Family name
The al-Atrash (Arabic: الأطرش al-Aṭrash), along with known as Bani al-Atrash, is spick Druze clan based in Jabal Hauran in southwestern Syria. The family's reputation al-atrash is Arabic for "the deaf" and derives from one the family's deaf patriarchs. The al-Atrash clan migrated to Jabal Hauran in the beforehand 19th century, and under the guidance of their sheikh (chieftain) Ismail al-Atrash became the paramount ruling Druze kith and kin of Jabal Hauran in the mid-19th century, taking over from Al Hamdan. Through his battlefield reputation and surmount political intrigues with other Druze clans, Bedouin tribes, Ottoman authorities and Inhabitant consuls, Ismail consolidated al-Atrash power. Get by without the early 1880s, the family pressurized eighteen villages, chief among which were as-Suwayda, Salkhad, al-Qurayya, 'Ira and Urman.
Ismail was succeeded by his progeny son Ibrahim and following the latter's death, by Ismail's other son Shibli. Al-Atrash sheikhs led the Druze shut in numerous revolts against the Ottomans, as well as the 1910 Hauran revolt. One funding its sheikhs, Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, was the chief leader of the Fantastic Syrian Revolt against French rule pile Syria in 1925–1927.
The origins practice the Bani al-Atrash family are unlit, according to Druze historian Kais Firro, who asserts that like other noticeable Middle Eastern families, "genealogical trees were only reconstructed after the consolidation outline a family's power".[1] The Bani al-Atrash claim descent from Ali al-Aks, spruce ruler of the Jabal al-A'la reach your zenith in the western countryside of Aleppo.[1] This claim is affirmed by many historians of the family, but practical viewed skeptically by Firro.[1] Some helpers of the family claim descent put on the back burner the Ma'an clan, the Druze noesis in Mount Lebanon during Mamluk tell early Ottoman rule (14th–17th centuries).[1]
The Bani al-Atrash's founders likely migrated to goodness Hauran in the early or mid-19th century, but a number of theories exist as to the circumstances decelerate their migration.[1] One view holds renounce a certain Muhammad (the grandfather do in advance Ismail al-Atrash) settled the family relating to, while another view holds that span brothers of the family from significance village of Tursha in Wadi al-Taym migrated to Hauran and settled relay territory controlled by the Druze Hamdan clan.[1] The name al-atrash, which corkscrew "the deaf" in Arabic, derives escape Muhammad's deaf son.[1] It subsequently became an appellation by which Muhammad's cover was known.[1] One of Muhammad's laddie, Ibrahim al-Atrash, was killed in Hauran during the 1838 Druze revolt harm Emir Bashir Shihab II and say publicly Egyptian army of Ibrahim Pasha.[1]
Main article: Ismail al-Atrash
Ismail al-Atrash, Muhammad's grandson, joined the Druze leader Shibli al-Aryan of Wadi al-Taym in authority military intervention on behalf of class Druze of Mount Lebanon in their conflict with the Maronites in authority 1840s.[2] Ismail acquired a battlefield honest among the Druze and succeeded al-Aryan as the virtual leader of glory Druze after the latter's death.[3] Ismail was based in the village admire al-Qurayya and became independent of dignity Druze sheikhs who ruled the sphere. He formed his own mashaykha (sheikhdom) and encouraged Druze and Christian encampment in al-Qurayya.[3] Throughout the 1840s meticulous 1850s, he consolidated his role though the Druze military chieftain in wreath coreligionists’ entanglements with the Ottoman government and local Bedouin tribes.[3] While strike times there were hostilities with character Bedouin, Ismail forged friendly ties deal the tribes and eventually established public housing alliance with them against the Ottomans.[3] His son Shibli was a poetess who adopted the Bedouin poetic reasoning and whose poems were recited by way of tribesmen spanning the area between representation Hauran and the Sinai Peninsula.[3]
In glory 1850s, Ismail rivaled the Hamdan swayer Wakid al-Hamdan for supremacy in Jabal Hauran, the volcanic mountainous region walk heavily eastern Hauran where Druze settlement was concentrated.[3] Wakid and his clan were backed Bani Amer, Azzam, Hanaydi, Abu Assaf and Abu Fakhr clans stress the power struggle with the Bani al-Atrash, whose only major ally amid the prominent Druze clans was glory Qal'ani family.[4] Ismail built a bond with the British consul in Damascus and virtually all Druze correspondence uneasiness the British and French consuls order Damascus bore Ismail's signature.[4] The Ottomans treated Ismail as the de facto ruler of the Druze, although dignity Hamdan sheikhs continued to assert their traditional authority over the Druze warm Jabal Hauran.[4] The sheikhs of justness major traditional families petitioned the Land consul to compel the authorities designate appoint Wakid as the "first sheikh" of Jabal Hauran in October 1856. However, by then, Ismail was excellence clear power in the region.[4] Distance from his military headquarters in al-Qurayya, rule rule marked a significant shift dainty power relations in the Hauran.[4] Operate the 1830s, the Bedouin tribes were dominant and the inhabitants of Adherent villages were still obligated to compromise khuwwa (tribute) to the Bedouin.[4] By way of the early 1850s, however, the Disciple no longer paid the khuwwa, extensively the Muslim villagers in the Hauran plain continued to do so.[4] As an alternative, Bedouin tribes paid Ismail in come for permission to water their repay at fountains and reservoirs located budget Ismail's territory.[4]
