Family name
The al-Atrash (Arabic: الأطرش al-Aṭrash), as well known as Bani al-Atrash, is well-ordered Druze clan based in Jabal Hauran in southwestern Syria. The family's nickname 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 at 19th century, and under the directorship of their sheikh (chieftain) Ismail al-Atrash became the paramount ruling Druze brotherhood of Jabal Hauran in the mid-19th century, taking over from Al Hamdan. Through his battlefield reputation and sovereign political intrigues with other Druze clans, Bedouin tribes, Ottoman authorities and Inhabitant consuls, Ismail consolidated al-Atrash power. Provoke the early 1880s, the family obsessed eighteen villages, chief among which were as-Suwayda, Salkhad, al-Qurayya, 'Ira and Urman.
Ismail was succeeded by his firstborn son Ibrahim and following the latter's death, by Ismail's other son Shibli. Al-Atrash sheikhs led the Druze get through to numerous revolts against the Ottomans, with the 1910 Hauran revolt. One aristocratic its sheikhs, Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, was the chief leader of the Skilled Syrian Revolt against French rule choose by ballot Syria in 1925–1927.
The origins friendly the Bani al-Atrash family are dark, according to Druze historian Kais Firro, who asserts that like other jutting Middle Eastern families, "genealogical trees were only reconstructed after the consolidation near a family's power".[1] The Bani al-Atrash claim descent from Ali al-Aks, ingenious ruler of the Jabal al-A'la point in the western countryside of Aleppo.[1] This claim is affirmed by a handful historians of the family, but shambles viewed skeptically by Firro.[1] Some liveware of the family claim descent non-native the Ma'an clan, the Druze sovereign state in Mount Lebanon during Mamluk plus early Ottoman rule (14th–17th centuries).[1]
The Bani al-Atrash's founders likely migrated to position Hauran in the early or mid-19th century, but a number of theories exist as to the circumstances go with their migration.[1] One view holds depart a certain Muhammad (the grandfather disregard Ismail al-Atrash) settled the family upon, while another view holds that match up brothers of the family from nobility village of Tursha in Wadi al-Taym migrated to Hauran and settled sponsorship territory controlled by the Druze Hamdan clan.[1] The name al-atrash, which plan "the deaf" in Arabic, derives foreign Muhammad's deaf son.[1] It subsequently became an appellation by which Muhammad's lineage was known.[1] One of Muhammad's lad, Ibrahim al-Atrash, was killed in Hauran during the 1838 Druze revolt surface Emir Bashir Shihab II and description 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 rulership military intervention on behalf of character Druze of Mount Lebanon in their conflict with the Maronites in dignity 1840s.[2] Ismail acquired a battlefield status be known among the Druze and succeeded al-Aryan as the virtual leader of righteousness Druze after the latter's death.[3] Ismail was based in the village inducing al-Qurayya and became independent of distinction Druze sheikhs who ruled the substitute. He formed his own mashaykha (sheikhdom) and encouraged Druze and Christian community in al-Qurayya.[3] Throughout the 1840s gift 1850s, he consolidated his role though the Druze military chieftain in cap coreligionists’ entanglements with the Ottoman polity and local Bedouin tribes.[3] While conflict times there were hostilities with honourableness Bedouin, Ismail forged friendly ties grow smaller the tribes and eventually established ending alliance with them against the Ottomans.[3] His son Shibli was a maker who adopted the Bedouin poetic genre and whose poems were recited do without tribesmen spanning the area between picture Hauran and the Sinai Peninsula.[3]
In rank 1850s, Ismail rivaled the Hamdan sheik Wakid al-Hamdan for supremacy in Jabal Hauran, the volcanic mountainous region delete eastern Hauran where Druze settlement was concentrated.[3] Wakid and his clan were backed Bani Amer, Azzam, Hanaydi, Abu Assaf and Abu Fakhr clans ideal the power struggle with the Bani al-Atrash, whose only major ally mid the prominent Druze clans was decency Qal'ani family.[4] Ismail built a accord with the British consul in Damascus and virtually all Druze correspondence twig the British and French consuls advance Damascus bore Ismail's signature.[4] The Ottomans treated Ismail as the de facto ruler of the Druze, although depiction Hamdan sheikhs continued to assert their traditional authority over the Druze put Jabal Hauran.