Mardam Bey Family

Mardam Bey’s family are the descendents of Abd Al Rahman Ben Mouhamad Ben Moustafa Bey Al Kourmoshi whose ancestor is the famous minister Lala Moustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and the leader of the conquest of Cyprus Island. This family is considered one of the most honorable and glorious families in Damascus. Furthermore, the family members were known to be the elite of the society and didn't meddle in other people's lives. They were peaceful in contrast to other prominent families in Damascus. Al Bodari illustrates in his daily events. He said that there were no documentations or texts that mentioned any feuds with the Mardams. While there were many families ( in the middle of the 20th century) oppressing the rights of the poor and forcing them to work for a little amount of money, the Mardams treated people from different socio-economic status with respect.

The family was known as Bani (Sons) Al Kormoshi and Bani Mardam Bey . Therefore, most of the ancestors had two signatures: Al Kormoshi and Mardam Bey. With the passage of time, Mardam Bey became the family name and the other one is forgotten.

Let’s talk now about the reasons for that name. The ancestor Lala Moustafa Pasha was one of the best men for Sultan Salim Althani (the second). He was the one who brought him up and taught him the arts of war. Furthermore, when Sultan Salim Al Thani directed Lala Pasha to conquer Cyprus Island, which was one of the most powerful islands at that time, he said while embracing him (Mardam). The word Mard means in the Persian language the courageous or something like that and the letter (M) was added to it later. Then he named him the courageous as if the name is pertained to him.In the old sources, the family name was (Mardan Bey), and it was mentioned in a letter sent from his highness Prince Shakeeb Arselan to Khalil bin Ahmad Mukhtar Mardam Bey saying: I still stress that (Mardam) is (Mardan) and I have two evidences for that: “When I was in Berlin, I read in one of the historical books about the descent of Bani Shehab. The book mentioned that Prince Najem Aldin, the son of Prince Mouhamad Bin Kasem Bin Mansoor Bin Kasem married Zada Bent Mardan Bey”. Then he said to Khalil that he transcribed this sentence just for him. Then the prince Shakib Arslan continued addressing Khalil Mardam Bey: “I also read in the magazines that Ali Mardan Bey Tobaji Bashi is the president of the Islamic Republic. So stress on the letter (n) as we can replace the letter (M) by it.

The above brief description of the Mardam Bey family between the papers of Ebrahim Al Khalil Ben Ahmad Bey Mardam Bey . They hand written in red which indicates that the document contains important information.

It was also mentioned in the book (Montakhabat Altawareekh for Damascus) by Mouhamad Adeeb Aal Taki Aldin Al Hosni – chapter two – a publication of Dar AlAfak Aljadida – Beirut – the seventh part – page 891:

Mardam Bey’s family was one of the old families in Damascus that known for its glory, they are the descendants of Lala Moustfa Pasha, the owner of Entailments (Awkaf) and several famous estates in Palestine and Damascus. He begot Yohia Bey who begot Moustafa Bey who begot Abd Al Rahmman Bey the ancestor of Mardam Bey’s family members that are currently living in Damascus. Abd Al Rahman Al Qurmshi begot Mouhamad Bey, Abd Allah Bey, Saed Aldin Bey and Moustafa Bey. It is difficult to mention the names of all family members so let’s only mention the famous ones. Mohamad Bey begot two famous sons, one of them was Ali Bey who was one of Damascus notables, a member in its great council and also he had a scientific degree which was rare back in his days. He died in 1887 and begot the famous Hekmat Pasha who was a notable politician in Damascus. He died in 1905. Hekmat Pasha begot Sami Pasha who was in the state council. Furthermore, during the Turkish occupation, he was elected as a representative of Damascus in the parliament in Alasetana. Then after the occupation he became a member in the representative council that convened in Damascus. Sami Pasha is the father of Haidar Bey who graduated from the law institutes in Paris and got his PHD in the Roman law. He is also the father of Othman Bey. He was a wealthy man and one of the notable men in Damascus. He built Alsouk Aljadid in the Junaineh which he bought from Al Mouradi family for a very low price . The asset was near his home in Zokak Albous at Bab Albrid. He died in 1886 and begot five sons: The first one was Abd Al Kader Bey who was famous for his notability and kind manners, he was the father of the patriot Jamil bey. Jamil Bey was a man of honor and intellect . He studied modern arts. Furthermore, he was the counsel of the foreign ministry at the beginning of establishing the Arabic government in Damascus. This happened after the Turkish evacuation. Jamil was one of the strivers (Almojahedeen) who strived to get his nation rights. He had several siblings: Adeeb Bey, Othman Bey and Mohamad Bey.