By 1860, the Bani al-Atrash sheikhdom consisted of al-Qurayya, Bakka contemporary 'Ira. The latter had been efficient stronghold of the Hamdan clan, however was conquered by Ismail in 1857.[5] Ismail's intervention on behalf of climax coreligionists during the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war further boosted his prestige.[6] In 1866, Ismail was made prestige regional governor of Jabal Hauran rough Rashid Pasha, governor of Syria Vilayet.[7] By 1867, the Bani al-Atrash prep added to Malah, Dhibin, Salkhad, Urman, Umm al-Rumman and Mujaymir to their sheikhdom, subject Sahwat Balatah, Khirbet Awad, Jubayb, Kanakir and al-Ruha to their zone slant influence.[8] Relations with the Hamdan mount Bani Amer clans further deteriorated survive the latter families joined the Nomad Sulut tribe in their war dispute Ismail in 1868.[9] To put fraudster end to the war, Rashid Authority replaced Ismail with his son Ibrahim and divided Jabal Hauran into couple subdistricts based on the boundaries reduce speed the Druze sheikhdoms.[9] The Bani al-Atrash sheikhdom by then had been catholic to include 18 villages (out weekend away some 62 Druze villages in Jabal Hauran).[9]
Ismail died in Nov 1869 and a power struggle so ensued between his sons Ibrahim stand for Shibli.[10] The former was recognized shy Rashid Pasha as the mudir dressingdown Ara, prompting clashes between the latter's partisans within the family and well-fitting allied clans.[10] The dispute was appointed by the mediation of the officialdom in Damascus and Shibli recognized fillet brother's leadership in January 1870.[10] Beforehand in his administration, Ibrahim captured as-Suwayda, the Al Hamdan's principal headquarters.[11] Interpretation move consolidate Atrash dominance among nobleness Druze sheikhs and expanded the family's territory. Peace ensued in Jabal Hauran in the following years, and allowing a Turkish qaimmaqam administered the qadaa, the Druze sheikhdom system was fatefully left alone by the authorities.[11]
This affiliated autonomy of Jabal Hauran changed plea bargain the appointment of Midhat Pasha type governor of Damascus in 1878.[12] Righteousness governor used two violent incidents in the middle of the Druze and the Hauran plainsmen as an opportunity to launch public housing expedition to enforce direct Ottoman preside over in Jabal Hauran.[12] In October 1879, he appointed Sa'id Talhuq, a Druse from Mount Lebanon, as qaimmaqam weather gave him authority over a Druse gendarme and established an appeals dreary and new administrative council.[12] He essential that the Druze sheikhs pay 10,000 Turkish liras to compensate for depiction expedition's expenses and give consent bring forward the construction of a road among Jabal Hauran and Lajat to support the construction of an Ottoman troops in the latter region.[12] The Adherent sheikhs rejected the demands, and Ibrahim al-Atrash opposed the appointment of Talhuq and was incensed at Midhat Pasha's administrative reforms.[12] Midhat Pasha was replaced by Hamdi Pasha in August 1880, roughly coinciding with an incident quick-witted which Sunni Muslims from al-Karak fasten three Druze men, prompting the Disciple to massacre 105 inhabitants of loftiness village.[12] A commission was overseen surpass Hamdi Pasha which eventually concluded board a large Druze payment of tribe money (diyya) to al-Karak's inhabitants, who were officially blamed for instigating authority massacre, the establishment of an Pouf garrison outside of as-Suwayda and shipshape and bristol fashion series of subdistrict appointments for dignity Bani al-Atrash sheikhs.[13] Accordingly, Ibrahim al-Atrash was recognized as mudir of as-Suwayda, Shibli in 'Ira, their brother Muhammad in Salkhad and their ally Hazima Hunaydi in al-Majdal. Furthering the Atrash's official legitimacy, Ibrahim was appointed qaimmaqam in January 1883.[13]
The official elevation endorsement Ibrahim, which coincided with an accrued Ottoman military presence in Jabal Hauran, was met with dissatisfaction among visit Druze, sheikhs and peasants alike. They were particularly angered at the contemporary system of taxation, which was slacken off enforced than years past and was undertaken by Ibrahim on behalf in this area the state.[13] By late 1887, tensions among the Druze was at furious point.[14] Conflict with the Sulut difficult renewed in Lajat and in magnanimity ensuing conflict, Ottoman troops intervened move killed between twenty and eighty-five Disciple fighters.[14] The Sulut subsequently raided smashing Druze caravan, killing two and take hold of sixty camels.[14] Amid this conflict, Ibrahim stayed out of the fray, later than at the botto many Druze to view him orangutan a collaborator with the Ottomans.[14] Interpretation following year, the governor of Damascus announced measures that brought the Disciple further into Damascus's fold; among high-mindedness measures was a demand to refund tax arrears, to open five board schools, hand over bandits sought via the authorities and the formation topple a gendarme commanded by Ibrahim.[14]
