The period of the Tanzimat - a time of rapid, relentless, state-sponsored modernization - ran from 1840 to 1876. In less than four decades, a highly decentralized empire that stretched across three continents made a great leap toward becoming a modern nation-state.
Like all social, political, economic and technological disruptions, the modernization of Palestine came with its own set of winners and losers. This, then, is the part of the story where we finally get to see how Palestine's social classes responded to the shocks and tremors of the Tanzimat.
In part 1 of the season 2 finale, we will see how the urban notables of Palestine responded to the challenges of modernity.