On the Edge of Empire Hadhramawt, Emigration, and the Indian Ocean 1880s-1930s by Linda Boxberger (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2002. 292 pages.)

Abstract

In the preface of her On the Edge of Empire: Hadhramawt, Emigration,
and the Indian Ocean 1880s-1930s, the author explains that a westerner
could conduct research in the Hadhramawt region only after the unification
of North and South Yemen in May 1990. Hence, we can conclude
that Boxberger’s work is an effort to add to our knowledge of this underresearched
area. I have seldom read such a wonderfully detailed book,
clearly written and polysonic in its application of diverse research
methodologies, such as archive studies and oral stories collected from
anthropological fieldwork. It gives several important insights into a complex
history of one of Arabia’s most fascinating regions.
One often encounters the notion that Arabia has been isolated from
foreign influence, and thus left alone with its own traditions and lifestyles.
This understanding particularly applies to Yemen, as being a mythical land
that has not changed since ancient times. However, this is far from the
truth. Since Yemen could be viewed as what the rest of Arabia would have
been without oil, one could conclude that petrodollars have actually conserved
certain cultural values and social organizations. Yemen, on the
other hand, has experienced communism, civil war, and recently democratization,
unlike other parts of the Arabian peninsula.
Boxberger’s study covers Hadhramawt’s Qu’ayti and Kathiri sultanates
during 1880-1930, a period that is crucial for understanding modern
Yemen. Her study focuses on the British influence, as these sultanates
became British protectorates; the emigration of natives to other parts of
the Indian Ocean region; and the development of modern communication ...