In her groundbreaking book, "Bedouin Bureaucrats: Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire", Nora Barakat turns conventional wisdom on its head by revealing how tent-dwelling Bedouins actively participated in Ottoman state transformation, reform of property regimes, and capitalist development. Unlike the prevailing notion that Bedouins were opposed to standardized administrative state-making or victims of increasingly colonial forms of governance, Barakat's research uncovers their integral role in shaping the Ottoman Empire's mobile marketing efforts.
The Power of Mobile Marketing
In this fascinating study, Barakat shows how local headmen and middling administrators contributed to making the Syrian interior more legible and productive by registering land, aiding in taxation, participating in legal proceedings, and mediating between the central government and their communities. This process was crucial for the development of mobile marketing strategies that would later define the region's economic landscape.
The Birth of Mobile Marketing
The book skillfully explores how Ottoman imperatives to retain and expand sovereignty translated into projects to develop and cultivate land in the Syrian interior. Barakat argues that attempts to preserve and expand sovereignty led to two major developments: the project of making "state space" and a shift from layered forms of sovereignty toward a "nationalizing empire". Bedouin bureaucrats played a vital role in both projects, demonstrating their ability to navigate the complexities of mobile marketing.
The Power of Data
The book centers the political economy of the region and draws on Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, including chronicles, shari‘a court records, land registers, and imperial records. Barakat's meticulous research provides a unique insight into the mobile marketing strategies employed by Bedouin bureaucrats, who used their social and political influence to resist state encroachment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Bedouin Bureaucrats: Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire" is a groundbreaking study that rewrites the history of mobile marketing in the Ottoman Empire. By shedding light on the integral role played by Bedouins in shaping the region's economic landscape, Barakat's research opens up new avenues for understanding the power of mobile marketing.