History of Lebanon Under Ottoman Rule - Foreign Intervention in The 19th Century and Changing Economic Conditions

Foreign Intervention in The 19th Century and Changing Economic Conditions

The tensions that burst into the sectarian conflict during the 1860s were set within the context of a fast paced change in the established social order in the region. Under Bashir II, the agricultural economy of the Mount Lebanon region was brought into greater interdependence with the commercial economy of Beirut, altering the structure of feudal obligations and expanding the influence of cash crops. This created increased economic and political ties with France, leading to the French becoming an international patron of sorts to the Maronites of Lebanon. This left the British to side with the Druze to the extent that a counterweight to France could be established in the region and that such tensions would not result in separatism that would threaten the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. The reforms within the Tanzimat also provided a source of increasing disagreement between Maronite and Druze populations. The European powers attempted to make sure the Tanzimat was interpreted as a mandate to protected Christians in the region and grant them great autonomy; while Druze elites interpreted the Tanzimat as restoring their traditional rights to rule the land. Youssef Karam, a Lebanese nationalist played an influential role in Lebanon's independence during this era.