Battle of Anjar
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| Battle of Anjar | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mount Lebanon Emirate Grand Duchy of Tuscany | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Fakhr-al-Din II |
 (POW) | ||||||||
The Battle of Anjar was fought on 1 November 1623 between the army of Fakhr al-Din II and an Ottoman army led by the governor of Damascus .[1]
Background[]
| This section does not cite any sources. (May 2021) |
In 1608 Fakhr al-Din II forged an alliance with the Italian Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The alliance contained both a public economic section and a secret military one.
Fakhr-al-Din's popularity alarmed the Ottomans who authorized Hafiz Ahmed Pasha, "Wali" or governor of Damascus, to mount an attack on Lebanon 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, 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, Tripoli, Bekaa among others.
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 1623, 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.
The battle[]
| This section does not cite any sources. (May 2021) |
The Lebanese major victory came on November 1st 1623, against the Ottoman army of the Pasha of Damascus in the Battle of Anjar. Although Turkish troops outnumbered the Lebanese forces by more than two to one, Fakher al-Din was nevertheless victorious and was able to capture the Pasha of Damascus himself.
Aftermath[]
Fakhr al-Din forced the Ottoman army to retreat back to Egypt and northern Syria. The Ottoman central power was only able to retake control over the Galilee in 1633, and over Syria and Transjordan in 1634.
Fakher al-Din treated Mustafa Pasha well during his captivity, which made the Pasha recognize Fakher el-Din's rule over the Beqaa Valley.[2]
See also[]
References[]
- Battles involving the Ottoman Empire
- Conflicts in 1623
- 1623 in the Ottoman Empire
- Battles involving the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
- 1623 in Asia
- 17th century in Ottoman Syria