Revolt in Palestine in the eighteenth century : the era of Shaykh Zahir al-Umar

In the turbulent atmosphere of the eighteenth century when the Ottoman Empire was enfeebled, local leaders far from Istanbul took matters into their own hands. At first, these leaders only regulated local trade and tax collection, but soon, leaders like Shaykh Zahir al-'Umar -- a district tax collector in Palestine-- saw opportunities to amass great wealth and power while providing autonomous government and safer roads to their local followers. A gripping and fascinating read, Ahmad Joudah's biography of Shaykh Zahir is crucial for scholars seeking to contextualize developments in modern Palestinian history within the politics of the late Ottoman Empire. In the turbulent political and economic atmosphere of the eighteenth century when the Ottoman Empire was enfeebled and deeply wounded by internal corruption and attacked on three fronts by the Persian, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian empires, local leaders far from Istanbul began to take matters into their own hands. At first, these leaders only regulated local trade and tax collection, but soon, leaders like Shaykh Zahir al-Umar a district tax collector in Palestine for the Ottoman government saw opportunities to amass great wealth and power while providing autonomous government and safer roads to their local followers. Zahir first spread his control over northern Palestine, and later allied himself with Ali Bey of Egypt, a semi-independent leader who dreamed of re-establishing the Mamluk sultanate. When challenged by the Ottoman government, which was at the time at war with Catherine the Greats Russia (176874), Zahir and Ali Bey did not hesitate to ally themselves with Imperial Russia. A gripping and fascinating read, Dr. Ahmad Joudahs biography of Shaykh Zahir is crucial for scholars seeking to contextualize developments in modern Palestinian history within the power politics of the late Ottoman Empire. Cover Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface to the Second Edition Foreword Preface Introduction: Ottoman Organization in Syria (al-Sham) CHAPTER I:THE RISE OF THE ZAYDANIS CHAPTER II:THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER CHAPTER III:ZAHIR AT HIS ZENITH CHAPTER IV:THE ALLIANCE OF ZAHIRAND ‘ALI BEY Background Causes Isma'il Bey's Expedition Chapter V: The Occupation of Damascus The Aftermath Chapter VI: The Downfall of ‘Ali Bey Chapter VII: The End of Zahir Chapter VIII: Epilogue General Remarks The Legacy Maps Map I: Northern Palestine (The Seat of Zahir) Appendices Appendix I: The Zayadinah Family Tree Appendix II: The Sabbagh Family Tree Appendix III: ‘Ali Bey’s Manifesto to the Damascenes, A.H. 1184 (1771) Appendix IV: The Sultan’s Firman to Zahir, A.H. 1188 (1774–5) Appendix V: The Walis of the Province of Damascus (Contemporaries With Zahir) Appendix VI: The Walis of the Province of Sayda (Contemporaries With Zahir) Images Abbreviations and Transliteration Bibilography I. Sources in Arabic II. Sources in Western Languages Glossary of Arabic & Turkish Terms Index