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Battle of Ain Dara

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The Battle of Ain Darra took place in the the city of Dar'a in 1711. It was between the Kaysi and the Yemeni Druze with the Kaysis victorious.

Background

Traditionally their there been two branches of Druze living in the Jabal Amel region. The Yemeni Druze were headed by the Hamdan and Al-Atrash families and the Kaysi Druze were headed by the Jumblatt and Arslan families. They continued 1,100 years of Yemeni vs Kaysi wars that were also fought in Tunisia, Sicily and Spain.

The most triumphant Kaysi victory occurred during this battle. In 1711, they launched a surprise attack on the Yemeni Druze who were waiting for reinforcement from the Wali of Damascus. They were able to diminish the Yemeni Druze power in Lebanon and force them to settle Jabal ad-Duruz in the Hauran region of Syria.

Effects on the future of Lebanon

Lebanon until that time was still a feudal region ruled by families that controlled tribes and maintained a power balance. After the defeat of the Yemeni Druze and their banishment to Jabal ad-Duruz they became more dependent on the Ottoman Empire for support. In the other hand, the Kaysi Druze depended heavily on their strategic alliance with the Maronite Christians to fight for the Kaysi cause.

The Fall of the Ottomans

The Yemeni Druze ended up losing their power in the region with the Young Turks revolt and World War I, paving the way for the creation of the concept of the Greater Lebanon and the complete influence of the Kaysi Druze among the Druze community in Lebanon.

Sources

  • Almaqhafi, Awwad: Qabayl Wa Biton Al-Arab
  • Almsaodi, Abdulaziz: Tarikh Qabayl Al-Arab
Look up battle of ain dara in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Sources

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