"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٨‎٢] (٧٣٨/١٦٨)

SYRIA UNDER THE OTTOMAN TURKS 157
generally referred to as Daher or Taher, was early in the
century an Arab chief whose principal village was Safed.
Having seized Tiberias he carried on war with the pashas of
Damascus, just as Tancred had done with their predecessors
in the crusading period. In 1749 he seized ‘Akka from
a subordinate of the pasha of Saida and established himself
in it. He restored somewhat the defences of the city,
attracted a population by his good government, increased his
power by treaties with Arab tribes and with the Metawileh,
and thus became strong enough to wage war with Damascus
on equal terms. When he allied himself with the Egyptian
ruler £ Ali Beg (1770-3), and obtained the help of Russian
ships (1772-3), there was a prospect of his becoming master
of all southern Syria. But the death of ‘Ali Beg (1773) and
the peace between Turkey and Russia (1774) and quarrels
with his own sons resulted in his defeat and death (1775).
His successor in ‘Akka was Ahmed el-Jezzar. He was a
Bosnian by birth, had been a slave of the Egyptian Begs,
and had recently won a military reputation in Syria. Adven
turers flocked to his service, and his pashalik extended till it
included the coast from Beirut to Qaisariyeh, along with
northern Palestine and the Biqa‘. His efforts to gain the
pashalik of Damascus were not permanently successful, but
he was the most powerful ruler in Syria, and by fortifying
‘Akka (from 1786 onwards) made it the strongest town on
the coast. The Ottoman Government would have dispossessed
him more than once if they had been able. \ et when
Napoleon invaded Syria they appointed him at once chief
commander of their forces.
The invasion of Napoleon
Napoleon’s invasion of Syria in 1799 was primarily a defen
sive measure. The French in Egypt were threatened by an
invasion from the sea, where the English fleet under Sir
Sidney Smith was supreme, and overland by a Turkish army
which was reported to be assembling in Syria. Napoleon
resolved to disperse the Turkish forces in Syria and to take