Pictured: Ohannes Pasha Kouyoumdjian ![]()
Mavi Boncuk |
Ohannes Pasha (1912–1915)
Ohannes, the son of Bedros Kuyumcuyan, was born in Istanbul in 1852. He was an Armenian Catholic. The name of the family suggests that at one point its members were jewelers; they were certainly wealthy. Ohannes' father, Bedros, was himself a career bureaucrat and a protégé of the powerful Âli Pasha (d. 1871). As indicated above, Bedros emerged as a strong candidate for the governorship of Mount Lebanon on at least two occasions, partly because he was married to a Maronite, the niece of the manager of the Church's legation in Istanbul. Bedros served as director of Forests ad Mines and then as a member of the State Council.
Ohannes chose a career in the Foreign Ministry. He served as a counselor in the Ottoman Embassy in Rome. At the time of his appointment to Mount Lebanon, he was a counselor in the Foreign Ministry in Istanbul. He was nominated along with several other candidates, who included a senior inspector in the Ministry of Postage and Telegraph and a senior counselor in the Revenue Department. The choice fell on Ohannes. According to the protocol of 23 December 1912 and the imperial decree of the same date (13 M 1331), he was promoted to the rank of vizier and appointed to Mount Lebanon for a term of five years. He resigned in June 1915 because he did not want to work with Cemal Pasha, the military governor of the region during the First World War. Upon his return to Istanbul, Ohannes was appointed to the Senate. Later, he emigrated to Rome and died there. He had several children.
The Governors of Mount Lebanon, 1861–1918 [1]
1. Davud Pasha (1861–1868)
2. Franko Pasha (1868–1873)
3. Rüstem Pasha (1873–1883)
4. Vasa Pasha (1883–1892)
5. Naum Pasha (1892–1902)
6. Muzaffer Pasha (1902–1907)
7. Yusuf Pasha (1907–1912)
8. Ohannes Pasha (1912–1915)
The Last Governors (1915–1918)
On 11 July 1915, the Ottoman government formally abrogated the protocols. Thereafter the Interior Ministry appointed the governors of Mount Lebanon. Ali Münif Bey served from 25 September 1915 to 15 May 1916. He was then appointed governor of Beirut. Isma'il Haqqi (or Ismail Hakki Bey) replaced him in Mount Lebanon. It was Isma'il Haqqi who oversaw the publication of, and contributed to, the valuable compilation of studies on Lebanon, Lubnân: mabâhith 'ilmiyya wa ijtimâ'iyya . Indeed, by all accounts, both of these governors were capable and experienced administrators, but they had little power vis-à-vis the military authorities.
In the final months of the war, Isma'il Haqqi replaced Ali Münif in Beirut, and a Mümtaz Bey was sent to govern Mount Lebanon (15 Aug.–30 Sept. 1918). All he could do was abandon his position as soon as the news of the Ottoman defeat and retreat reached the Mountain.Source:
The Long PeaceOttoman Lebanon, 1861–1920 Engin Deniz Akarli UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
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[1] The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (Arabic: متصرفية جبل لبنان; Turkish: Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı) was one of the Ottoman Empire's subdivisions following the Tanzimat reform. After 1861 there existed an autonomous Mount Lebanon with a Christian mutasarrıf, which had been created as a homeland for the Maronites under European diplomatic pressure following the 1860 massacres.
On May 22, 1860, a small group of Maronites fired on a group of Druze at the entrance to Beirut[citation needed], killing one and wounding two. This sparked a torrent of violence which swept through Lebanon. In a mere three days, from May 29 to 31, 60 villages were destroyed in the vicinity of Beirut. 33 Christians and 48 Druze were killed. By June the disturbances had spread to the “mixed” neighborhoods of southern Lebanon and the Anti Lebanon, to Sidon, Hasbaya, Rashaya, Deir el Qamar, and Zahlé. The Druze peasants laid siege to Catholic monasteries and missions, burnt them, and killed the monks. France intervened on behalf of the local Christian population and Britain on behalf of the Druze after the massacres, in which over 10,000 Christians were killed.