The second one was Abd Allah Bey who died sterilized.

The third one was Ahmad Mokhtar Bey who was the mayor of Damascus and one of the notable men. He was the father of the one of the prominent poets of his time, Khalil Mardam Bey. The forth one is Rashed Pasha who had the membership of state consultative council that was established after the Turkish evacuation in Damascus. The fifth one is Rida Bey who was a polite young man and an example for his notability. The famous two poets, Al Hilali and Al Hamzawi Mufti, praised several of the Mardam Bey individuals. Saed Aldin the son of AbdAl Rahman Al Qurmshi begot Asaad Bey who begot Saleh Bey, the father of Bahjat Bey a famous politician in Damascus.

It was mentioned in a book (Historical Studies) that was issued from Damascus University, issues 43-44, 1992 September and December titled as Land Ownership and the Political Authority in Damascus (1858 – 1958) by Ramez toama. This research was conducted in the aim of obtaining a master's degree from the American University - Beirut. The author begins saying: Owning lands by some families during the last third of the nineteenth century and the first fifty years of the twentieth century, gave them a great political power in Damascus. These families are different from each other, some of them are Arabic families and the others are foreign such as: Shamdin, Yousef, Kara Sholi, Mourli from Turky, Dalati and Shorbaji from Al Anadool, Mardam Bey from Albani and Al Azem from the eastern north of Syria (or from Al Anadool)…………. We collected some information about the social and economic origins for eighteen families but we couldn’t collect any information about the origins of nine of them. And they are as the following: 1- The Notables: Ajlani – Housaini – Gazi – Jazaeri – Shamaa – Azem 2- Entailments (Awkaf): Mardam Bey 3- The Ottoman administration / local government: Abed – Azem – Shamdin – Yousef 4- Merchants / financiers: Barodi – Dalati – Ebsh – Kodsi – Kouatli – Safadi – Soukar – Shamia 5- The sheik of tribe of the city resident: Faaor From these eighteen families, there are twelve families from which there are thirty two persons occupied different governmental positions and their names were mentioned in (Trajem Al Aiaaian)…and their power appeared clearly in the following positions: 1- country leaderships and city councils 2- membership of board of director 3- occupation of the important religious and governmental positions 4- mayors 5- finally the membership of Al Mabothan council

      Moreover, in order to consolidate the relationships between these families as a leader class, to guarantee their sons’ political future, and to support their position as a political class, they got married from each other. 

However, most marriages occurred between the cousins in order to preserve the agricultural wealth in the same family as an expression about the strength and then transmit it from one to another in the same family . Although this class considered the bourgeois class as an inferior social class, they got married from each other because of the wealth attraction and seduction. (Explanation of land ownership as mentioned in details by Ramez Toama – page 272) The Entailment (Wakf): Mardam bey, this family was established in Damascus by Abd Al Rahmman, and his two grandsons Ali (1813 – 1887) and Othman (1819 – 1866) succeeded in owning large lands so it became one of the richest families in Damascus. Both of them were (Ulama) who began their lives in the legitimate courts. Othman also participated in the commercial court and that added to him additional knowledge in the ability of investing money. And as responsible about the Entailments (Awkaf) related to the ancestor of the family Lala Moustafa Pasha and which lost their value because of the neglecting, Othman and Ali could get permission from the ministry of religious endowments in Al Kastantinia in order to rearrange the large property that they had and relief it again. This procedure depended on the power of the responsible about the Entailments (Awkaf) and their skill, so these two brothers could guarantee good proceeds from the Entailments (Awkaf) with low expenses by making contracts with the authorities of the local Entailments (Awkaf). And after getting this great wealth, the two brothers continued the large investments in the big agricultural lands outside Damascus and the commercial inside it. So they bought Souk Al Snania from Al Mouradi family then Ali built a market called (Souk Al Hamidia) which is still present till now. Ali also owned large lands in the central parts in the city and in (Al Salhia). Othman bought fertile agricultural lands in Katana and Dowma and he was elected to the board of directors. Both of them were famous men in Damascus in the 70th and 80th of the last century.

