In The Year 1789, Ibrahim Was Nominated To The Pashalik
Of Damascus.
Sherif Pasha, a man of ordinary capacity, being sent to
Aleppo, the Janissaries soon usurped the powers of government.
At the time of the French invasion of Egypt, the intrigues of Djezzar
Pasha of Akka drove Ibrahim from his post at Damascus, and he was
obliged to follow the Grand Vizir’s army into Egypt. When after the
campaign of Egypt the Grand Vizir with the remains of his army, was
approaching Aleppo upon his return to Constantinople, Ibrahim conceived
hopes of regaining his lost seat at Aleppo. Through the means of his son
Mohammed Beg, then Mobassei, the Janissaries were persuaded that the
Vizir had evil intentions against them, forged letters were produced to
that effect, and the whole body of Janissaries left the town before the
Vizir’s arrival in its neighbourhood. Their flight gave Ibrahim the
sought for opportunity to represent the fugitives to the Vizir as rebels
afraid to meet their master’s presence; they were shortly afterwards, by
a Firmahn from the Porte, formally proscribed as rebels, and the killing
of any of them who should enter the territory of Aleppo was declared
lawful. They had retired to Damascus, Latikia, Tripoli, and the
mountains of the Druses, and they spared no money to get the edict of
their exile rescinded. After a tedious bargain for the price of their
pardon, they succeeded at last in obtaining it, on condition of paying
one hundred thousand piastres into the Sultan’s treasury.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 835 of 870
Words from 226963 to 227219
of 236498
