Empire: World History 296. Ottoman Gaza: Gunpowder Conquests & Rising Nationalism (Part 6)
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Oct 5, 2025 
Eugene Rogan, a Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford and author of The Fall of the Ottomans, dives into the Ottoman era in Gaza. He details the strategic significance of Gaza during Ottoman conquests and the harsh punishments for rebellion. The fascinating growth of the citrus and cotton industries is explored, along with the rise of nationalism in the 19th century. Rogan also discusses the evolution of local identities and the impacts of early Zionism on Palestinian society. Historical tensions and emerging identities paint a vivid picture of this complex region.
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Communal Autonomy Under Ottoman Rule
- Ottoman society featured Muslim majorities with sizable Jewish and Christian communities who retained communal autonomy.
- Minorities were protected as dhimmis and integrated into local economic and social life, though with second-class status.
Religion Trumped Early National Identity
- In the 16th–17th centuries identity centered on religion and locality rather than modern nationalism.
- Sunnis across ethnic lines (Arabs, Turks, Kurds) were bound more by faith than by language or nation.
Cotton Created Local Power Bases
- 18th-century Palestine gained semi-autonomous power through cotton wealth centered in the Galilee and Acre.
- Local strongmen like Zahir al-Omar and Ahmad Pasha leveraged cotton trade to build regional rule.
