Political Power, the Maghreb Space, and the "Arab Spring": A Reading through Ibn Khaldūn's Looking Glass

This essay challenges the prevalent theory of political power as applied to Islamic lands—centered on the notions of clan-based "solidarity" ('aṣabiyya) and "community" (umma)—by showing that Ibn Khaldūn developed a conception of space, territory, and political power that is diametrically opposed to the Westphalian one, and, more importantly, of great actuality.