| Battle of Majdel Anjar | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Principality of Lebanon , Grand Duchy of Tuscany | Ottoman Empire , Ottoman Syria | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 10000 Lebanese 2000 Tuscanies |
45000 Ottomans | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 1200 - 1800 | 6000 - 6500 | ||||||||
Contents |
In 1608 Fakhr-al-Din forged an alliance with the Italian Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The alliance contained both a public economic section and a secret military one.
Fakhr-al-Din's popularity alarmed the Ottomans who authorized Hafiz Ahmed Pasha, Muhafiz of Damascus, to mount an attack on Lebanon in 1613 to reduce Fakhr-al-Din's growing power.
Faced with Hafiz's army of 50,000 men, Fakhr-al-Din chose exile in Tuscany, leaving affairs in the hands of his brother Emir Yunis and his son Emir Ali Beg. Fakhr-al-Din's exile did not prompt the Lebanese army to surrender to Hafiz Ahmed Pasha's army. They maintained their positions while the military operations raged until Prince Yunus managed through negotiations and persuasion to bring an end to the killings, securing the retreat of the Ottoman army.
In 1618, political changes in the Ottoman sultanate had resulted in the removal of many of Fakhr-al-Din's enemies from power, signaling the prince's triumphant return to Lebanon soon after, upon which he was able quickly to reunite all the lands of Lebanon beyond the boundaries of its mountains; and having revenge from Emir Yusuf Pasha ibn Siyfa, attacking his stronghold in Akkar, destroying his palaces and taking control of his lands, and regaining the territories he had to give up in 1613 in Sidon, Tripoli, Bekaa among others.
The Ottomans seemed uncomfortable with the prince's increasing powers and extended relations with Europe. The promise they had made to the Medici family, regarding the Prince of Lebanon, was ignored. In 1632, Mustafa Pasha was named Muhafiz of Damascus, being a rival of Fakhr-al-Din and a friend of Sultan Murad IV, who ordered him to attack Lebanon and depose Fakhr-al-Din.
The Lebanese major victory came on October 31, 1622 against the Ottoman army of the Pasha of Damascus in the Battle of Majdel Anjar.although the Turks Outnumbered by the Lebanese soldiers, Fakher el-Din was nevertheless victorious and was able to capture the Pasha of Damascus for himself, and forced the Ottoman army to retreat back to Egypt and northern Syria until they were able to take over back the control in 1633 in Palestine, and 1634 in Syria and Jordan.