Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar

Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar (ca. 1720–30s –  May 7, 1804) is the Acre-based Ottoman governor of Sidon from 1776 until his death in 1804.

During this period, he also simultaneously serves four terms as the governor of Damascus, a total of nine years.

Al-Jazzar is a Bosnian of obscure origins.

He begins his military career in Egypt in the service of various Mamluk officials, eventually becoming a chief enforcer and assassin working for Ali Bey al-Kabir, Egypt's effective ruler.

He gains the epithet of al-Jazzar (the Butcher) for his deadly ambush on a group of Bedouin tribesmen in retaliation for the death of his master in a Bedouin raid.

Al-Jazzar falls out with Ali Bey in 1768 after refusing to take part in the assassination of one of his former masters.

He ultimately fleesto Syria, where he is tasked with defending Beirut from a joint assault by the Russian Navy and the forces of Zahir al-Umar.

He eventually surrenders and enters Zahir's service before defecting from him and fleeing with stolen tax money.

He is appointed as garrison commander of Acre following the Ottomans' defeat of Zahir.

He sets about pacifying Galilee and Mount Lebanon, which are dominated by Zahir's kinsmen and the Druze forces of Emir Yusuf Shihab, respectively.

In 1776/77, he is appointed governor of Sidon, but relocates the province's capital to Acre, which he strongly fortifies.

In the following years, he defeats the forces of his erstwhile Shia Muslim ally, Nasif al-Nassar, consolidating his control over Jabal Amil.

In 1795, al-Jazzar is appointed to his first of four terms as governor of Damascus, each time gaining increasing influence in the province's affairs in opposition to his rivals from the Azm family.

In 1799, with the help of the British navy, al-Jazzar defends Acre from the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte, forcing the latter's army to withdraw from Palestine in disarray.

His successful defense of Acre earns him prestige in the empire and makes him well known in Europe.

Al-Jazzar dies in 1804 as the governor of both Sidon and Damascus.

He is ultimately succeeded in Acre by his mamluk Sulayman Pasha al-Adil; until his suppression of a mamluk revolt in 1789, al-Jazzar had appointed mamluks to senior posts in his military and administration.

Al-Jazzar attempts to develop the areas under his control by improving road security and maintaining order.

However, his domestic military expeditions and his stringently enforced and exploitative taxation policies precipitate high emigration, although cities such as Acre and Beirut prosper.

The former becomes a powerful regional center rivaling Damascus and until today contains many architectural works commissioned by al-Jazzar, such as its walls, the el-Jazzar Mosque and the Khan al-Umdan caravanserai.

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