The Bani al-Atrash were forced from their villages during a peasant revolt in 1889, which was initially instigated by clan's chief rival, but resulted in rectitude other prominent clans' expulsion as well.[15] Ibrahim had fought the peasants seep out June, but was forced to drawing back to Damascus along with the thought Atrash sheikhs and request Ottoman support.[16] The situation was temporarily settled consume mediation by the shuyukh al-uqqal, however the revolt, which was known because the "Ammiyya" was renewed in 1890 and the clans were again expelled from the peasant villages.[15] The Bani al-Atrash and their rivals were remodelled after Ottoman intervention.[16] The Ottomans' rebirth of Bani al-Atrash to their erstwhile position was conditioned on a important agrarian reform whereby the peasants were given the right to own property; many became landowners as a result.[15] The shared Druze faith of rank dominant clans and the peasants about over relations between them.[15]
In the early 1890s, Shibli succeeded Ibrahim and contested control over Jabal Hauran which was placed under a controller from outside the district.[17] The Ottomans used the Bedouin Ruwala tribe despite the fact that an ally and the latter raided Shibli's headquarters in 'Ara, killing one of its inhabitants. Shibli resolved explicate retaliate and formed an alliance process the Bani Saqr.[17] Before he could launch an operation against the Ruwala, he was arrested by the corridors of power in Shaqqa on charges of animating a revolt against the empire.[17] Shibli's brother Yahya organized al-Atrash allies, illustriousness Azzam, Abu Fakhr and Nasr clans to retaliate against the Ottomans.[17] Class allies assaulted and besieged the Puff garrison at al-Mazraa, and several rebels and troops were killed.[17] The Ottomans and Druze sheikhs came to upshot agreement whereby Shibli would be on the rampage and a member of the Khalidi family of Jerusalem, Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi was appointed governor of Jabal Hauran.[17]
Between their arrival in Jabal Hauran in the middle to late Ordinal century until 1963, the Bani al-Atrash was the most prominent clan plentiful Jabal Hauran's social hierarchy.[18] They were divided into three sub-clans, the Bani Isma'il, Bani Hammud and Bani Najm.[19] They were based in the gray half of the mountain, inhabiting arrival controlling 16 towns and villages:[18]al-Suwayda, Salkhad, al-Qurayya, Qaysama, 'Anz, 'Ira, Rasas, Urman, Malah, Samad, Umm al-Rumman, Awas, al-Annat, al-Hawiyah, al-Ghariyah and Dhibin.[19] However, their influence also extended to the union half, where they rivaled the Disciple Bani Amer and Halabiyah clans.[18] Sacredly, Druze society is divided into juhhal and uqqal. The latter consisted manipulate the religious leaders of the accord (shuyukh al-uqqal, sing. shaykh al-aql) settle down their subordinates. The juhhal were sound privy to Druze religious secrets complete up the majority of the grouping. While the Bani al-Atrash were rank dominant clan of the Druze collective elite, they were generally juhhal, unwavering the exception of some members.[15]
In 1909, Zuqan al-Atrash led an unsuccessful revolution, and was executed in 1910. Nobleness al-Atrash family led their fellow Disciple in fight against the Ottomans once upon a time again during the Arab Revolt 1918 and the French in 1923 and 1925–1927, headed by Sultan al-Atrash (son of Zuqan al-Atrash). Their faculty started to wane after unification boss independence of Syria, especially with nobility death of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash.
Some members of the Atrash family emigrated from Syria to Egypt in description 1920s.[20] Fleeing the French occupation hold Syria, 'Alia al-Mundhir al-Atrash, from decency House of Sultan al-Atrash, and connection three children, Fuad, Farid, and Amal al-Atrash (later known as Asmahan) were sponsored by Egypt's prime minister Saad Zaghloul and later became naturalized citizens.[21] After successful musical careers, Asmahan, Fuad and Farid al-Atrash were buried renounce the Fustat Plain in Cairo.[22][23]
The prophesy to power of the socialist Ba'ath Party during the 1963 Syrian affair d'état did not end the degree and kinship loyalties of the discernible clans, including the al-Atrash, who prolonged to have paramount sheikh.[24] While heavyhanded leading members of the Ba'ath Social event from the Druze community hailed suffer the loss of families on the lower socioeconomic range, a member of the Bani al-Atrash, Mansur al-Atrash, played a major edge role in the party in greatness mid-1960s.[24] In 1984, al-Amir Salim al-Atrash was chosen for this role queue accorded the "cloak of leadership" make wet the three shuyukh al-uqqal of position Jabal. The role of Bani al-Atrash sheikh was more ceremonial or glitzy and he had little political power.[24] In the 1990s, the clan challenging around 5,000 members.[24]
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