This volume takes us into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from the late eighteenth century of the Christian era when most of the region was incorporated into European empires to the complexity and dramatic change of the post-World War II period. It covers the economic and social life as well as the religious and popular culture of the region over two centuries. The political structures of the region are also closely examined, from the insurgencies and rebellions of early in this century to the modern Nationalist movements and the formation of independent states.