Mavi Boncuk |
Ohannes Pasha (1912–1915)
Ohannes, the son of Bedros Kuyumcuyan, was born in Istanbul in 1852. He was an Armenian Catholic. The name of the family suggests that at one point its members were jewelers; they were certainly wealthy. Ohannes' father, Bedros, was himself a career bureaucrat and a protégé of the powerful Âli Pasha (d. 1871). As indicated above, Bedros emerged as a strong candidate for the governorship of Mount Lebanon on at least two occasions, partly because he was married to a Maronite, the niece of the manager of the Church's legation in Istanbul. Bedros served as director of Forests ad Mines and then as a member of the State Council.
Ohannes chose a career in the Foreign Ministry. He served as a counselor in the Ottoman Embassy in Rome. At the time of his appointment to Mount Lebanon, he was a counselor in the Foreign Ministry in Istanbul. He was nominated along with several other candidates, who included a senior inspector in the Ministry of Postage and Telegraph and a senior counselor in the Revenue Department. The choice fell on Ohannes. According to the protocol of 23 December 1912 and the imperial decree of the same date (13 M 1331), he was promoted to the rank of vizier and appointed to Mount Lebanon for a term of five years. He resigned in June 1915 because he did not want to work with Cemal Pasha, the military governor of the region during the First World War. Upon his return to Istanbul, Ohannes was appointed to the Senate. Later, he emigrated to Rome and died there. He had several children.
The Governors of Mount Lebanon, 1861–1918 [1]
1. Davud Pasha (1861–1868)
2. Franko Pasha (1868–1873)
3. Rüstem Pasha (1873–1883)
4. Vasa Pasha (1883–1892)
5. Naum Pasha (1892–1902)
6. Muzaffer Pasha (1902–1907)
7. Yusuf Pasha (1907–1912)
8. Ohannes Pasha (1912–1915)
The Last Governors (1915–1918)
On 11 July 1915, the Ottoman government formally abrogated the protocols. Thereafter the Interior Ministry appointed the governors of Mount Lebanon. Ali Münif Bey served from 25 September 1915 to 15 May 1916. He was then appointed governor of Beirut. Isma'il Haqqi (or Ismail Hakki Bey) replaced him in Mount Lebanon. It was Isma'il Haqqi who oversaw the publication of, and contributed to, the valuable compilation of studies on Lebanon, Lubnân: mabâhith 'ilmiyya wa ijtimâ'iyya . Indeed, by all accounts, both of these governors were capable and experienced administrators, but they had little power vis-à-vis the military authorities.
In the final months of the war, Isma'il Haqqi replaced Ali Münif in Beirut, and a Mümtaz Bey was sent to govern Mount Lebanon (15 Aug.–30 Sept. 1918). All he could do was abandon his position as soon as the news of the Ottoman defeat and retreat reached the Mountain.Source:
The Long PeaceOttoman Lebanon, 1861–1920 Engin Deniz Akarli UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
[1] The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (Arabic: متصرفية جبل لبنان; Turkish: Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı) was one of the Ottoman Empire's subdivisions following the Tanzimat reform. After 1861 there existed an autonomous Mount Lebanon with a Christian mutasarrıf, which had been created as a homeland for the Maronites under European diplomatic pressure following the 1860 massacres. On May 22, 1860, a small group of Maronites fired on a group of Druze at the entrance to Beirut[citation needed], killing one and wounding two. This sparked a torrent of violence which swept through Lebanon. In a mere three days, from May 29 to 31, 60 villages were destroyed in the vicinity of Beirut. 33 Christians and 48 Druze were killed. By June the disturbances had spread to the “mixed” neighborhoods of southern Lebanon and the Anti Lebanon, to Sidon, Hasbaya, Rashaya, Deir el Qamar, and Zahlé. The Druze peasants laid siege to Catholic monasteries and missions, burnt them, and killed the monks. France intervened on behalf of the local Christian population and Britain on behalf of the Druze after the massacres, in which over 10,000 Christians were killed.