Colonial Capitalism and Rural Class Formation (ص 87)
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- عنوان
- Colonial Capitalism and Rural Class Formation (ص 87)
- المحتوى
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capitalist centre.
While it is true that throughout this pericd crops were primarily
produced for their use value and the overwhelming majority of
cultivators produced for their personal consumption, production for
the market was also developing.
Palestinian peasants, it has been observed, were quick to respond
to international market demands. The peasant knew how to adjust his
production to these demands. Ina short span of time, some observed,
the same plot of land would experience a radical shift in the type of
export crop it produced (Scholch, 1982:14). While natural reasons,
such as crop failure or shortage of rain could partially be
responsible for this phenomenon, changes in market demands were, in
fact, a greater stimulus.
The changing conditions of cotton production in Palestine
illuminate this point further. In the wake of the Ameri 4 civil war
and Britain's increased demands for cotton, more stimulus was given to
the regions of Nablus and Acre for the production of cotton. As Table
1 demonstrates, (see following page) large quantities of cotton were
exported from Acre and Haifa in the early 1850s. This was followed by
a period marked by a sharp decline from 1854 until 1859. Export of
cotton was on the rise again by the early 1860s.
Commenting on the further movement in cotton production and export
in the 1860s and 1870s Scholch noted the following:
In 1863 and 1864 cotton regained its position
as an important export commodity..However, this
boom was short-lived..European demand subsided in
the second part of the 1860s, while £rom 1865 to
1872 one bad harvest followed another in northern
Palestine...Only in 1869 was a considerable
quantity of cotton exported once again.
(Scholch, 1982: 14)
73
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. - تاريخ
- ١٩٨٩
- المنشئ
- Nahla Abdo-Zubi
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