Bedouin Bureaucrats Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire

"Bedouin Bureaucrats is a marvel. It is necessary reading for anybody interested in the complexities of state-building, governance, and sovereignty. Nora Barakat has given us a book that will be debated and admired for years to come."-Pekka Hämäläinen, author of Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America "A remarkable feat. Nora Barakat guides us through the contingencies of modern transformation, with an eye for global implications beyond Ottomans down to the present. Truly a ground-breaking work, it is a must-read for anybody interested in global micro-history, and in new ways of writing history."-Huricihan Islamoglu, Bogaziçi University "Through rigorous research and exceptional prose, Nora Barakat shows how Bedouin chiefs participated in the creation of new state structures to ensure their power and privilege and the long-term survival of their communities. Bedouin Bureaucrats convinces us to rethink our assumptions about tribes and their place in the modern Middle East."-Resat Kasaba, University of Washington "Bedouin Bureaucrats presents a compelling case that seasonally migrating Bedouin were crucial players in modern Ottoman governance, state building, and economic development.... Recommended."-R. A. Miller, CHOICE "Barakat's scrupulous investigation addresses a crucial void within Ottoman and Middle Eastern Studies. Drawing extensively on Ottoman archives, Sharia court records, and oral history sources, she systematically engages with and challenges prevailing perspectives in the literature."-Erdal Çiftçi, Kadim