This work investigates the structural evolution of social classes and economic relationships between rural peasants and urban dwellers in the Middle East. Gabriel Baer, a prominent historian of the modern Middle East, utilizes archival records and historical documentation to analyze the transition from traditional agrarian structures to modern urbanized societies. The book presents a framework that highlights the shifting power dynamics and economic dependencies that defined the region during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the socio-economic transformation of the Middle East. The prose is noted for its academic rigor and its reliance on detailed historical evidence to support its arguments.