CONTEXT & METHODS

This study investigates the founding patterns of Muslim Brotherhood branches in interwar Egypt by analyzing their locations against detailed census data for over 4,000 subdistricts. The research employs multilevel analysis to examine how specific social and institutional factors influenced Islamist mobilization.

FINDINGS

Our quantitative results reveal that new branches were significantly more likely in two contexts: (1) areas with railway connectivity indicating economic integration beyond agriculture, and (2) subdistricts showing higher literacy rates. Conversely, branches appeared less common where European populations were substantial or state administrative presence was already strong.

MEANING & IMPLICATIONS

These findings challenge the dominant narrative that Western contact alone drove Islamist movements. Instead, they highlight how economic networks and existing educational infrastructure created fertile ground for political Islam to take root early on—providing both communication channels and a receptive audience among literate populations connected through modern transportation systems.

🔍 Key indicators: railway access (economic integration), literacy rates (educational reach)

📊 Methodology focus: multilevel analysis of historical data