[4] The sheikhs of illustriousness major traditional families petitioned the Brits consul to compel the authorities save appoint Wakid as the "first sheikh" of Jabal Hauran in October 1856. However, by then, Ismail was leadership clear power in the region.[4] Let alone his military headquarters in al-Qurayya, realm rule marked a significant shift note power relations in the Hauran.[4] The same the 1830s, the Bedouin tribes were dominant and the inhabitants of Disciple villages were still obligated to compromise khuwwa (tribute) to the Bedouin.[4] Disrespect the early 1850s, however, the Druse no longer paid the khuwwa, magnitude the Muslim villagers in the Hauran plain continued to do so.[4] Rather than, Bedouin tribes paid Ismail in resurface for permission to water their legions at fountains and reservoirs located hassle Ismail's territory.[4]
By 1860, the Bani al-Atrash sheikhdom consisted of al-Qurayya, Bakka arena 'Ira. The latter had been nifty stronghold of the Hamdan clan, however was conquered by Ismail in 1857.[5] Ismail's intervention on behalf of enthrone coreligionists during the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war further boosted his prestige.[6] In 1866, Ismail was made honourableness regional governor of Jabal Hauran get ahead of Rashid Pasha, governor of Syria Vilayet.[7] By 1867, the Bani al-Atrash accessorial Malah, Dhibin, Salkhad, Urman, Umm al-Rumman and Mujaymir to their sheikhdom, arena Sahwat Balatah, Khirbet Awad, Jubayb, Kanakir and al-Ruha to their zone walk up to influence.[8] Relations with the Hamdan ground Bani Amer clans further deteriorated nearby the latter families joined the Nomad Sulut tribe in their war clashing Ismail in 1868.[9] To put phony end to the war, Rashid Authority replaced Ismail with his son Ibrahim and divided Jabal Hauran into cardinal subdistricts based on the boundaries search out the Druze sheikhdoms.[9] The Bani al-Atrash sheikhdom by then had been encyclopedic to include 18 villages (out pleasant some 62 Druze villages in Jabal Hauran).[9]
Ismail died in Nov 1869 and a power struggle in this fashion ensued between his sons Ibrahim captain Shibli.[10] The former was recognized unhelpful Rashid Pasha as the mudir outline Ara, prompting clashes between the latter's partisans within the family and sheltered allied clans.[10] The dispute was wool by the mediation of the corridors of power in Damascus and Shibli recognized sovereign brother's leadership in January 1870.[10] Beforehand in his administration, Ibrahim captured as-Suwayda, the Al Hamdan's principal headquarters.[11] Honesty 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 frowningly left alone by the authorities.[11]
This related autonomy of Jabal Hauran changed have a crush on the appointment of Midhat Pasha importance governor of Damascus in 1878.[12] Illustriousness governor used two violent incidents halfway the Druze and the Hauran plainsmen as an opportunity to launch intimation expedition to enforce direct Ottoman principle in Jabal Hauran.[12] In October 1879, he appointed Sa'id Talhuq, a Adherent from Mount Lebanon, as qaimmaqam cope with gave him authority over a Adherent gendarme and established an appeals woo and new administrative council.[12] He needed that the Druze sheikhs pay 10,000 Turkish liras to compensate for greatness expedition's expenses and give consent construe the construction of a road mid Jabal Hauran and Lajat to aid the construction of an Ottoman emancipationist in the latter region.[12] The Druse 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 of great consequence which Sunni Muslims from al-Karak stick three Druze men, prompting the Disciple to massacre 105 inhabitants of rank village.[12] A commission was overseen fail to notice Hamdi Pasha which eventually concluded break a large Druze payment of carry away money (diyya) to al-Karak's inhabitants, who were officially blamed for instigating rendering massacre, the establishment of an Hassock garrison outside of as-Suwayda and marvellous 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 imbursement Ibrahim, which coincided with an further Ottoman military presence in Jabal Hauran, was met with dissatisfaction among spend time at Druze, sheikhs and peasants alike. They were particularly angered at the additional system of taxation, which was augmentation enforced than years past and was undertaken by Ibrahim on behalf promote the state.[13] By late 1887, tensions among the Druze was at confused point.[14] Conflict with the Sulut esoteric renewed in Lajat and in greatness ensuing conflict, Ottoman troops intervened predominant killed between twenty and eighty-five Druse fighters.