History of Palestine and Israel in Ottoman Times

Palestine and Israel History in Ottoman Times - Palestine
Under the Ottoman Turks (1516-1916), Palestine continued to be linked administratively to Damascus until 1830, when it was placed under Sidon; then under Acre; then once again under Damascus until 1887-88, at which time the administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire were settled for the last time. Palestine was divided into the mutasarrifiyahs of Nablus and Acre, both of which were linked with the vilayet of Beirut, and the autonomous mutasarrifiyah of Jerusalem, which dealt directly with Istanbul. With varying fortunes often accompanied by revolts, massacres, and wars, the first three centuries of Ottoman rule isolated Palestine from and insulated it against most outside influences. The prosperity of 16th-century Ottoman Palestine was followed by an economic and political decline in the 17th century. Ottoman control in the 18th century was indirect. Ï (hir al-ÅUmar (c. 1737-75) dominated the political life of northern Palestine for nearly 40 years. Ahmad al-Jazz(r, the Ottoman governor of Acre, had control of most of Palestine, and in 1799, with English and Ottoman help, he successfully defended Acre against Napoleon.

      Palestine History in Ottoman Times - Turbulent Times
Both Ïhir and al-Jazzar presided over a tightly controlled Palestine, where trade with Europe as well as taxation were growing. They used their new wealth from these sources to gain influence in Istanbul, which allowed them to gain local autonomy and even intermittent control of many areas outside Palestine.

      This period came to an end with Napoleon's abortive attempt (1798-1801) to carve for himself a Middle Eastern empire. Egypt , always a determining factor in the fortunes of Palestine, was placed, after the French withdrawal, under the rule of the viceroy Muhammad (Mehmet) ÅAlY, who soon embarked upon a program of expansion at the expense of his Ottoman overlord. In 1831 his armies occupied Palestine, and for nine years he and his son Ibrahim gave it a centralizing and modernizing administration. Their rule increasingly opened the country to Western influences and enabled Christian missionaries to establish many schools; at the same time, however, taxes were increased, and urban rebellions broke out against the harshness of the regime. When in 1840 the British, the Austrians, and the Russians came to the aid of the Ottomans, the Egyptians were forced to withdraw and Palestine reverted to the Ottoman Empire. Increased European interest, however, led to the establishment of consulates by the powers in Jerusalem and in the ports.

      After 1840 the reforms the sultan promulgated gradually took effect in Palestine. Increased security in the countryside and the Ottoman Land Law of 1858 encouraged the development of private property, agricultural production for the world market, the decline of tribal social organization, growth of the population, and the enrichment of the notable families. As the Ottomans extended the central government's new military, municipal, judicial, and educational systems to Palestine, the country also witnessed a marked increase in foreign settlements and colonies-French, Russian, and German. By far the most important, in spite of their initial numerical insignificance, were the Zionist agricultural settlements, which foreshadowed later Zionist endeavours for the establishment of a Jewish national home and still later a Jewish state in Palestine. The earliest of these settlements was established by Russian Jews in 1882. In 1896 Theodor Herzl issued a pamphlet entitled Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) and advocated an autonomous Jewish state, preferably in Palestine. Two years later, he himself went to Palestine to investigate its possibilities and, possibly, to seek the help of the German emperor William II, who was then making his spectacular pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On the other hand , Turks managed to create a harmony between Jews and Arabs until the end of the first world war.

      Palestine and Israel History in Ottoman Times - Israel
Some of the Jews of Europe, mostly Spanish Jews came to Ottoman lands during the pressures in Europe and Spain in 15th century and Ottomans welcomed Jews .The Jews and Arabs lived in peace and harmony in Ottoman Empire for until the end of First of World War.
Today Israel , officially State of Israel , Hebrew Medinat YisraÆel , country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon , to the northeast by Syria , to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. The total area is 7,992 square miles (20,700 square km) excluding East Jerusalem and other territories occupied in the 1967 war. Jerusalem is the capital and the seat of government.

      Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley

      The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from pre-biblical times. The area was a part of the Roman and, later, Byzantine empires before falling under the control of the fledgling Islamic caliphate in the 7th century CE. Although the object of dispute during the European Crusades the region, then generally known as Palestine, remained under the sway of successive Islamic dynasties until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, when it was placed under British mandate from the League of Nations.