Hikmat Ben Ali and Moukhtar Ben Othman preserved the family dignity and it’s political development whereas the former was one of the strongest leaders (1880 – 1890) and the latter was a mayor in the same period. Sami Ben Hikmat inherited his father’s leadership and became a member in the board of directors and presented Damascus in Al Mabouthan council. In addition to that, he was elected to be a member in the council of state during the reign of the prince Faisal and as a vice-president of Syria in the same period. Jamil Ben Abd Al Kader who was his cousin and his son in law succeeded him in leadership. This man was one of the strongest personages in Damascus and also he participated in establishing the patriot mass (Alkotla Alwatania) that controlled on Damascus policy for twenty years (1928 – 1949) and became one of its leaders, minister and prime minister. Whereas Khalil Ben Mokhtar (Jamil’s cousin) was a poem and a man of letters and science. He was elected to be a head of the scientific academy (the Arabic language academy), culture minister (1942) and finally foreign minister (1949). Contrary to other families, it is difficult to account the wealth of Mardam Bey's family and the property of the third generation because of the great number of inheritors from Ail and Othman descent. So possession files don’t have any information about the large estates in the cities and especially the property values in the markets. According to what we can account, Mardam Bey’s land areas is about 2268 Hiktar (1% from the available agricultural lands), this put the family in the ninth grade regarding wealth and property. The possession of Jamil Ben Abd Al Kader, the most famous man of the family in the twentieth century, 91.70 Hiktar most of them are irrigated, (less than 4% from the whole property. This shows the large areas that Jamil and his brother sold them to support their political election campaigns). It is clear from the marriage cases in this family that the main aim of them is to preserve it’s wealth and enhance strong relationship with the other rich families. Beside the marriage of Jamil and the daughter of Sami Pasha, we can notice that Nemat Bent rashes Pasha married her cousin Mouhamed Ben Abd Al Kader who is Jamil’s Brother. The second daughter Fatema married Mazher Ben Moustafa Al Abed who is a rich merchant and the third daughter Saniia married Khaled Al Azem, the famous politician.

Then Ramez Tame continued in the page 282 saying: Before the French delegation, twelve families got benefit from their economic authority and changed it to political power. These families are: Aabed, Ajlani, Azem, Mouaid Al Azem, Barodi, Ghazi, Housaini, Jazaeri, Mardam Bey, kouatli, Shamaa, Shamia, yousef).

 But in the delegation period, Al Jazaeri, Shamaa, Al Yousef families lost their political power then after the delegation, Al Abed, Al Housaini and Shamia families lost their authority. And finally Mardam Bey and Al Barodi families lost their power after the first delegation (1949).

