Land tenure in the Middle East
Tannous, Afif I.
Agriculture. - Vol. 7, No. 8 (August 1943) ; p. 171-177 : fig.
Since the dawn of human history cultivation of the soil has been carried out along the Mediterranean shores and in the great river valleys of the Middle East. People in that region have depended mainly upon the good earth for a living and for the development of their cultures. Land ownership has been of paramount significance, and consequently a well-defined system of land tenure had already been developed at the time of the Roman occupation. When the Arabs took over, during the seventh century A.D., they adopted the then existing system and introduced into it some modifications as demanded by their religious, political, and tribal organizations. Further minor modification was introduced by the Turks. Recently some attempts at reforming the system have been made by the various governments of the region. More effective measures have to be taken, however, if the serious problems resulting from land-tenure practices in the Middle East are to be solved. Some of these arise from feudal tenancy, fragmentation of holdings, and an ineffective form of communal ownership.
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