Conquests and Rents
A Political Economy of Dictatorship and Violence in Muslim Societies

Why are many Muslim-majority societies prone to dictatorship and violence? The reason is not Islam, but institutions and government finances.

Faisal Z. Ahmed (Author)

9781009367516, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 15 June 2023

320 pages
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.9 cm, 0.5 kg

'Those who are interested in the historical reasons behind the institutional path dependence of certain Muslim nations and in the political-economy analysis of their current complex structures should read Faisal Z. Ahmed's book.' Fatih Kirsanli, Constitutional Political Economy

Tragically, dictatorship and civil strife have led to less developed, less democratic, and more conflict-prone contemporary Muslim-majority societies. Ahmed argues, however, neither Islam nor aspects of Muslim culture are the cause. Grounded in a positive political economy approach, Conquests and Rents investigates why these societies are predisposed to political violence and low levels of development. Focusing on the role of political institutions and economic rents, Ahmed argues that territories where Islam spread via military conquest developed institutions and practices impervious to democracy and more prone to civil war, while societies in non-conquered territories developed governance structures more susceptible to democracy when rents decline. Conquests and Rents introduces a novel theoretical argument, with corroborative qualitative and statistical analysis, to examine the interplay of the historical legacy of institutions from the premodern period and contemporary rent streams in Muslim-majority societies.

Part I. A Political Economy Approach: 1. Political violence
2. Analytical framework
Part II. The Institutional Legacy of Muslim Conquest: 3. The conquest equilibrium
4. Conquest fostered autocratization
5. The autocratic legacy of Muslim conquest
Part III. The impact of contemporary rents on dictatorship and violence: 6. Fueling authoritarian resilience
7. Aiding political violence
8. Democratic transitions in non-Muslim societies
Part IV. Conclusion: 9. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP]