As'ad Pasha al-Azm
Encyclopedia
As'ad Pasha al-Azm was the governor of Damascus
under Ottoman
rule from 1742 to his deposition in 1757. He is responsible for the construction of several architectural works in the city and other places in Syria
.
clan, al-Azm
, which controlled much the central districts of Syria, Lebanon
, and eventually Damascus in 1725. As'ad governed Hama
as a tax collector for a number of years, until his uncle, Suleyman Pasha al-Azm, governor of Damascus, died in 1743. In Hama, he built the Azm Palace
where he resided.
He was favored by the Ottoman authorities in Istanbul
because he was successful in ensuring the protection of the Syrian pilgrim caravan that annually left for Mecca
and Medina
during the Hajj
. In his dealings with the Bedouin
s along the caravan route in the Syrian Desert
and the Hejaz
, al-Azm either used force to subdue them or bought them off. The security of the pilgrim caravan was of prime importance to the Ottoman sultan in his capacity as "Protector of the Two Holy Sanctuaries," especially after the failure of the janissaries to protect the caravan.
When locust swarms devastated the harvests of interior Syria, al-Azm used it a pretext to launch raids against Druze
communities in the Bekaa Valley, plundering their crops which he placed on the market in Damascus. During his governorship, al-Azm relaxed restraints on Christians; for instance, he allowed them to drink alcohol
in public. He used his family's great wealth to construct the Azm Palace
in Damascus in 1750. Serving as a joint residence and guesthouse, the palace was a monument to 18th century Arab architecture. The famed Khan As'ad Pasha
was also built under al-Azm's patronage in 1752. His rule represented the apex of the al-Azm influence in the Levant
as they ruled Damascus, Aleppo
, Hama, Tripoli
, Sidon
, and for a short period, Mosul
.
Despite al-Azm's ability to ensure the security of the pilgrim caravan, the new Ottoman authorities in Istanbul deposed him in 1757 after fourteen years of governance. The Grand Vizier
at the time, Raghib Pasha, denounced him as a "peasant son of a peasant" after a deal between the two of them failed. In addition, the Kizlar Agha
of Istanbul disliked al-Azm for apparently not taking good care of him when he passed through Damascus on the pilgrim caravan. The Ottoman state was also interested in confiscating the wealth al-Azm accumulated during his tenure in office. The large amounts of money collected made the state revalue its currency.
slave of al-Azm, Osman Pasha, then led Ottoman authorities to the whereabouts of his master's treasures and was awarded the governorship of Damascus.
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule from 1742 to his deposition in 1757. He is responsible for the construction of several architectural works in the city and other places in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Background
As'ad was born to a prominent local ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
clan, al-Azm
Al-Azm
Al-Azm is a prominent Damascene family. The origins of the family are Arabic, as it belonged to a notable family from the region of Ma'arrat al-Numan south of Aleppo. The family rose to prominence in the 18th century. Their rule started with appointment of Ismail Pasha al-Azm as wāli of Damascus...
, which controlled much the central districts of Syria, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, and eventually Damascus in 1725. As'ad governed Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
as a tax collector for a number of years, until his uncle, Suleyman Pasha al-Azm, governor of Damascus, died in 1743. In Hama, he built the Azm Palace
Azm Palace (Hama)
The Azm Palace is an 18th-century Ottoman palace in Hama, Syria located at the center of the city on the banks of the Orontes River, about south of the Hama Citadel...
where he resided.
Governor of Damascus
Al-Azm succeeded his father as governor of Damascus in 1743. Throughout the first half of the 18th century, the janissary corps created troubles for the governance of the al-Azm family in Damascus, but in 1746, As'ad crushed the local janissaries. This enabled him to establish his unchallenged authority in the city.He was favored by the Ottoman authorities in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
because he was successful in ensuring the protection of the Syrian pilgrim caravan that annually left for Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
during the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
. In his dealings with the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
s along the caravan route in the Syrian Desert
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert , also known as the Syro-Arabian desert is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in the northern Arabian Peninsula covering 200,000 square miles . also the desert is very rocky and flat...
and the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
, al-Azm either used force to subdue them or bought them off. The security of the pilgrim caravan was of prime importance to the Ottoman sultan in his capacity as "Protector of the Two Holy Sanctuaries," especially after the failure of the janissaries to protect the caravan.
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
communities in the Bekaa Valley, plundering their crops which he placed on the market in Damascus. During his governorship, al-Azm relaxed restraints on Christians; for instance, he allowed them to drink alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
in public. He used his family's great wealth to construct the Azm Palace
Azm Palace
Azem Palace is a palace in Damascus, Syria which was originally built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus As'ad Pasha al-Azm. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions.-Architecture:...
in Damascus in 1750. Serving as a joint residence and guesthouse, the palace was a monument to 18th century Arab architecture. The famed Khan As'ad Pasha
Khan As'ad Pasha
Khan As'ad Pasha is the largest khan in the Old City of Damascus, covering an area of . Situated along Al-Buzuriyah Souq, it was built and named after As'ad Pasha al-Azm, the governor of Damascus, in 1751-52. Khan As'ad Pasha has been described as one of the finest khans of Damascus, and the most...
was also built under al-Azm's patronage in 1752. His rule represented the apex of the al-Azm influence in the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
as they ruled Damascus, Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Hama, Tripoli
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
, Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, and for a short period, Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
.
Despite al-Azm's ability to ensure the security of the pilgrim caravan, the new Ottoman authorities in Istanbul deposed him in 1757 after fourteen years of governance. The Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
at the time, Raghib Pasha, denounced him as a "peasant son of a peasant" after a deal between the two of them failed. In addition, the Kizlar Agha
Imperial Harem
The Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Empire was one of the most important elements of the Ottoman court. It was known in the West as "the Seraglio", an Italian term.- Harem quarters:...
of Istanbul disliked al-Azm for apparently not taking good care of him when he passed through Damascus on the pilgrim caravan. The Ottoman state was also interested in confiscating the wealth al-Azm accumulated during his tenure in office. The large amounts of money collected made the state revalue its currency.
Death
In 1757, the pilgrim caravan was annihilated. The Ottomans accused al-Azm of inciting the Bedouin to attack the caravan in response to his deposition earlier that year. Consequently, the Grand Vizier Raghib Pasha ordered al-Azm's execution. A GeorgianGeorgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
slave of al-Azm, Osman Pasha, then led Ottoman authorities to the whereabouts of his master's treasures and was awarded the governorship of Damascus.