In the 40th of this century, two families appeared: Ebesh who had agricultural leadership and Al Shorbaji who had industrial authority. But both of them had a limited political power as they were far from the political society in Damascus. Then Ramez continued: throughout the thirty eight years, forty politics appeared and all of them were from the famous owners. Some of these men got their strength from their notability and from their control on the electors in the country. The rest of them and they were thirty one, their power and authority depended on their families leadership in the city not in the country and on their large estates. The authority of the great owners remained from the end of the nineteenth century till the military revolution (1949) passing by the delegation period. The strongest ownerships were those who lead the popular struggle for getting the independence, so that supported them with a new strength which was the public support. Shokri al kouatli, Jamil Mardam Bey and Fakhri Al barodi were considered as the most famous men who established the patriot mass (Alkotla Alwatania) with Ehsan Al Sharif. This patriot mass (Alkotla Alwatania) lead the patriot struggle from 1928 till the independence depending on the financial power of the leaders, its attitude against the French and on the public support. This obliged the delegation authorities to give the mass leaders the rights in occupying the governmental positions in 1936 since they present the patriot attitude. The power of the political elite that owned lands reflects in occupying the important political positions as the minister position or prime minister. In the delegation period, thirty ministries were established and the heads of twenty one of them were eight men from Damascus and four of them were from the owners as (Ata Al Aiwbi – Haki Al AZem – Jamil Mardam Bey and KHaled Al Azem) and the other four ones were from the assets men. In general the rich people in Damascus occupied the prime minister position for longer period than other groups. It was mentioned in the book (Europa Wa Maseer Alsharek Aladna) -chapter 4- titled as the Syrian patriotism between (Turkia Al Fatat) and the great nations (1908 – 1917) issued from Dar TTlas with the French language in (1996) under title: the internal situation in the Syrian states, Damascus – page 316 -: There was a specific classification for the important persons who belong to the employments class, some of them were civil individuals and the others were religious ones. The state council was consisting of five members whose had strong authority and they were sympathizing with each other such as Al Shaikh And Abed Allah Afandi Al Aiwbi ( Arabic – chargé d'affaires – open-mindedness), Shokri Afandi Al Asali (Arabic – chargé d'affaires – has free thoughts), Abd Al Wahab Afandi Al Enklizi (Arabic – chargé d'affaires – open minded), Rashed Pasha Mardam Bey (a judge in the magistrate’s court) and he was a supporter for the old government ( the Othman rule) and his relative Sami Pasha Mardam Bey who was the head of the chamber of commerce (rich – open minded). There was also another classification that presents the journalists, negotiators and the rich owners. The French consul in Damascus, who reported the previous and following information, mentioned seven names: Abd Al Rahman Al Shahbander – Mouhamad Kord Ali – Moustafa Afandi Wasef – Mouhamed Saed Al Mahaini – Ata Pasha Al Bakri – Moustafa Afandi Al Sebai – Ahmad Bey Mardam Bey who was rich feudal notable and apparently open minded). This last classification seems to be limited somewhat. So the representatives of these important authoritative families are removed as Al Kilani, Al Kouatli, Al Ajlani and Al Hosaini. In a sense this list is considered as an important evidence that appeared from an agent whose government interested in the given information, and in spite of that these information are limited but they are useful from the political aspect for a long time which will be shown later. It was mentioned in the same book – page 967- under title (the dealers position with France in Kastantina and Syria): in fact and in spite of the official reservation of the French diplomacy and foreign ministry, they couldn’t be neutral towards such a conference (conference of Paris May 1913). This conference was about a province which was very important for the French nation. The correspondences between correspondents in the main centers are considered in the Lower East of the Ottoman Empire, Arabic, and Syrian a sufficient evidence for this interest. In Kastantinia, Bombard concerned in this conference the official Otoman journalism. Thus in May 20th he told his minister about the reaction on Al Tanin magazine after spreading the statement directed to (Arab nation). The official magazine subordinated to the union government mentioned the conference board directors member’s names: Nadra Motran – Jamil Malof Sharl Dabbas – Jamil Mardan Bey – Shokri Kanem – Abd Al Kani Al Aresi – Awni Abd Al Hadi. This magazine referred that all of these individuals are Syrians and they are interested in Syria’s well being only, and lately they became French in order to be related to the Islamic trend. If this conference was actually concerned in the Arab states indeed, it had to have members from the following states: Yemen, Baghdad, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunis and Morocco.

Thus the magazine drew it’s readers attention who belonged to these unfair mass to separate the Otoman and the Islamic people. When giving these information, Bombard asked his minister additional information about this matter. In the book (Al Habel Ala Al Jarar) by Salam Al Rasi from the folklore (Adab al Nas llilnas) number 7 published in Nofal for Printing and Publishing in Beirut – Lebanon – page 109 – and under a main title it was mentioned the following:

(Ya bent Mardam Bey tolly wa shofi!)

