Pashas: Traders and Travellers in the Islamic World

by James Mather

Long before they came as occupiers, the British were drawn to the Middle East by the fabled riches of its trade and the enlightened tolerance of its people. The Pashas, merchants and travelers from Europe, discovered an Islamic world that was alluring, dynamic, and diverse.  Ranging across two and a half centuries and through the great cities of Istanbul, Aleppo, and Alexandria, James Mather tells the forgotten story of the men of the Levant Company who sought their fortunes in the Ottoman Empire. Their trade brought to the region not only merchants but also ambassadors and envoys, pilgrims and chaplains, families and servants, aristocratic tourists and roving antiquarians. Unlike the nabobs who gathered their fortunes in Bengal, they both respected and learned from the culture they encountered, and their lives provide a fascinating insight into the meeting of East and West before the age of European imperialism. Intriguing, intimate, and original, Pashas brings to life an extraordinary tale of faraway visitors beguiled by a mysterious world of Islam.

Genres: History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Yasmin]

A fairly good book, but a pity the author couldn't tell the readers the name of this "famed beauty who became a darling of London society years later" that George Baldwin married. I also found the book was at times a little too broad and really next to nothing on the emotions and opinions of the few women that went out with the men of the Levant Company. However, of a history little well known this book is an interesting read.

[Jbondandrews]

An interesting history of the Levant Company, which I had only heard of in passing. It would be nice to think that a coming together of the west and Muslim world could be possible but that could only happen if prevailing attitudes in the west were to be overcome but they have been around for such a long time it hardly seems likely.