"Ouvrage publié avec le concours du ministère des Affaires étrangères (DGMDP) et du Centre national de la recherche scientifique (UMIFRE 6, USR 3135)."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 553-558) and index.

Zouhair Ghazzai has been a Professor of historical and social sciences, Department of History, Loyola University of Chicago from 1992--present. Prior to this appointment, he was the Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis, The Center for the Study of Islamic Societies and Civilizations. Research Project: "The Status of Law vis-à-vis the Power-Relations in the Syrian Cities of the Ottoman Empire" f rom 1991--1992. During 1990 he was an Adjunct Assistant Professor, American University, Washington, D.C., School of International Service; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of History, Georgetown University; 1989--1990: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of History, Georgetown University: 1988--1991: Visiting Researcher, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University; 1986--1988: Assistant Professor, Civilization Sequence (C.S.) Program, American University of Beirut.