Reign of Yusuf Shihab dynasty

in 1770, emir mansur resigned in favor of emir yusuf after being compelled step down druze sheikhs. transition held @ village of barouk, shihabi emirs, druze sheikhs , religious leaders met , drew petition governors of damascus , sidon, confirming emir yusuf s ascendancy. emir mansur s resignation precipitated alliance sheikh zahir al-umar, zaydani strongman of northern palestine, , sheikh nasif al-nassar of jabal amil in revolt against ottoman governors of syria. sheikh zahir , forces of ali bey al-kabir of egypt had occupied damascus, withdrew after ali bey s leading commander, abu al-dhahab, bribed ottomans. defeat ottomans made emir mansur liability druze sheikhs vis-a-vis relations ottoman authorities, decided depose him. emir yusuf cultivated ties uthman pasha , sons in tripoli , sidon, , backing, sought challenge autonomous power of sheikhs zahir , nasif. however, emir yusuf experienced series of major setbacks in cause in 1771. ally, uthman pasha, routed in battle of lake hula sheikh zahir s forces. afterward, emir yusuf s large druze force wadi al-taym , chouf routed sheikh nasif s shia cavalrymen @ nabatieh. druze casualties during battle amounted 1,500 killed, loss similar suffered yamani coalition @ ain dara. furthermore, forces of sheikhs zahir , nasif captured town of sidon after sheikh ali jumblatt withdrew. emir yusuf s forces again routed when attempt oust sheikhs zahir , nasif, had key backing russian fleet, bombarded emir yusuf s camp.

uthman pasha, seeking prevent beirut s fall sheikh zahir, appointed ahmad pasha al-jazzar, formerly in emir yusuf s service, garrison commander of city. emir yusuf, tax farmer of beirut, agreed appointment , declined bounty on al-jazzar abu al-dhahab (al-jazzar wanted mamluk strongmen of ottoman egypt). however, al-jazzar began acting independently after organizing fortifications of beirut, , emir yusuf appealed sheikh zahir through emir mansur s liaising request russian bombardment of beirut , oust al-jazzar. sheikh zahir , russians acceded emir yusuf s request after large bribe paid them. after four-month siege, al-jazzar withdrew beirut in 1772, , emir yusuf penalized yazbaki allies, sheikhs abd al-salam imad , husayn talhuq compensate bribe paid russians. following year, emir yusuf s brother, emir sayyid-ahmad, took control of qabb ilyas , robbed group of damascene merchants passing through village. emir yusuf subsequently captured qabb ilyas brother, , transferred tax farm beqaa valley governor of damascus, muhammad pasha al-azm.

in 1775, sheikh zahir defeated , killed in ottoman campaign, , al-jazzar installed in sheikh zahir s acre headquarters, , after, appointed governor of sidon. among al-jazzar s principal goals centralize authority in sidon eyalet , assert control on shihabi emirate in mount lebanon. end, succeeded in ousting emir yusuf beirut , removing shihabi tax farm. moreover, al-jazzar took advantage , manipulated divisions among shihab emirs in order break shihabi emirate weaker entities more exploit revenue. in 1778 agreed sell chouf tax farm emir yusuf s brothers, emirs sayyid-ahmad , effendi after latter 2 gained support of jumblatt , nakad clans (emir yusuf s ally sheikh ali jumblatt died year). emir yusuf, thereafter, based himself in ghazir , mobilized support of sunni muslim allies, ra ad , mir ibi clans akkar. al-jazzar restored chouf emir yusuf after paid large bribe, brothers again challenged him 1780. time mobilized support of both jumblatti , yazbaki factions, attempt kill sa ad al-khuri failed, , effendi killed. in addition, emir yusuf paid al-jazzar loan him troops, bribed yazbaki faction defect sayyid-ahmad s forces , once again secured control of shihabi emirate.