Includes bibliographical references (pages 284-306) and index.

The Druze and the Lebanese State : A Complex Dialectic -- Lebanon from Mandatory Rule to the Independence Era : The Druze in the Center of the Storm -- Lebanon under the Shadow of Revolution : The Druze and the First Civil War -- In the Shadow of Chehabism : Between Cooptation and Radicalization -- End of the Race : The Second Civil War -- The Confessionalism Tangle -- The Struggle over Lebanon's History : Selected Matters of the Druze Historiography -- Summary and Conclusions -- An Epilogue. "One of the fundamental questions of Middle Eastern, and Lebanese studies in particular, is the history of the relationship between the Druze community and the state in modern Lebanon. Arguing that the Druze community has been politically alienated from the Lebanese state, this book explores the historical and political origins of this alienation. The Druze Community and the Lebanese State contends that the origins of this alienation lie in the state's national ideology, its political confessional system, and the Druze's historical background during the medieval period. Moreover, this book examines the extent to which the Druze's attitude vis-à-vis the Lebanese state has been influenced by their historical rivalry with the Maronites. Particular emphasis is placed on the political and ideological practices adopted by the Druze leadership and intelligentsia as they dealt with the changes taking place in their community's political status following the political settlements of 1920 and 1943 (the establishment of Greater Lebanon and the National Pact, respectively). A welcome addition to existing literature on Lebanon, this book will be an essential reference tool for students and researchers with an interest in nationalism, identity and Middle East Politics more broadly"--