mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon
Lebanon, 1861–1918. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate was one of the Ottoman Empire's subdivisions following the 19th-century Tanzimat reform. After 1861, there existed an autonomous Mount Lebanon with a Christian Mutasarrif (governor), which had been created as a homeland for the Maronites under European diplomatic pressure following the 1860 Druze-Maronite conflict. The arrangement formalized confessional representation in local administration and is often discussed as a key moment in the institutionalization of sectarian governance in Mount Lebanon. The Mutasarrifate era is characterized by the spread of national consciousness, science and culture among the Lebanese.
Seat of power: Deyr el-Qamar
Rulers
Garabed Artin Pasha Davoudian
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1861–1868
He was an Ottoman career diplomat and the first mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon from 1861 to 1868, following the establishment of the Règlement Organique. Dawud Pasha was the first to hold the office of mutasarrif (governor) of the newly created, semi-autonomous Ottoman administrative sub-division of Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate.
Portrait of Garabed Artin Pasha Davoudian: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Nasrallah Coussa
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1868–1873
He was the mutasarrif of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate from 1868 until his death in 1873. He was a Melkite Greek Catholic from Aleppo in Syria.
Portrait of Nasrallah Coussa: Unknown photographer, Public domain, file
Rüstem Mariani Pasha
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1873–1883
He was an Ottoman diplomat, and the third Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon.
Portrait of Rüstem Mariani Pasha: Unknown photographer, Public domain, file
Naum Franco Pasha
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1892–1902
He was the 5th mutasarrıf of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate from 1892 to 1902. He started his term by carrying out reforms in the management and removing employees accused of bribery. Naum Pasha initiated several construction projects in Baakleen, Jezzine, Cuniye, Batroun, Amioun, and Bhannes, repaired bridges, and constructed over 480 kilometers of roads.
Portrait of Naum Franco Pasha: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Mouzaffar Pasha
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1902–1907
He was Mutasarrıf of Mount Lebanon between 1902-1907, a post reserved by international treaty for a Catholic of Ottoman nationality after the civil unrest and international intervention of 1860.
Portrait of Mouzaffar Pasha: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Yusuf Franko Pasha
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1907–1912
From 1907 to 1912, he served as the mutasarrıf of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. He was a Syrian Christian from Aleppo.
Portrait of Yusuf Franko Pasha: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ohannes Kouyoumdjian
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1912–1915
He was a high ranking Ottoman Armenian official, and the last mutasarrif of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate from 1912 until his resignation in 1915.
Portrait of Ohannes Kouyoumdjian: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ali Münif Yeğenağa
Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon, 1915–1917
He was an Ottoman politician and government minister, who played an active role in the Young Turk Revolution. He was a close friend of Talaat Pasha and played a prominent role in the Armenian genocide.
Portrait of Ali Münif Yeğenağa: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Mutasarrifate era marked a shift in which confessional representation became the primary framework for political administration in Mount Lebanon.
- Two large universities opened that are still among the oldest and most prestigious universities in the Middle East: the Syrian Evangelical College, which became the American University of Beirut, and Saint Joseph University.
- The Mutasarrifate era is also characterized by the beginning of Lebanese emigration to Egypt, Western European countries, North America, and South America.
Picture
The Grand Serail, atop a hill in downtown Beirut, is the headquarters of the Prime Minister of Lebanon and the most important of three Ottoman monuments on the Serail Hill.
Image: User:BlingBling10, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
- Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (Wikipedia)
- mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.