The reason why I inserted a section for the Chehab Family
in my website is to shed the light over an interesting period in the Lebanese
history that saw the emergence of the modern Lebanon, as we know it. During this
period, the Abou Rjeily Family fostered and multiplied.
Abou Rjeily Family started during the reign of Prince
Murad Abillama. It spread in the abillama feudality in Chouf, Metn and Bekaa.
Abillama was initially a Druze feudal family that always
alleged fealty to the Chehab Emirs who ruled Mount Lebanon.
Most of the historical references on the Lebanese history
omit, probably intentionally, the information I am publishing in this section.
It is important to mention that:
Chehab reign over 150 years (1697-1842) forged the
modern Lebanon as we know it
Bachir 3 was not the descendent of Bachir 2 who was
not the descendant of Bachir 1 neither.
Between the three Bachirs, many Chehab Princes
governed Mount Lebanon. Their successions to the throne were not always
peaceful and smooth.
The Chehab family is initially a Muslim Sunni family
that succeeded to the Druze Maan family in Governing the Druze mountain that
later became Mount Lebanon.
Many Chehab Princes converted to Christians Maronite in the 19th
centuries, including Kasim, the father of Prince Bachir 2, the most
prominent prince of the dynasty.
This research attempts to clarify some ambiguities
related to the reigns of Mount Lebanon Emirs: Maan (معن)
and Shihab (شهاب),
which extended from 1516 to 1842.
The history we learned at schools does not show how
they were related and how a prince succeeded his predecessor. It neither
mentions all the Emirs who effectively governed Mount Lebanon, while only
focusing on Fakhreddine 2 (فخرالدين
الثاني)
and Bashir 2 (بشير
الثاني) reigns that greatly impregnated Mount
Lebanon History.
The research also tries to understand:
·
How the “Druze Mount”
became “Mount Lebanon”
·
The societal transformation that occurred in Mount
Lebanon under the reign of Bashir 2 in the 19th
century: was he Great or a Traitor?
o
The reasons behind the rise of the Christians’ role,
demography and economic/political power in the 18th
and 19th
century.
o
Why many Druze eminent
families converted to Christianity
o
The political and social changes that lead to the
incidents between Druze and Maronite communities in the 19th
century
This research could not elucidate some ambiguities such
as:
1.
The role of Alameddine
Family (علم
الدين) during both Shihab (شهاب)
and Maan (معن)
Reigns. Why did
historians deliberately omitted to mention their contributions and their
ascension to the power, although they effectively governed during decades. Most
of the information we have about the history in 17th,
18th
centuries were written by Haydar/Ahmad/Haydar Shihab (d.1835) and his former
assistant and disciple Tannous Al Shidiaq (طنوس
الشدياق) (d.1861). Haydar must have
intentionally omitted the role of the Alameddine clan in the history of Lebanon
during the Maan and Shihab reigns and between them.
2.
The reason behind
choosing Sunni Emirs to rule the Druze mountain after the degeneration of the
Maan (معن)
dynasty in 1697
This research did not attempt to repeat what is already
known of the Mount Lebanon history: who are the Maans or Shihabs, how they ended
up governing Mount Lebanon and when, etc… It rather tried to clarify what is not
so clear in history: Family trees and relationships, Governance periods and
successions, contribution to the societal transformations, etc…