Studying gave me this gem

"The Hamidian period has achieved the reputation of being the most despotic and centralized era in modern Ottoman history.  That it was despotic and that centralization was a major goal cannot be debated..."*

*I do not want to imply that every article/book/source on this blog is without merit.  For example this article is for the most part very good but that doesn't preclude it from making the occasional surprisingly obtuse statement.

From:
The Politics of Unity: Hamidian Policy in Eastern Anatolia by Stephen Duguid

More Updates To Come

Sorry all for the slow start. Finals are keeping me behind track on updating this but expect increased posting come the end of May.  In the meantime try to guess the name of the guy to the right of this post. Hint: He is known for a series of letters exchanged with an Iranian who claimed to be from Afghanistan.
Also Enjoy:

The Ever Unchanging People

"Since time immemorial the nomads of Dhofar have been severely economically underprivileged, as illustrated in previous chapters." 
For proper reference, the titles of the previous three chapters are The Traditional Way of Life and Economy of the Beduins, The Traditional Way of Life and Economy of the Jebalis, and The Traditional Way of Life and Economy of the Hadr.


Courtesy of:
Nomads in the Sultanate of Oman: Tradition and Development in Dhofar by Jörg Janzen