再見．中東近代史...

Time to say goodbye，今天送別的是中東近代史．．．

科目的全名又長又臭，叫做Modernity and the Transformation of the Middle East, 1839-1958。為何選這兩個年份開始和結束？記得老師第一堂解釋：因為中東進入現代，並沒有特別一個年份，究竟由拿破崙1798年入侵埃及起？還是1839年，Ottoman Empire開始搞Tanzimat Reform（即是Ottoman Empire洋務運動）？從來也是眾說紛紜。

至於選1958年結束，只是因為老師本身研究伊拉克，因為該年伊拉克的君主政權被推翻。

這一年修讀的三科之中，只有中東近代史這一科，才讓你覺得是修讀一個Master學位。伊斯蘭教，Reading幾好看，但老師課堂講解層次太淺，對看Reading是完全沒有幫助；以色列巴勒斯坦，老師就好像用兩個學期的課堂，講一個發生了百多年的故事，故事到今天仍繼續下去，沒完沒了。

中東近代史，課堂沒有任何歷史故事，想知道Young Turk Movement發生了甚麼事？對不起，請自己看書。想知道巴勒斯坦農民36年的起義？對不起，也是請你看書。因為歷史科，不是去教Fact、教甚麼年份發生甚麼事？死了多少人？而是分析歷史的角度和框架，以Reform、Revolution、Colonialism和Nationalism貫穿。

多得考試，才有機會把讀過的Reading再看一次，很多東西原來第一次看時，不是不懂、就是半桶水。幸好學期最後有兩堂溫書課，老師把整個Course東西解釋一次後，就清楚得多了，重溫上學期看過的東西，終於明白原來當時是甚麼都不懂。

考試是12題選3。雖然說是中東近代史，但觸及的國家，只有Ottoman Empire、伊朗、伊拉克、土耳其、敍利亞、埃及和巴勒斯坦；阿拉伯半島、黎巴嫩、其他北非國家全部Out of Syllabus。

讀書時間有限，這次以Ottoman Empire、土耳其、及古代中東做膽；再拖伊拉克、伊朗和巴勒斯坦做腳；敍利亞、埃及及泛阿拉伯主義（Pan-Arabism）只是隨便翻翻、避得就避；中東各國的軍隊角色就完全沒有讀。

又看看大家懂答多少題？這次，我有把握答七題，因為土耳其及Ottoman，竟然佔了三條！（*是我選答的。）

*1. Before the modern age Middle Eastern Societies were 'Oriental' as they lacked the organic unity and coherence of Western societies. They were a mosaic of largely self-governing, disconnected and often feuding religious, ethnic and tribal groups.

Discuss.

*2. Characterise Young Ottomans as the Muslim 'interpreters' of the new political and social order advocated by the Tanzimat reformers.

3. How and to what extent did intellectuals in Iran represent the conscience of the secular movement which opposed the 'despotism' of the Qajar dynasty?

4. In what ways, did the Young Turk Revolution foster the emergence of a new sense of national identity in the Ottoman Empire?

5. To what extent did the reforms implemented by Mustafa Kemal in Turkey complete the process of secularisation of the state initiated in the Tanzimat period?

6. Analyse the agenda of Reza Shah Pahlavi as nation-builder.

7. Discuss the view that the history of European colonialism in the 20th century had common features and yet was unique in each locality of the Arab Middle East.

8. Analyse the development of the British mandate in Iraq from the perspective of the Kurdish community. (呢條係完全唔識答！一隻字都唔識作！)

9. Choose One of the popular movements studied in the course and evaluate the importance of studying history 'from below'.

*10. How and to what extent did peasants represent a 'progressive' force in the Palestinian revolt of 1936-39?

11. In the development of Egyptian nationalism, the idea of the Islamic community and that of the Egyptian nation stood side by side.

Discuss.

12. Examine the emergence of Pan-Arabism after First World War in the context of political, social and cultural conditions.