The Arab Revolt’s military value and popular support were exaggerated.

Evidence

The whole problem of the Arab revolt—its military usefulness and its polit­ ical significance—has been heavily overlaid with myth and propaganda, and it is only now that, thanks to the opening of the archives and a more critical study of the data, these are being perceived in their proper proportions. It is now seen that the military contribution of the Sherifian forces to the Allied victory in Syria was comparatively small, while the political support which Hfi usayn enjoyed among the Arab subjects of the Ottoman Sultans has been greatly exaggerated. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 865

Categorization

• XREF: Connects directly to the author’s recurring theme that myth-making overstates historical events; parallels the analysis of battles like the Armada in this same book.
• DEFINE: Demonstrates how opening imperial archives can correct empire-justifying myths.