Al-Azm family ( , ) is a prominent

Damascene Damascene may refer to: * Topics directly associated with the city of Damascus in Syria: ** A native or inhabitant of Damascus ** Damascus Arabic, the local dialect of Damascus ** Damascus steel, developed for swordmaking ** "Damascene moment", the ...

family. Their political influence in

Ottoman Syria Ottoman Syria () is a historiographical term used to describe the group of divisions of the Ottoman Empire within the region of the Levant, usually defined as being east of the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Euphrates River, north of the Ara ...

began in the 18th century when members of the family administered

Maarrat al-Nu'man Maarat al-Numan (), also known as al-Ma'arra, is a city in northwestern Syria, south of Idlib and north of Hama, with a population of about 58,008 before the Civil War (2004 census). In 2017, it was estimated to have a population of 80,000, inc ...

and

Hama Hama ( ', ) is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located north of Damascus and north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 996,000 (2023 census), Hama is one o ...

. A scion of the family, Ismail Pasha al-Azm, was appointed ''

wāli ''Wāli'', ''Wā'lī'' or ''vali'' (from ''Wālī'') is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim world (including the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates and the Ottoman Empire) to designate governors of administrative divis ...

'' of

Damascus Eyalet Damascus Eyalet (; ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its reported area in the 19th century was . It became an eyalet after the Ottomans took it from the Mamluks following the 1516–1517 Ottoman–Mamluk War. By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan ...

in 1725. Between 1725 and 1783, members of the family, including As'ad Pasha al-Azm, held power in Damascus for 47 years, in addition to periodical appointments in

Sidon Eyalet The Eyalet of Sidon (; ) was an eyalet (also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, the eyalet extended from the border with Egypt to the Bay of Kisrawan, including parts of modern Israel and Lebanon. Depending ...

Tripoli Eyalet Tripoli Eyalet (; ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. The capital was in Tripoli, Lebanon. Its reported area in the 19th century was . It extended along the coast, from the southern limits of the Amanus mountains in the north, to the gorge o ...

Aleppo Eyalet Aleppo Eyalet (; ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. After the Ottoman conquest it was governed from Damascus, but by 1534 Aleppo was made the capital of a new eyalet. By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters Its reported area in the 19th centur ...

, and

Egypt Eyalet Ottoman Egypt was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–1517), conquest of Mamluk Egypt by the Ottomans in 1517. The Ottomans administered Egypt as a Eyalet, province (''eyalet'') of their empir ...

. The family's influence declined in the 19th century, failing to establish a true dynasty.

Origins

The origins of the Azm family are relatively obscure and evidence has been described as "contradictory and generally unsatisfactory."Douwes, 2000, p. 45. One of the most prominent families in Ottoman Syria, the Al-Azm's may have originated from the region of

Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

; hence, their roots in Turkey may shed light on recruitment and career patterns of the family members who held high positions as Ottoman officers in the Syrian provinces. The Al-Azm's began to emerge as a major influence in the region when Ibrahim al-'Azm, "a rural notable possibly of Turkish stock", went to

Ma'arrat al-Nu'man Maarat al-Numan (), also known as al-Ma'arra, is a city in northwestern Syria, south of Idlib and north of Hama, with a population of about 58,008 before the Civil War (2004 census). In 2017, it was estimated to have a population of 80,000, inc ...

to restore order in the mid-seventeenth century. Upon his death, Ibrahim al-'Azm's sons, Ismail Pasha al-Azm and

Sulayman Pasha al-Azm Sulayman Pasha al-Azm (; ; died August 1743) was the governor of Sidon Eyalet (1727–33), Damascus Eyalet (1733–38, 1741–43), and Egypt Eyalet (1739–40) under the Ottoman Empire. He belonged to the prominent Al-Azm family and was the un ...

, completed their father's task and were rewarded by the Ottoman administration with hereditary tax farms in

Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...

and Ma'arrat al-Nu'man. In an article written by a member of the family, Professor Sadiq Jalal al-Azm, the introductory author, Jean-Pierre Rondas, describes Al-Azm as: In addition to the Turkish origin theory, an Arab origin is believed to be possible. In particular, the Azm family is believed to be part of "the Banu Azm tribe of the northern Hijaz, hoserved the Ottomans in the sixteenth century by protecting the Damascus-Medina caravan route, and later migrated to Anatolia, then to Ma'arra." In fact, However, "there is no proof that the Azms themselves claimed to be of bedouin origin". The controversy can be understood in light of statements made by Dr. Shimon Shamir and Dr. Abdul Karim Rafeq. Dr. Shimon Shamir states that "although none of the views is supported by definite proofs, the latter hat is, the Beduin theoryseems to be more acceptable. In the realities of Syria in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it is more likely that a Beduin family in the Ottoman service should become partly turkicized and live for a while in Anatolia than that a Turkish family should seek to derive prestige by falsely attributing its origins to a Beduin tribe." On the other hand, Dr Abdul Karim Rafeq "opts for the local-origin theory without committing himself to the beduin part." In response to primary sources stating "that Sadeddin asha al-Azmwas "un autre pacha arabe de nation"; and that Mehmed asha al-Azmwas of an Arab family... ndthat the 'Azms were "Arabs" (awlad al-'Arab) from the Arab lands (al-bilad al-'Arabiyya)," Dr Rafeq advocates for treating these statements with great caution, especially the epithet "Arab", which he takes to mean "local" as opposed to Ottoman. Finally, it is important to note that there is evidence that "Sulayman Pasha al-Azm knew not a word of

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

whereas Mehmed was apparently thoroughly Arabized".

