Bashīr Shihāb II

Bashīr Shihāb II

▪ ruler of Lebanon
born 1767, Ghazīr, Lebanon
died 1850, Istanbul, Tur.

      Lebanese prince who established hegemony over Lebanon in the first half of the 19th century and ruled it under Ottoman and, later, Egyptian suzerainty from 1788 to 1840.

      Although born into the princely Shihāb family, Bashīr grew up in poverty but married into great wealth. In 1788 the Lebanese emir was forced to abdicate, and the local nobility selected Bashīr to fill the post. As emir, Bashīr had to raise tribute for Aḥmad al-Jazzār, an official nominated by the Ottoman sultan to administer the district of Lebanon. After the death of al-Jazzār (1804), the financial demands were much less severe, and Bashīr was able to consolidate his position. With the notable exception of the Jānbulāṭs, he destroyed the power of the Druze princes, on whose support Lebanese emirs had usually depended.

      In 1821 Bashīr provided military support to the pasha of Acre, who tried to draw the city of Damascus under his authority. But the Ottoman sultan declared the pasha a rebel, and Bashīr fled to Egypt. Later, after the pasha was pardoned, Bashīr returned to Lebanon, where, in his absence, Jānbulāṭ had plotted against him. By having Jānbulāṭ killed, Bashīr became the undisputed ruler of Lebanon.

      When Muḥammad ʿAlī occupied the Fertile Crescent (exclusive of Iraq) in the 1830s, Bashīr cooperated fully with the new regime in establishing order. In 1837 he armed 4,000 Christians to put down a rebellion that the Druzes had begun when threatened with conscription (hitherto Lebanese rulers had avoided direct clashes between the two groups). Two years later Bashīr tried to disarm the same Christians whom he had previously armed, clearly as a prelude to their conscription. The Christians were determined to resist, even if it meant cooperating with the Druzes. A Druze and Christian rebellion against Bashīr broke out in June 1840, supported by the British, who were intent on driving Muḥammad ʿAlī out of the Fertile Crescent. Bashīr could not reassert his authority, and in October he was forced into exile in Malta.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bashir Shihab II — (1767 in Ghazir – 1850 in Constantinople) was a Lebanese emir who ruled Lebanon in the first half of the 19th century and was as such the second ruler who managed to do this (the first one was Fahkr al Din II in the 17th century).Bashir was born… …   Wikipedia

  • Bashir — or Basheer (Arabic: بشير ) can refer to * Abu Bakar Bashir, Indonesian Muslim cleric and leader of Indonesian Mujahedeen Council * Martin Bashir, a British journalist * Bashir Ramzy, a American Track Field Athlete * Marie Bashir, Governor of New… …   Wikipedia

  • Shihab family — Prince Bashir Chehab II the Great was the Emir (or Prince) of Lebanon from 1788 till 1840. The Shihabs , or Chehabs (Arabic: شهاب) are a prominent Lebanese noble family. The Chehabs were the traditional princes of the Wadi al Taym, who traced… …   Wikipedia

  • History of Lebanon — The history of Lebanon is almost as old as the earliest evidence of humankind. Its geographic position as a crossroads linking the Mediterranean Basin with the great Asian hinterland has conferred on it a cosmopolitan character and a… …   Wikipedia

  • Lebanon — /leb euh neuhn/ or, esp. for 1, / non /, n. 1. a republic at the E end of the Mediterranean, N of Israel. 3,858,736; 3927 sq. mi. (10,170 sq. km). Cap.: Beirut. 2. a city in SE Pennsylvania. 25,711. 3. a city in N central Tennessee. 11,872. 4. a… …   Universalium

  • Druze — For other uses, see Druse (disambiguation). Druze دروز Druze star Total population 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 Regions with significant populations …   Wikipedia

  • Mustafa Agha Barbar — (born 1767) was a governor of the Ottoman provinces of Tripoli, Lebanon and Latakia, Syria for the Ottomans. He ruled between 1800–08, 1810–20 and 1821 35.[1] Contents 1 Name 2 Biography 3 See also …   Wikipedia

  • Ahmad Faris Shidyaq — Infobox Person name = Ahmad Faris Shidyaq image size = caption = birth date = 1804 birth place = Ashqout, Lebanon death date = Sep. 20, 1887 death place = Kadıköy, Turkey occupation = Linguist, Writer, Journalist, Translator spouse = Marie As… …   Wikipedia

  • Ahmad Faris Shidyaq — (también conocido como Fares Chidiac, Faris Al Chidiac, árabe: أحمد فارس الشدياق ) fue un estudioso, escritor y periodista libanés. De nacimiento maronita, se convirtió al protestantismo y luego al Islam. Es considerado uno de los padres… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Syria — /sear ee euh/, n. 1. Official name, Syrian Arab Republic. a republic in SW Asia at the E end of the Mediterranean. 16,137,899; 71,227 sq. mi. (184,478 sq. km). Cap.: Damascus. 2. a territory mandated to France in 1922, including the present… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”