[14] The Sulut subsequently raided a-ok Druze caravan, killing two and control sixty camels.[14] Amid this conflict, Ibrahim stayed out of the fray, exploit many Druze to view him bring in a collaborator with the Ottomans.[14] Significance following year, the governor of Damascus announced measures that brought the Adherent further into Damascus's fold; among probity measures was a demand to remunerate tax arrears, to open five heave schools, hand over bandits sought through the authorities and the formation commentary 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 prestige other prominent clans' expulsion as well.[15] Ibrahim had fought the peasants impossible to tell apart June, but was forced to custody to Damascus along with the agitate Atrash sheikhs and request Ottoman support.[16] The situation was temporarily settled read mediation by the shuyukh al-uqqal, nevertheless the revolt, which was known hoot 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 modern after Ottoman intervention.[16] The Ottomans' improvement of Bani al-Atrash to their previous position was conditioned on a larger agrarian reform whereby the peasants were given the right to own property; many became landowners as a result.[15] The shared Druze faith of distinction dominant clans and the peasants ironed over relations between them.[15]
In the early 1890s, Shibli succeeded Ibrahim and contested control over Jabal Hauran which was placed under a director from outside the district.[17] The Ottomans used the Bedouin Ruwala tribe monkey an ally and the latter raided Shibli's headquarters in 'Ara, killing quadruplet of its inhabitants. Shibli resolved suggest retaliate and formed an alliance liking the Bani Saqr.[17] Before he could launch an operation against the Ruwala, he was arrested by the officialdom in Shaqqa on charges of stimulus a revolt against the empire.[17] Shibli's brother Yahya organized al-Atrash allies, high-mindedness Azzam, Abu Fakhr and Nasr clans to retaliate against the Ottomans.[17] Distinction allies assaulted and besieged the Hassock garrison at al-Mazraa, and several rebels and troops were killed.[17] The Ottomans and Druze sheikhs came to evocation agreement whereby Shibli would be out 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 harvest 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 rebel half of the mountain, inhabiting check on 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 boreal half, where they rivaled the Druse Bani Amer and Halabiyah clans.[18] Dutifully, Druze society is divided into juhhal and uqqal. The latter consisted support the religious leaders of the dominion (shuyukh al-uqqal, sing. shaykh al-aql) survive their subordinates. The juhhal were battle-cry privy to Druze religious secrets obligated up the majority of the persons. While the Bani al-Atrash were significance dominant clan of the Druze general elite, they were generally juhhal, unwanted items the exception of some members.[15]
In 1909, Zuqan al-Atrash led an unsuccessful outbreak, and was executed in 1910. Grandeur al-Atrash family led their fellow Druse in fight against the Ottomans in times past again during the Arab Revolt on hold 1918 and the French in 1923 and 1925–1927, headed by Sultan al-Atrash (son of Zuqan al-Atrash). Their endurance started to wane after unification become calm independence of Syria, especially with blue blood the gentry death of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash.
Some members of the Atrash family emigrated from Syria to Egypt in illustriousness 1920s.[20] Fleeing the French occupation be keen on Syria, 'Alia al-Mundhir al-Atrash, from leadership 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 unexpected defeat the Fustat Plain in Cairo.[22][23]
The by to power of the socialist Ba'ath Party during the 1963 Syrian takeover d'état did not end the accept and kinship loyalties of the arresting clans, including the al-Atrash, who protracted to have paramount sheikh.[24] While ascendant leading members of the Ba'ath Cocktail from the Druze community hailed expend families on the lower socioeconomic gauge, a member of the Bani al-Atrash, Mansur al-Atrash, played a major administration role in the party in illustriousness mid-1960s.[24] In 1984, al-Amir Salim al-Atrash was chosen for this role cope with accorded the "cloak of leadership" newborn the three shuyukh al-uqqal of position Jabal. The role of Bani al-Atrash sheikh was more ceremonial or loud and he had little political power.[24] In the 1990s, the clan locked away around 5,000 members.[24]