Jarrar () is a large
Palestinian
Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine.
*: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...
family routed in Palestine since 16th century in the
Jenin
Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...
area during
Ottoman rule in Palestine. During this era, they were the most powerful of the rural families in Palestine's central highlands. Jarrar family participated actively in defending Akka (Acre) against Napoleon's invasion in 1799.
[Doumani, 1995, p]
31
/ref>
History
The Jarrar family migrated to Marj Ibn Amer (Jezreel Valley) in the Lajjun
Lajjun (, ''al-Lajjūn'') was a large Palestine (region), Palestinian Arab village located northwest of Jenin and south of the remains of the biblical city of Tel Megiddo, Megiddo. The Israeli kibbutz of Megiddo, Israel was built 600 metres ...
district from the Balqa region of Transjordan in 1670. They became an economic power and gained control over what would become Sanjak Jenin in the early 19th century.[Doumani, 1995, p]
37
/ref> The area was known for its grain, tobacco and cotton production. It also marked the border between Galilee
Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ).
''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...
and Jabal Nablus
The Nablus Sanjak (; ) was an administrative area that existed throughout Ottoman rule in the Levant (1517–1917). It was administratively part of the Damascus Eyalet until 1864 when it became part of Syria Vilayet and then the Beirut Vilayet ...
, linked the coast to the interior and contained the market town of Jenin. The Jarrars' political power was punctuated by their peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...
militia and their heavily fortified, hilltop throne village of Sanur. Sanur was built by a branch of the Jarrar family, that moved there from nearby Jaba', which was another fortified village of the Jarrars.
In the 18th century, the Jarrar family was at the forefront of various conflicts between the governors of Acre
The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
and the rural clans and urban notables of Jabal Nablus. Acre was a rising power and as its successive governors attempted to expand their zone of influence, they entered into conflict with the Jarrar family because of the proximity of Marj Ibn Amer to Acre. The first serious battle occurred in 1735 with Sheikh over control over Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
, a principal center of trade in the interior between Jabal Nablus and the Levant
The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
ine regions north of it. The town had for decades paid taxes to the Jarrar family, but Zahir al-Umar attempted to covet it. His forces defeated the Jarrar family and the latter's leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Jarrar, was slain.
As the Nablus
Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...
-based Tuqan family
The Tuqan clan (; also variously romanized as ''Toukan'', ''Touqan'', ''Tukan'', and ''Tokan'') is a prominent Palestinian people, Palestinian and Jordanian people, Jordanian political and business family. During the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman era, t ...
expanded its control over parts of the city's rural hinterland, primarily through their seizure of the Bani Sa'b subdistrict from the Jayyusi family in 1766, the Jarrars attempted to halt the process of urban control over the hinterland. To pressure the Tuqans, they allowed Zahir al-Umar to pass through their territory without resistance and besiege Nablus in 1771 and 1773. The circumstances of these events placed the Tuqans and the Nimr family as the defenders of Ottoman sovereignty and the Jarrars as the backers of rebels, namely Zahir al-Umar and the resurgent Mamluks of Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
under Ali Bey Al-Kabir
Ali Bey al-Kabir (, Georgian: ალი ბეი ალ-ქაბირი; 1728 – 8 May 1773) was a Mamluk (cartveli, გალელი ბიჭი)
leader in Egypt. Nicknamed Jinn Ali ("Ali the Devil") and Bulut Kapan ("Cloud-Catcher") ...
.[Doumani, 1995, pp]
43
4
Following Zahir al-Umar's death, Jezzar Pasha succeeded him as governor and unlike his predecessor, he developed close relations with the Ottoman government, eventually being entrusted with the governorship of Sidon Province and Damascus Province. He also cultivated close ties with the Tuqans. The Jarrars meanwhile resisted Jezzar's efforts to centralize control over Palestine. As a result, their fortress at Sanur was twice besieged by Jezzar's troops in 1790 and 1795, both ending unsuccessfully for Jezzar.
Between 1817 and 1823, a civil war occurred in the Jabal Nablus region, with the Jarrars and the Qasim family of the Jamma'in subdistrict leading the front against the Tuqan family, which had the support of the Ottoman government. The Tuqans hired outside mercenaries to aid them, stationing them in the village of Junayd, just west of Nablus. This move by the Tuqans fostered further resentment against them by the inhabitants of the area and helped the Jarrars in their war efforts. They defeated the Tuqans and the latter's leader Musa Bey Tuqan was killed by poison on 20 November 1823.
In 1830, the Jarrars refused to submit to Governor Abdullah Pasha of Acre's authority after he was apportioned the Jabal Nablus district. Consequently, Abdullah Pasha, with reinforcements from Emir Chehab of Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round.
Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...
, besieged the Jarrars' throne village of Sanur, storming it four months later. The Jarrars' fortress was destroyed and their influence took a heavy blow. A year later, forces dispatched by rebel leader Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
of Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
conquered the Levant
The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
and ended Abdullah Pasha's reign. Ali's son Ibrahim Pasha was appointed governor of the Levant. He favored the Abd al-Hadi family based in Arraba as a counterweight to the Jarrars. They subsequently replaced the Jarrars as the leaders of the Sha'rawiyah subdistrict.
The influence of the Jarrar family was significantly reduced by the mid-19th century. In 1848, the Jarrar family split into two separate factions. One of these factions aligned with the family's former rivals, the Tuqans, to aid the Ottoman authorities in crushing the Abd al-Hadi family's power in Jabal Nablus. They participated in the assault on the Abd al-Hadi's throne village of Arraba, looting it and destroying the village's defenses and the Abd al-Hadi family's fortified houses.
Part of the family moved to the port city of Haifa
Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
in the 1870s. There they established trade relationships with foreign merchants and began an export company. Having been members of the elite in Jenin, their entry into Haifa's upper class was relatively easy. The main family member in Haifa was Tawfiq al-Jarrar, who was known as ''Salil al-Akabir'' (Son of the Great). In 1892, he served as the head of Haifa's trade and agriculture offices, being re-elected in 1900. At that time, he also was a member of Haifa's municipal council, the board of education and the transportation committee. Two years later, he was president of Agricultural Bank's Haifa branch.[Yazbak, 1998, pp]
150
151.
Modern descendants
* Hadem Rida Jarrar, Palestinian politician
* Khalida Jarrar, Palestinian activist and legislator
* Raed Jarrar
Raed Jarrar () is an Arab- American architect, blogger, and political advocate based in the U.S. Capital Washington, DC.
Life
Jarrar was born in Iraq, and raised in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He is half Iraqi and half Palestinian.
He holds a ...
, Palestinian-Iraqi architect
* Randa Jarrar, Palestinian-American novelist
* Samer Jarrar, Palestinian CPA
* Hakam Jarrar, Palestinian Structural Engineer
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
{{refend
External links
Germany:Preserving Palestine's cultural and historical heritage – Al Jarrar Castle
Arabic-language surnames
Palestinian families
Arab people from Ottoman Palestine
Arab people in Mandatory Palestine