The nineteenth century in Egypt was a period of rapid social and
economic change, brought about by the country's developing ties with the
European economy. Focusing on lower-class women, this study traces
changes in the work role and family life of peasant women in the
countryside and craftswomen and traders in Cairo, and explores the world
of the slave woman. The effects of capitalist transformation on women
are studied in detail, using material from the Islamic court records.
The effects of the Egyptian process of state formation and colonial rule
are discussed: the growth of the state apparatus, its social services
and repressive means, brought new kinds of intervention into women's
lives. The book provides a unique account of the very active economic,
social and political roles of nineteenth-century women, from the peasant
and street pedlar to the slave of the harem.