"This is an innovative examination of the evolution of the Shi'i Amili identity in the context of local and regional politics in the period of the formation of the "new" Lebanon. It highlights the development of a "politics of demand" and the increased political activism of this community in a time of great change. It also explores how Arab nationalism was transformed from an ideology of opposition and empowerment of marginal communities (whether Arab, Muslim, Christian, or rural) into a tool for the assertion of political domination."--Jacket.