Sugarcane in Palestine During the Crusaders Reign‏ ‏‎492-690 H /‎‏ ‏‎1099-1291‎‏ ‏A.D

Sugarcane in Palestine During the Crusaders Reign‏ ‏‎492-690 H /‎‏ ‏‎1099-1291‎‏ ‏A.D

Abdel-Rahman Al-Mughrabi

amughrabi@qou.edu

Al-Quds Open University, Nablus Educational Region, Nablus, Palestine

Received : 06-06-2005 , Accepted : 12-04-2006

Language: Arabic

Abstract

The Muslim Arabs were concerned with sugarcane agriculture which largely spread in Damascene States and Egypt; and they developed manufacturing the juice of sugarcane and its commercial exportation. When the Crusaders came to the east, they knew sugarcane for the first time while they were sieging Antakia City, and they learned the method of its growing and manufacturing and introduced it into Europe. In this study, the researcher handled the agriculture and manufacture of sugarcane in Palestine in particular, in four topics: the first topic handled the areas of agriculture and the factors of its prosperity and the agricultural methods used in the field; the second topic discussed manufacturing sugarcane and the most important areas of its industry; the third topic discussed sugar trade and taxes imposed on it and its exportation to the east and west; and the fourth topic discussed the role of sugar crops in supporting the external economy in Palestine, and indicated the most important factors which caused the decline of its agriculture manufacture in Palestine. The study suggested a group of results and recommendations that can return the agriculture and manufacture of sugarcane in Palestine to its previous prosperity, especially the agriculture of sugarcane is still receiving great concern in some of the areas adjacent to Palestine such as Arab Republic of Egypt.

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