Rise to power

Ismail Pasha, who later became

(governor) of Tripoli, was transferred to Damascus in 1725 at the request of the

mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...

, after fighting between different factions of

janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

prevented the

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

caravan from departing on time. His brother became the wali of Tripoli, and his son became the wali of Sidon. In 1730 when Sultam

Ahmed III Ahmed III (, ''Aḥmed-i sālis''; was sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, ...

was deposed they were all dismissed, but not for long.

, brother of Ismail Pasha, became wali of Damascus between 1733 and 1738 and again from 1741 until his death in 1743. He was succeeded by his nephew As'ad Pasha al-Azm who reigned between 1743 and 1757, and was considered the greatest governor of Damascus in Ottoman times. As'ad Pasha overcame all his local adversaries after three years struggle. In his reign Hama and

were added to the province of Damascus. Despite As'ad Pasha's ability to ensure the security of the pilgrim caravan, the new Ottoman authorities in Istanbul deposed him in 1757 after fourteen years of governance. The

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

at the time, Raghib Pasha, denounced him as a, "peasant son of a peasant," after a deal between the two of them failed. In addition, the Kizlar Agha of Istanbul disliked al-Azm for apparently not taking good care of him when he passed through Damascus on the pilgrim caravan. The Ottoman state was also interested in confiscating the wealth al-Azm accumulated during his tenure in office. The large amounts of money collected made the state revalue its currency.Choueiri, 2005, p.232. He was transferred to

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

and later dismissed and executed. This marked the end of the family's golden age. It continued to assert some influence, and many of its members served as walis later, but its great days were over.Singh, 2000, p.162. The last member of the family to govern Damascus was Abdullah Pasha al-Azm who served intermittently between 1795 and 1807.

Maintaining the family name

In the mid-18th century the al-Azm family reconciled itself to power centres outside the family. Consequently, two members of its family, Layla bint al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Azm and Khadija bint Nasuh Pasha, were married to Turkish

mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...

s in the family's service to retain the Azm family name. The lineage descending from Layla indicates that this branch of the family were concentrated around Hama, and many held government posts there.

Legacy

Al-Azm's era brought a building boom to Damascus where dozens of baths, khans, schools and souqs were built, many of which still remain today. Most famous of them are the

Azm Palace Al-Azm Palace ( ) is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built in 1749 to be the private residence for As'ad Pasha al-Azm, the governor of Damascus; during ...

in Damascus, and the

in Hama, both of which were built by As'ad Pasha al-Azm as palatial residences.

Different translation of surname

Last names were not used during the Ottoman era. Family members were using the name Azmzade in the nineteenth century, in reference to the Azm clan with the zade being an addition indicating nobility. The Latin inscription of the name translated from Arabic script has evolved over time and is now written in different ways. Some family members have the family name Azme, Aladem, Alazm, Aladam, Alzm or some other surnames, although they all belong to the same family. In addition, some members of the family that remained in Turkey have a variety of different last names which were selected following the promulgation of a 1934 law which made last names mandatory and banned the use to references of nobility. It is not clear whether some use the surname Kemikoğlu, literally meaning "the son the bone".

Members of the family

* Ismail Pasha al-Azm, Ottoman governor of Hama, Homs, Tripoli and Damascus *

, Ottoman governor of Tripoli, Sidon and Damascus, Ismail Pasha's brother * As'ad Pasha al-Azm, Ottoman governor of Hama and Damascus, Ismail Pasha's son * Sa'deddin Pasha al-Azm, Ottoman governor of Aleppo and Egypt (among others), Ismail Pasha's son * Muhammad Pasha al-Azm, Ottoman governor of Sidon and Damascus, As'ad Pasha's son * Abdullah Pasha al-Azm, Ottoman governor of Damascus, Muhammad Pasha's son * Azmzade Sadik Al Mouayad, Ottoman governor of Jeddah, Imperial Commissaire in Bulgaria, Salih Azdashir Bey's son * Yusuf Al-Azm, former minister of war in the Arab Kingdom of Syria. * Haqqi al-Azm, former prime minister of Syria * Rafiq al-Azm, editor and politician * Khalid al-Azm, six-time former prime minister of Syria * Sadiq Jalal al-Azm, Professor Emeritus of Modern European Philosophy at the University of Damascus

Buildings named after the family

* Khan Sulayman Pasha * Khan As'ad Pasha *

, in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Azm Palace (Hama) The Azm Palace (, ''Bayt al-ʿAẓm'') is an 18th-century Ottoman-era palace in Hama, Syria at the center of the city on the banks of the Orontes River, about south of the Hama Citadel.Beatti (1996), p. 318. Ross Burns, author of ''Monuments of ...

, in

Books published by family members

*Azmzade Sadik El Mueyyed, Habes Seyahatnamesi he Abyssinia Book of Travels Istanbul, 1904 translated to English by G. Gokkent and family 2021 https://www.amazon.com/Ethiopia-Book-Travels-Giyas-Gokkent/dp/1737129892 *Azmzade Sadik El Mueyyed, Bir Osmanli Zabitinin Afrika Sahra-i Kebirinde Seyahati n Ottoman Officer's Journey in the Grand Sahara of Africa Istanbul, 1897 translated to English by G. Gokkent 2021 https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Grand-Sahara-Africa-Through/dp/1737129884/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1630652339&refinements=p_27%3AGiyas+M+Gokkent&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Giyas+M+Gokkent

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Azm, al- Arabic-language surnames Syrian families History of Damascus Syrian people of Turkish descent Political families of Syria