Palestine: A Modern History (ص 4)

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عنوان

Palestine: A Modern History (ص 4)

المحتوى

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PALESTINE | 1 SETTING FOR A CONFLICT: 1881-1908
SYRIA
At the same:time of the Russian pogroms of the early 1880s and the
ensuing first Jewish aliya (immigration), Palestine lay wholly within the
Ottomar Empire. On the West of the Jordan, it comprised the independ-
’ ent Mutasarrifiyya (Sanjak) of Jerusalem (Quds-i-Cherif) to the south
and part of the Vilayet of Sham: (Syria) to the north. In 1883, the
‘ Vilayet of Sham was reorganised and the northern part of: Palestine;
namely, the Sanjaks of Acre and Nablus (Balqa‘) were made part of the it
Vilayet of Beirut. i 14
The Sanjak of Jerusalem was independent and directly linked to the
Minister of the Interior in view of its importance to the three major,
monotheistic religions. It, comprised the greater part of the territory of
Palestine and more than three quarters of its population.!
The total number of villages was 672 with an estimated population
of 457,592? (not including the Beduins). The number.of educational
establishments in Palestine amounted to 956 most of which were
i primary and elementary schools.
The overwhelming majority of the population was Sunni Muslim.
Small numbers .of Shi‘a and Druzes existed, while around sixteen per
cent .of the population was Christian, mainly Greek Orthodox, Latin
TRANS-JORDAN and Greek Catholics. Arthur Ruppin put the number of Jews living in
Palestine in 1880 at 25,000.? Both Jews and Christians were free to
practise their religions,and enjoyed a degree of autonomy through the
Millet system.* : .
The majority of the Muslim population was engaged in agriculture
and lived in villages. Apart from the peasants there was a considerable
number of unsettled‘beduins, particularly in the vicinity ‘of Beersheba.
The urban’ populatién, both Muslim and Christian, was engaged in
commerce, the crafts and modest agricultural industries, and -some
people held government posts.
Prior to 1880 almost the entire Jewish population of Palestine lived
iri ‘its “Rour Holy: Cities’: Jerusalem,. Tikterias, Safed and Hebron. A
sizeable proportion of Palestine’s Jewry was supported‘ to aivery large oe
extent. by the challukah system; the organised collection of funds in :
the Diaspora for the support.of thé pious scholars in Palestine. Never-
1 theless, piety was not the sole ‘characteristic occupation of Jews in
¥
MEDITERRANEAN
Pett.
il L |
_ Palestine. As early as 1851,.the British Consul in Jérusalem reported

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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