The district of Jerusalem in the eyes of three Ottoman governors at the end of the Hamidian period

Abstract

This is an attempt to describe the views and actions of three Ottoman governors (mutasarrifs) of Jerusalem during the last years of the Hamidian period, Mehmet Tevfik Bey (1897-1901), Ahmet Re~id Bey (1904-6) and Ali Ekrem Bey (1906-8). It is not very common to have first hand information about the activities of individual Ottoman officials derived from their own writings. In this case, however, we are fortunate to have in our possession published memoirs or papers written by three governors who themselves were, almost consecutively, the chief representatives of the Ottoman government in the district for a period of over a decade. From their writings it is possible to learn much, not only about the main problems which Ottoman authorities encountered in Jerusalem and the way they handled them, but also about the workings of the Ottoman administration at the time.' The three governors had a similar background in that they were all born in Istanbul to families of officials, received training in the same profession, were employed for a good number of years at the Mabeyn-i Hiimayun, the palace secretariat, and were appointed to Jerusalem as their first governatorial post. Mehmet Tevfik [Biren] (1867-1956), whose memoirs were published in 1993,2 was the son of a high official in the Ministry of Education. He enrolled in the Mekteb-i Miilkiye, the School of Civil Administration, and after graduating in 1885 was appointed as secretary in the Mabeyn-i Hiimayun. After he left Jerusalem in 1901 he went on to serve as vali in a number of provinces and during the Young Turk period was to hold several administrative, public and teaching positions, rising to become minister of finance in the last Ottoman cabinets after the war. Sent into retirement by the nationalist government in 1922, he took on an academic career as a professor of economics. Ahmet Raaid [Rey] (1870-1956), who published his memoirs in 1946,3 was the son of a provincial governor, graduated from the Mekteb-i Milkiye in 1888, was appointed as secretary in