Sulayman Pasha al-Azm
Sulayman Pasha al-Azm (Unknown-1743) was the governor of Damascus under the Ottoman Empire from 1733-37 and 1741-43. He belonged to the prominent Arab al-Azm clan and was the father of As'ad Pasha al-Azm who succeeded him as governor. Before governing Damascus, Sulayman was the governor of Tripoli.[1]
Governor of Damascus
Shortly after gaining the post of wali ("governor"), a bread riot erupted in Damascus during the winter of 1734. Because of al-Azm's perceived inaction during the riot, local mobs attacked grain storehouses that personally belonged to him. He responded quickly and had four demonstrators hanged, infuriating popular opinion in the city. When he left afterwards as commander of the hajj caravan, "no one [on the caravan] greeted him."[2] Later in 1734-35, al-Azm improved his reputation by embarking on a campaign of energetic reforms, abolishing unspecified abuses that harmed local artisans. The abundant wheat harvest that spring was critical to his rehabilitation in the eyes the people of Damascus.[2]
In 1743, another bread riot occurred in Damascus, with hungry mobs attacking the courthouse, driving out the qadi and storming local bakeries. Al-Azm attributed the uprising to the tampering of the food supply by the grain owners, millers, and wholesalers. He issued threats to the above individuals and bread reappeared on the market immediately. In a show of gratitude to al-Azm, "The people prayed for His Excellency [the Governor]."[2] That same year al-Azm sponsored public celebrations upon the occasion of his son's circumcision. He decorated the markets and arranged for seven days and nights of singing, dancing, and other amusements. On the final day of celebrations, he staged a mass circumcision for poor youths and in an act of zakat ("charity"), he showered two gold coins and a new garment on each boy.[3]
References
Bibliography
- Commins, David Dean (2004), Historical dictionary of Syria, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 0810849348, 9780810849341
{{citation}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help) - Grehan, James (2007), Everyday life & consumer culture in 18th-century Damascus, University of Washington Press, ISBN 029598676X, 9780295986760
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