Background and the beginning

In 1608 Fakhr-al-Din

Fakhr-al-Din II

Emir Fakhr-al-Din ibn Maan was the 1st prince of the State of Lebanon which has self-governed under the Ottoman Empire between the 17th and 19th centuries. Son of Prince Qorqmaz ibn Maan and Sit Nasab of the Tanukhi family, he was given the title "Emir" or Prince in Arabic because the Maan...

 forged an alliance with the Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...

. The alliance contained both a public economic section and a secret military one.

Fakhr-al-Din's popularity alarmed the Ottomans

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...

 who authorized Hafiz Ahmed Pasha, Muhafiz

Muhafiz

Muhafiz or Mohafiz is an Arabic word, also used as a male given name, meaning "preserver", "custodian" or "guardian". It may refer to*Mohafiz *PNS Muhafiz, Pakistani minesweeper*In Custody also known as Muhafiz ...

 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...

, to mount an attack on 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...

 in 1613 to reduce Fakhr-al-Din's growing power.

Faced with Hafiz's army of 50,000 men, Fakhr-al-Din chose exile in Tuscany

Tuscany

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....

, leaving affairs in the hands of his brother Emir Yunis and his son Emir Ali Beg. Fakhr-al-Din's exile did not prompt the Lebanese army to surrender to Hafiz Ahmed Pasha's army. They maintained their positions while the military operations raged until Prince Yunus managed through negotiations and persuasion to bring an end to the killings, securing the retreat of the Ottoman army.

In 1618, political changes in the Ottoman sultanate had resulted in the removal of many of Fakhr-al-Din's enemies from power, signaling the prince's triumphant return to Lebanon soon after, upon which he was able quickly to reunite all the lands of Lebanon beyond the boundaries of its mountains; and having revenge from Emir Yusuf Pasha ibn Siyfa, attacking his stronghold in Akkar, destroying his palaces and taking control of his lands, and regaining the territories he had to give up in 1613 in 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...

, Tripoli

Tripoli

Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...

, Bekaa among others.

The Battle

The Ottomans seemed uncomfortable with the prince's increasing powers and extended relations with Europe. The promise they had made to the Medici family, regarding the Prince of Lebanon, was ignored. In 1632, Mustafa Pasha was named Muhafiz of Damascus, being a rival of Fakhr-al-Din and a friend of Sultan Murad IV, who ordered him to attack Lebanon and depose Fakhr-al-Din.

Aftermatch

The Lebanese major victory came on October 31, 1622 against the Ottoman army of the Pasha of Damascus in the Battle of Majdel Anjar.although the Turks Outnumbered by the Lebanese soldiers, Fakher el-Din was nevertheless victorious and was able to capture the Pasha of Damascus for himself, and forced the Ottoman army to retreat back to Egypt and northern Syria until they were able to take over back the control in 1633 in Palestine, and 1634 in Syria and Jordan.

External links

• http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/
• http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/16.htm