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The Achievements of Midḥat Pasha as Governor of the Province of Syria, 1878–1880

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2009

Najib E. Saliba
Najib E. Saliba
Affiliation:
Worcester State CollegeWorcester, Massachusetts
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Extract

To the people of the province of Syria, Midhat Pasha's appointment as their governor on 13 November 1878 was no ordinary event. Midhat was well known there, largely as a result of his involvement in the deposition of Sultan 'Abd al—'Azīz (1861–1876) and the declaration of the Constitution on 23 December 1876. He was frequently referred to as ‘the father of the free and the deposer of sultans.’ He came to the province of Syria with a well-founded reputation, having served three times as governor in the provinces of Bulgaria, Danube, and Baghdād, and twice as grand vizier, the second most important position in the Empire. The optimism and hope his appointment generated in the province were as genuine and deep as were the corruption and deterioration there. Lisān al-Hāl reflected this optimsim when it said: ‘Syria has had enough oppression and misery. It has been up till now a marketplace for governors and functionaries: they come to it empty-handed and leave with tired shoulders because of the heavy treasures they carry away. Undoubtedly, Midhat Pasha came to it as a tradesman, his merchandise being justice and reform.’

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Middle East Studies , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1978 , pp. 307 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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References

AUTHOR's NOTE: This article is a condenced chapter from a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for tge degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1971.

1 Under Midhat Pasha the province of Syria (called also the province of Damascus or that of Shām) included the central and southern parts of the Syrian Arab Republic of today, eastern Lebanon, Tripoli, Beirut, southern Lebanon, a large portion of Palestine and Jordan. This article, however, does not include the Palestinian part of the province.

2 The first time was under Sultan 'Abd al–'Azīz in August 1872, but he soon resigned.

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95 FO 78/2989, Eldridge, to Layard, , Beirut, 6 12 1879;Google Scholar FO 78/3130, Dickson, to Layard, , Beirut, 31 05 1880;Google Scholar AAE II, Schmid, to Freycinet, , Damascus, 26 06 1880;Google Scholar FO 195/1306, Jago, to Goschen, , Damascus, 16 08 1880.Google Scholar

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