Arab
-
Chapter 5 – The Arab Conquest of Egypt (641 CE)
Part III – The Coming of Islam and the Reconfiguration of Society 5.1 The Historical Setting By the early seventh century, Egypt stood as one of the richest provinces of the Byzantine Empire, supplying grain to Constantinople and functioning as a bastion of imperial power in the eastern Mediterranean. Yet,…
-
Life under Christian and Islamic Empires
Introduction: Divergent Experiences in Religious EmpiresFrom the early medieval period through to the early modern era, Jewish communities lived under two dominant civilisations: Islamic caliphates and Christian kingdoms. These overlapping yet distinct religious empires profoundly shaped Jewish social, economic, intellectual, and religious life. While both contexts involved varying degrees of…
-
British Mandate and Conflicts
Introduction: Imperial Oversight and National AspirationsFollowing the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the League of Nations granted Britain administrative control over Palestine through the Mandate for Palestine (1920–1948). The British Mandate era became a crucible for Zionist ambitions and Arab nationalist resistance, as conflicting promises and…
-
PART XI: Modern State of Israel (1948–Present)
Declaration of Independence (1948) Historical Background and the UN Partition PlanIn the wake of the Holocaust and the breakdown of the British Mandate, international pressure mounted to resolve the question of Jewish statehood in Palestine. On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, recommending the partition…