The dissertation Analysis of Political Discourse in the Letters of Zayed the First examines texts that reveal the qualities of an exceptional figure who played a significant role in shaping the political trajectory of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the early nineteenth century. These letters reflect Sheikh Zayed’s concern for the affairs of the homeland and society, as well as his commitment to consolidating stability and strengthening bonds of belonging.
The dissertation adopts a systematic linguistic approach that moves from sentence-level grammar to text linguistics, combining theoretical discussion with practical analysis. This makes it possible to examine the textual structure of the letters and identify their patterns and meanings. The study opens with a historical introduction that situates the reader within the context in which these letters were produced, followed by a theoretical chapter defining the key concepts and terms. The second and third chapters are devoted to the study of cohesion and coherence, while the fourth and final chapter analyses pragmatic textual standards and relates them to precise statistical findings.
The importance of this dissertation lies in its engagement with a rich linguistic corpus, which made it possible to compile a lexicon of lexical and syntactic usage reflecting the stylistic and linguistic features prevalent at the time, while also providing a scholarly tool for understanding political discourse in the light of text linguistics. In this way, the dissertation constitutes a substantial contribution to academic scholarship and serves as a bridge between the study of written heritage and modern linguistic approaches.