In spite of strict veiling rules for women, women could hold a fair amount of power. Current news reports might lead an American to believe that under Moslem rule, women never have any rights, can own no property, may not work outside their homes, and in general must live extremely constricted lives. However, in 18th century Aleppo, women worked in the marketplace, owned property, could have wealth in their own name and often earned income, particularly by owning property or as moneylenders. While they were not equal to men (in legal proceedings, the testimony of two women was considered equal to that of one man), women were not equal in Europe either. The rules that allowed women these rights came out of Middle Eastern tradition, not Western influence -- Marcus writes about a period of time before Western influence dominated Middle Eastern culture.
The relative wealth of Aleppo as a whole was a surprise to this reader. Marcus reports that one-third of the population might have been what we think of as "middle class." (p. 66) They owned their homes and often their shops, and had servants. Aleppo had a complex system for property ownership, which meant that nearly everyone, including most of the poor people, could own their own homes. The smallest houses might cost only 50 piastres, and if a person could not afford that, they could buy part of a house. They had full rights to that ownership and could sell those rights, so often non-related people lived in and owned the same house together. (p. 189)
The economics of the day seemed sophisticated to this reader. It was sometimes hard for the citizens to hang on to their financial standing because of the turbulent times. Drought, warfare and famine could reduce a family's circumstances fairly easily. The government attempted to moderate these influences, and established price controls on basic goods during times of inflation or recession.
Marcus' book reveals a rich and complex society. The city of Aleppo was sophisticated in many ways well before any strong influences from Western civilization. Marcus' book provides a view of a rich and varied cultural history that is well worth further study.
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