The View from Istanbul: Lebanon and the Druze Emirate in the Ottoman Chancery Documents, 1546-1711

Abstract

The period of the Druze Emirate is the cornerstone of the founding myth of Lebanese Nationalism. It was the first political entity that covered a large part of the present day republic. Yet little is known about its reality. Professor Abu-Hasayn makes available to us primary documents that shed light on this important period of Lebanese History. It is also the first major translation of Ottoman Chancery documents on any subject. .$ The history of Ottoman Lebanon in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has, until now, received only the most limited attention. What work has been done has been based upon limited local and European literature. As the first work to make detailed studies and extensive use of Ottoman chancery documents, The View From Istanbul serves to fill many lacunae in the historical record. How did the Ottomans run their empire? How did they view Lebanon? What were their prime concerns in the region? Each section is prefaced by a short introduction that places the documents in historical context and analyses their content and scope. The View From Istanbul is an indispensable reference work that will remain a standard in the field. --Book jacket.