Palestinian History
In most cases, Palestinian history pre-dating 1948 often focuses on the rise of Arab-Zionist conflict as the central axis leading to all revolutionary changes. However, an alternative historical understanding is necessary for broadening the comprehension of the region’s past. In essence, for the empire’s architects and their agents, Palestine grew within a developmental discourse pervading colonial practices from the early 20th century. While Palestinian history after World War II focuses on improving living standards, the 20th-century colonial development emphasized on exploiting natural resources and developing infrastructure. Studies focusing on the experiences of Palestinians and the broader narrative of anti-colonial resistance and imperial expansion shows the widespread excitement generated by Palestine. That happened among people who viewed found themselves at the heart of modernization and progress regardless of whether they were Jewish, British, Arab or Ottoman. This backdrop forms the basis of the gradual decline during the mandate era of mixed development style that characterized the Ottoman Empire and the British colonialists perceived Zionism as the driving force of modernization.
Reviewing modernity and its intellectual developments in Palestine and the Middle East is an essential endeavor. Crucial historical moments in the evolution of the Middle East include the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent partitioning to form Turkey and other Arab nations. The rise of new states and their interaction with modern westernization contributed to other significant cultural and political events which led to the emergence of modernism and modernity. These experiences varied from one nation to another, one can understand them by considering the Arab-speaking regions, Maghreb and Turkey and Iran. Three intellectual trends corresponded to the modernism in the Palestinian region wherein several scientists, activists, artists and thinkers manifested a willingness to change. The first reformation wave led to the development of parliaments and constitutions in the Arabian and Ottoman empires. The second modernism current focused on nativism where intellectuals looked for native sources of success and progress, unlike fascination which prevailed in the West.
In the third modernism wave, a desire for social growth and development led to the emergence of more liberal values which contributed to crucial changes in the civil and political spheres. During this era, academics analyzed their communities using modern essential tools derived from western civilizations. While these three periods were characterized by aesthetic modernism, the intellectual modernity experience has faced several challenges. For instance, addressing modernity at the period of decline and rapid pattern of events of the last one hundred years complicates the history of Palestine. Additionally, the colonial presence of western countries complicates the politically unstable region which makes the transition to modernity as a challenging experience.
The emergence of parliaments, constitutions, and literary experiments, as well as calls to transform conventional living and thinking ways, characterized the first period of modernity. These transitional attempts by Palestinian artists, scientists, activists and thinkers to influence social changes began in the mid to late 19th century. During this era, the Palestinian and Ottoman intellectuals focused on western civilizations, visited Europe, translated western literature, and learned about Western technological and scientific developments. Many began inquiring the factors behind their region’s underdevelopment contrasted to West’s success.
this era was known as the constitutionalism when western enlightenment and values captivated many Middle Eastern intellectuals. As a result, they began modernizing their communities through the promotion of liberal, development and progress values. In essence, constitutionalism was a crucial turning point that led to several modernization aspects in subsequent years.
Notably, merchants, farm owners, journalists, European-trained intellectuals, military leaders, literary figures and activists played crucial roles in the emergence of constitutionalism in the Middle East. However, later these groups split into distinct goals pursuing individuals plans and goals. Ironically, the presence of Europeans in the region triggered the willingness to change among middle easterners. The European conquest of the Middle East began for a financial reason due to the industrialization and demand for natural resources in Europe. That led to European political and cultural domination in the Palestinian region. The Europeans came to the Middle East as missionaries, ambassadors and travelers among other prominent colonial projects. Direct interaction with European modernity influenced several middle eastern rulers to adopt these western political and social structures of development. After understanding western developments, middle eastern intellectual began revolutionizing their political, economic, social and cultural situations. As such, learning new sciences and reforms in social and political structures were significant.
During this era, several reforms characterized the centuries-old middle eastern conceptual and structural changes leading to the constitutionalism period from 1867. Intellectual and literary figures such as The Young Ottomans perceived the conventional social structures and concepts as insufficient and adopted the western values and thoughts to adapt to the modern world’s needs. Development in science fields also laid the ground for Arab renaissance through cultural and economic reforms such as new farming technologies, means of transport and communication as well as construction and architectural developments. Additionally, western values influenced intellectuals, politicians and landowners who challenged existing leadership. These individuals desired the establishment of modern states based on European models and that meant modernizing with Egyptian politics, military, society, culture and bureaucracy. In the early 19th century, several middle eastern students went to Europe for further studies which further shaped the changing dynamics of the region.
Developments in science and technology created a close connection between literature advancement with political and social modernization in the 19th century Palestine. However, a majority of the influential personalities in modern social and political structures raised concerns regarding the modernization of deep-rooted literature traditional forms. For instance, Amir Kabir argued that traditional Persian poetry was detrimental to modernization and progress in Middle Easter society and thus required reformations. As such, several middle eastern poets began adopting new literary forms and structures based on European poetry. New genres like drama and novels emerged and the new form of poetry addressed new subjects and themes ushering a realm of political and social issues contrary to the dominant mystical and personal conventional poetry. Also, middle eastern languages changed with the emergence of new structures and diction as more Europeans translated Persian poetry. In essence, a study on middle eastern history and literature enabled European scholars to influence local intellectuals and poets’ consciousness of their historical position.
Several social, cultural, political and economic changes characterized the Ottoman Empire and British colonial eras in the Middle East as each regime introduced new cultures and societal structures. Developments in science and technology influenced the modernization of ancient Palestinian social structures ushering modern intellectual patterns and lifestyles. Although the intellectual developments of modernity in Palestine began their emergence several years ago, the area’s eventual history and unstable politics cause deviations in these developments. That produces a radically diverse modernity experience different from that of western nations. The intellectual history of Palestine also influenced these deviations but the rapid social and cultural changes and the eventual European colonization were the primary sources. On the other hand, literary modernity has proven to be significantly adaptable for Palestinian intellectuals. Researchers project that in the long modernization process across the world, science, arts and literature could play positive roles in influencing changes in a similar manner to the last one hundred years.