In this chapter of Secret History of Israel/Palestine, we look how the small urban elite stole much of region’s land from it’s rightful peasant owners, turning them from an independent tribal peasantry, into a class of impoverished, indebted tenants on their own land.  

These events set the stage for much of the conflict to come between Zionists and the majority fellahin class.  

We also look at the 19th century origins of Palestinian identity, and early stirrings of proto Arab nationalism.  

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TRANSCRIPT 

BIBLIOGRAPHY / WORKS CITED

VIDEO VERSION (includes high entertainment val-u memes)

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ALL MUSIC BY STARSIXNINE

0:00 Hello fellow kids

1:59 The Tanzimat: the great 19thC reform programme

3:29 Political reform: disenfranchisement of the fellahin

7:21 Land reform: theft of the fellahin’s land

10:00 My horse!  My money!

14:35 From tribal peasants and sheikhs to capitalist tenants and landlords

18:37 The underlying philosophy of “What is Politics?”

20:16 The Nobility, Clergy, Bourgeoisie, Financier and Professional classes, all rolled into one

22:17 Patrons and clients in unequal societies

32:21 Who were the Ay’an?

38:08 The middle class

39:25 19th century Palestine as a backwater in decline

46:51 Palestinian identity

52:59 National identity vs political consciousness

56:234 Palestinian identity continued

59:12 South Syrians?

1:00:33 The 19th Century origin of Palestinian identity among urban classes and Christians

1:06:41 Democratic reform and the 1876 constitution

1:07:47 Islamic arguments for democracy

1:09:21 Abdülhamid II shuts down the parliament and constitution

1:10:37 Proto-Arab-nationalism

1:11:54 Next time on Secret History of Israel/Palestine

1:12:48 Gimme, seeya!