Economic and Social life in Nablus(1900 -1918 AD)

Nablus is considered as one of the most important Palestinian cities which played a significant role in history movement of the southern and central regions of Levant during the Ottoman era (1516- 1918 AD). What confirmed that is the city local documents like the Religious Endowments and court records, Muslim and foreign voyager ethics, in addition to many constructional evidences such as mosques, public fountains, shrines, inns, bathrooms, bakeries, soap making shops and mills. Nablus had strong relations with Istanbul where the Sultan entrusted it with leading the Levant Hajj convoys from Damascus to Hijaz, this was considered as honorary and significant, indicating the role of the Sultan as a Sunni Leader, in serving pilgrims as well as the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina, in addition to protecting them from Bedouin aggressions which was incapable for Damascus and other capitals of Levant states to do so. Economically, Nablus was a vital trade centre on the trade routes amongst Damascus, Cairo, Hijaz, Jordan deserts and the Mediterranean Ports, besides its role in the local trade, especially in the famous sweets and soap making, as well as stone- building art which was reflected on its social and consumer life. In order to know well about the history of Nablus and its social and economic changes, the researcher has chosen a specific era, starting from 1900 and ending in 1918 – the end of the Ottoman ruling. He divided the research into six chapters: Chapter one dealt with the different sources the researcher used, such as religious court records, as well as Nablus Municipality archives. Chapter two concentrated on studying the historical geography of the city, through which place embodies the locative element of the historical events. In chapter three, the researcher studied the administrative side of the city and its dependency on Istanbul through Beirut. Besides, he explained its administrative configuration, indicating that it was made as a main centre of the province for the military and civil apparatuses as in the posts of provincial, editor, judge, mufti, as well as land registry, census, agriculture, finance agricultural bank, health , religious endowments and education. Chapter four showed the city’s plans as well as its constructional aspects; including shops, quarters, lanes, courtyards, in addition to building styles and the local and imported materials used in constructing them. Moreover, it talks about other features like synagogues, churches, souqs, hospitals, police and military centres and public yards. Furthermore, the chapter shed light on the role the municipality did to keep those aspects; applying European modernization by using water pumps, electricity as well as traction machines. chapter five concentrated on the social life of the city, particularly on population growth, standard of living, education and health. In addition to the relation among Islamic and non-Islamic sects, as well as the influential families. All of this is done, depending on the city local documents, the municipality and religious endowment archives, in addition to other sources like memoir and magazines. In chapter six, the researcher focused on the different economic activities spread in the city at the period mentioned above; they first included agriculture with its related dimensions as land ownership, crops that were grown and the crafts the inhabitants took up; such as building, making sweets, soap and jewellery. In addition to the local trading, there was the prosperous regional and international trading. The first was mainly with Salt, Jordanian Bedouins, Hijazz, Egypt. The second was with the European and other international markets. Finally, the services sector, it witnessed a very active movement through many means of telecommunication and transport by carts on paved roads as well as Hijazz railway on the one hand, and using the telegraph, post and the Ottoman Agricultural Bank on the other hand.