Sulayman Pasha al-Azm
Sulayman Pasha al-Azm | |
|---|---|
Governor of Egypt | |
| In office 1739–1740 | |
| Monarch | Mahmud I |
| Preceded by | Ebubekir Pasha |
| Succeeded by | Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha |
| Governor of Sidon | |
| In office 1728–1730 | |
| Monarchs | Ahmed III Mahmud I |
| Preceded by | Köprülü Abdullah Pasha |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Pasha Abu Tawq |
| Governor of Tripoli | |
| In office 1725–1727 | |
| Monarch | Ahmed III |
| Preceded by | Ismail Pasha al-Azm |
| Personal details | |
| Died | August 1743 Lubya, Sidon Eyalet, Ottoman Empire |
| Nationality | Ottoman |
| Relations | Al-Azm family Ismail Pasha al-Azm (brother) |
Sulayman Pasha al-Azm (
Early life
Sulayman Pasha al-Azm was the son of Ibrahim al-'Azm, "a rural notable possibly of Turkish stock",[3] who was sent to Ma'arrat al-Nu'man to restore order in the mid-seventeenth century.[3] Upon his father's death, Sulayman, alongside his brother Ismail Pasha al-Azm, completed their father's task and were rewarded by the Ottoman administration with hereditary tax farms in Homs, Hama and Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[3]
Governorship of Damascus
Shortly after gaining the post of wali (governor) of Damascus Eyalet, a bread riot erupted in Damascus city during the winter of 1734. Because of al-Azm's perceived inaction during the riot, local mobs attacked grain storehouses that personally belonged to him. He responded quickly and had four demonstrators hanged, infuriating popular opinion in the city. When he left afterwards to fulfill his duties as amir al-hajj (commander of the Hajj caravan), "no one [on the caravan] greeted him."[4] Later in 1734–1735, al-Azm improved his reputation by embarking on a campaign of energetic reforms, abolishing unspecified abuses that harmed local artisans. The abundant wheat harvest that spring was critical to his rehabilitation in the eyes of the people of Damascus.[4]
Sulayman commanded the Hajj caravan for the final time beginning in December 1742 and returning to Damascus in April 1743.[5] Later in 1743, another bread riot occurred in Damascus, with hungry mobs attacking the courthouse, driving out the qadi and storming local bakeries. Al-Azm attributed the uprising to the tampering of the food supply by the grain owners, millers, and wholesalers. He issued threats to the above individuals and bread reappeared on the market immediately. In a show of gratitude to al-Azm, "The people prayed for His Excellency [the Governor]."[4] That same year al-Azm sponsored public celebrations upon the occasion of his son's circumcision. He decorated the markets and arranged for seven days and nights of singing, dancing, and other amusements. On the final day of celebrations, he staged a mass circumcision for poor youths and in an act of zakat ("charity"), he showered two gold coins and a new garment on each boy.[6]
Conflict with Zahir al-Umar and death
Beginning in the 1730s,
During Sulayman's second term as wali of Damascus, he renewed the campaign against Zahir, who by then expanded his control to
Zahir used the time during which Sulayman was away commanding the Hajj caravan to strengthen Tiberias and his minor fortresses such as
See also
- Khan Sulayman Pasha
- al-Azm clan
- List of Ottoman governors of Damascus
- List of Ottoman governors of Egypt
References
- ISBN 9789753330411
- ^ 'Abd al-Rahman Jabarti; Thomas Philipp; Moshe Perlmann (1994). Abd Al-Rahmann Al-Jabarti's History of Egypt. Vol. 1. Franz Steiner Verlag Stuttgart. p. 246.
- ^ ISBN 0521533236,
The most prominent family to secure significant independent political power in Damascus was the 'Azm family. Ibrahim al-'Azm, a rural notable possibly of Turkish stock, went to Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, a trading center between Aleppo and Hama catering to beduin, to restore order in the mid-seventeenth century. Although he was killed, his sons, Isma'il and Sulayman, completed their father's task and were rewarded with hereditary tax farms in Homs, Hama and Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.
- ^ a b c Grehan, 2007, p.87.
- ^ a b c Joudah, 1987, p. 36.
- ^ Grehan, 2007, p.229.
- ^ a b Joudah, 1987, p. 35.
- ^ Joudah, 1987, p. 37.
Bibliography
- Commins, David Dean (2004), Historical dictionary of Syria, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0-8108-4934-1
- Douwes, Dick (2000), The Ottomans in Syria: a history of justice and oppression, I.B. Tauris, ISBN 1-86064-031-1
- Grehan, James (2007), Everyday life & consumer culture in 18th-century Damascus, University of Washington Press, ISBN 978-0-295-98676-0
- Joudah, Ahmad Hasan (1987), Revolt in Palestine in the Eighteenth Century: The Era of Shaykh Zahir Al-ʻUmar, Kingston Press, ISBN 978-0-940670-11-2