Silahdar Süleyman Pasha

Silahdar Süleyman Pasha (Arabic transliteration: Sulaymān Pasha al-Siliḥdār, died 1837) was the Ottoman governor of Damascus Eyalet in February 1812–May 1816.^[1]

Biography

Silahdar was from Hama in central Syria, but his government career was made in the Ottoman capital, Istanbul. He replaced Sulayman Pasha al-Adil as governor of Damascus and his appointment marked the permanent end of a trend whereby local rulers or non-local rulers who made their careers in Syria, such as the al-Azm family or Jazzar Pasha and his mamluk heirs in Acre, were appointed to the governorship.^[2]

During his first days as governor, Silahdar faced a rebellion by the jannisary commander of the Citadel of Damascus, Ali Agha al-Baghdadi, who refused to accept Silahdar's authority. After a siege of several days, Ali Agha surrendered, was executed and the remaining rebellious jannisaries were allowed to leave the city unharmed.^[3] In 1813, Silahdar commissioned the Kurdish Dalat cavalry commander of Hama, Mullah Isma'il, to oversee that year's tax collection tour in the province.^[4] Silahdar was commended by the Damascene chronicler and Silahdar's contemporary, Hasan Agha al-'Abd, for successfully protecting and provisioning the Hajj caravans of 1813 and 1814 as part of his duty as amir al-hajj (commander of the Hajj caravan);^[5] Al-'Abd accompanied Silahdar during the Hajj of 1813.^[6]

Silahdar was replaced by Hafiz Amasyali Ali Pasha in May 1816.^[1] Silahdar died in 1837.^[7]

References

Bibliography