The Long Divergence: How Islamic Law Held Back the Middle East

(Princeton University Press) By the 1800s, the Middle East had fallen far behind Europe in terms of economic progress. In this book, Kuran argues that what slowed economic development of the Middle East were Islamic legal institutions, which, starting in the 10th century began to impede development. By the 19th century, modern economic institutions began to be transplanted to the Middle East, but its economy has not yet caught up, argues Kuran, and there appears to be no easy solution to the problem. Kuran is professor of economics and political science and the Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University.