Frontiers of the State in the Late Ottoman Empire

Using new archival material from Ottoman, Arabic and European sources, Eugene Rogan documents the case of Transjordan to provide a theoretically informed account of how the Ottoman state restructured itself during the last decades of its empire. In so doing, he explores the idea of frontier as a geographical and cultural boundary and sheds light on the processes of state formation that led to the creation of the Middle East as it is today. The book concludes with an examination of the Ottoman legacy in the modern state of Jordan.

"Rogan's study makes a significant contribution to scholarly discussions of Ottoman and Middle Eastern history by pointing out just how effective Ottoman provincial administration could be in the late nineteenth century." History

"By choosing to differentiate between the construction of a state infrastructure and the creation of a nation, Rogan offers a new context in which to think of the late Ottoman period, the subsequent creation of Transjordan/Jordan, and nation and state-building in general. This book is thus a much-welcomed addition to each of these literatures." Arab Studies Journal

"...Rogan utilizes Ottoman state documents, European diplomatic sources, and memoirs. Rogan's book is beautifully clear and well organized." - Linda T. Darling, University of Arizona