The 1860 Beirut–Damascus War and Palestine's Sectarian Wounds

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus, a precursor to sectarian tensions that would later reshape Palestine. The conversation centers on the role of the Ottoman Tanzimat reforms, the rise of the feudal lords (muqata'jis), and the massacre in Damascus that drew European intervention. They discuss how the conflict exposed the fragility of the millet system and how the ensuing Ottoman reforms, including the establishment of the mutasarrifiyya, influenced communal identities in the region. Specific figures like Fuad Pasha and the Druze-Christian clashes are examined, along with the long-term consequences, such as the creation of the mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon and the precedent it set for European involvement in the Levant. The episode weaves a narrative that connects these events to the broader history of Palestine, showing how the 1860 war shaped the political landscape that would later confront Zionism.

#History #FexingoHistory #OttomanEmpire #1860Conflict #MountLebanon #Damascus #SectarianViolence #Tanzimat #FuadPasha #MilletSystem #Mutasarrifate #Druze #Christians #Levant #MiddleEast #Reform #EuropeanIntervention #Palestine

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