Husayn Pasha

Ḥusayn Pasha ibn Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Riḍwān ibn Muṣṭafā ibn ʿAbd al-Muʿīn Pasha (died 1662 or 1663) was the Ottoman governor of Gaza Sanjak, a district which extended from Jaffa and Ramla in the north to Bayt Jibrin in the southeast and Rafah in the south, with Gaza as its capital. Husayn belonged to the Ridwan family, who long held the governorship of Gaza. Husayn Pasha became governor in 1644 after succeeding his father 'Arab Hasan Pasha. He served, with a brief interruption by his son Ibrahim in 1660, until his imprisonment in 1662. Husayn Pasha also served intermittent terms as governor of Nablus and Jerusalem and as amir al-hajj (commander of the Hajj caravan). Gaza prospered under Husayn Pasha and its political importance rose so much so that the French consul considered it to be the virtual capital of Palestine. Husayn Pasha maintained friendly relations with the Bedouin tribes of the region, local Christian communities and the French. In 1662, Husayn Pasha was imprisoned by the Ottoman imperial authorities and executed in Damascus later that year or in Constantinople in 1663.

Biography In the mid-17th century Husayn Pasha served as governor of Jerusalem and Nablus. From 1524, his family, the Ridwan dynasty, had administered much of Palestine and parts of the Lebanon and Syria on behalf of their Ottoman superiors based in Constantinople and Damascus. Husayn Pasha was also appointed amir al-hajj (commander of the Hajj caravan). This position entrusted him with provisioning and protecting the annual Hajj pilgrim caravan from Bedouin raids while the pilgrims traversed the desert route to Mecca in the Hejaz.

To restore Gaza's failing commerce sector, Husayn Pasha obtained a large loan from the French consul in Jerusalem, Chevalier d'Arvieux. When pressed to pay in 1659, Husayn made strenuous efforts to produce the funds and promptly paid back d'Arvieux in a meeting in the town of Ramla. D'Arvieux then proceeded to lavish fine robes and cloth to show his gratitude to Husayn Pasha.

Husayn Pasha maintained a positive reputation among the Bedouin tribes who largely dominated the desert areas surrounding Gaza. This relationship resulted in a drastic fall in the previously routine armed conflict between the nomadic Bedouin and the settled population of Gaza and the nearby towns. The Bedouin tribal chiefs reportedly visited his court in Gaza to pay their respects. According to historian Martin Abraham Meyer, Husayn's influence over the Bedouin was "marked" and they ended their plundering campaigns against the city, allowing its economy to grow unhindered. and according to Meyer "all things prospered under his rule." Mourning Husayn Pasha's death, the Damascene poet Abd as-Samman al-Dimashqi wrote: "He committed no crime, but these are days of envy's rule. Chained inside a dungeon cell, they feared him as one would fear a sword in its scabbard."

Husayn Pasha was succeeded by his brother Musa Pasha.

Personal life

Traits While Muhibbi describes Arab Hasan Pasha as a reckless "spendthrift and hedonist", Husayn Pasha was described as a "paragon of perfection". His son Ibrahim was killed in combat in 1661. Husayn Pasha had 85 siblings, most notable among them was Husayn's successor, Musa Pasha.

According to historian Theodore Dowling, Husayn's serai, today known as Qasr al-Basha, was lavishly furnished and stood in the middle of a garden. One of the servant families were the Frangi who were of Greek Catholic origin, but converted to Islam. Assalan Frangi was Husayn Pasha's secretary.