand Years of Solitude: The Alawites of Syria Before the French Mandate. From Margins to Autonomy: The Birth of the Alawite State (1918-1924)Tribalism and Sectarianism: Alawite Politics Under French Rule, 1925-1936. The Hour of Decision: The Alawites and the 1936 Franco-Syrian Treaty. From Autonomy to Forced Integration: The Decline of the Alawite State, 1936-1946. Ideology and Transformation: Alawite Peasants and Intellectuals During the Mandate. The Colonial Legacy in Assad’s Syria. Conclusion. Bibliography.