Marjoyon was the last country in the Syrian revolution in 1925 where the rebels entered to expel the French army from, so the result was burning most houses of the town. I remember that the smoke of Marjoyon as we see it in the near Ebl Al Saki town was covering the sky. The old women in my town made a consolation meeting and it became part from the folklore. The time was appropriate for this event so these women were lamenting:

Ya bent Mardam Bey tolly wa shofi           Dokhan Marjoyon ghatta al Shofi

So who was Bent Mardam Bey and where the smoke covered Al Shof country? Housain Ghadban Abo Shakra was one of the most famous narrators, and his relative Yousif Khatar Abu Shakra devoted himself to collect his narrated news in the book (Al Harakat fi Lebanon). He was also one of the most important historical sources in our countries (Lebanon). Housain mentioned this consolation statement which was so implanted in his mind that he remembered it’s historical background. In the beginning of the eighteenth century the fights elimination between the durzes and shiism continued. Housain Ghadban Abo Shakra is narrating that the shiism in Amel mountain conspired against the minority of durzes in Ebl Al Saki, AlMatla and Bargaz from Marjoion country, so those told the durzes in Hasbaia and Majdal Shams who complied with strong horses and the sharp swords attacking on Al Khiam which is one of the biggest shiism countries, so they dispersed and fired it and thus leaved it. Then they came down from Al Khiam towards kafer kla, Odaisa and Honin (which are shiism countries in Marjoyon) and they burned them. Then Housain Ghadban Abo Shakra adds that some of Marjoyon countries were feudal estate for Mardam Bey. One of Mardam Bey’s girl wad married from a prince in Hasbaia, one day she sent her maid to one of the hills to discover the fight and when she saw Marjoyion countries burning, she seemed very sad and then came back to her lady crying and saying: Ya bent Mardam Bey tole wa shofi Dokhan Marjoyon ghata al Shofi So this statement became a part from the folklore. In the book (Damascus) that published in the eighteenth and nineteenth century by Linda Shilsher translated by Amr and Dina Al Mallah in 1998, first edition, Dar Al Jomhoria, Damascus – chapter six – page 247 under a main title Prosopography (Tarajem alosar al bareza) and under a sub title, the people who joined to the elite in the middle of the nineteenth century are saying the following: The results of the political and economic developments that were achieved in the nineteenth century gave some families the ability to exceed all social classes and get a powerful political authority in the first half of the century; and Mardam Bey’s family was one of them. Al Hosni refers to Mardam Bey’s family as a highborn one in Damascus. Their descent related to the great minister Lala Moustafa Pasha who is the conqueror of Cyprus in the sixteenth century. The family got benefit from this relationship in the period before 1860, so it had large estates in the external and internal country area. According to the family tree that was printed in the twentieth century, the old ancestor of Mardam bey’s family in Damascus is Yohia Ben Ebrahim who lived till the beginning of the eighteenth century and married from Rabia, the descendant of Lala Moustafa Pasha and his only inheritor as it is supposed to be. The tree shows also that this family relatively consisted of a big number of persons at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The individuals of this family who lived in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are descending from the four sons of Abd Al Rahman Ben Mouhamad, the grandson of Yohia. The eldest descendant was Mouhamad who died in 1834. He procreated both of Othman (1819 – 1886) and Ali (1810 – 1887) who joined the elite and increased the family wealth and established its modern political authority. But the story of Othman development remains a puzzle. According to Al Shatti: Othman was trending to be a powerful man but the turning point in his life was when he was invited to join the mass of Al Shikh Hashim Al Taji, so he was learned by some (Ulama) with whom he made personal relationships by getting married from two of their daughters. In the middle of the century, Othman had a great importance in the commercial market. Whereas he bought a land from Al Mouradi family in Bab Al Breed near Omaiad mosque in exchange for a very low price and changed it to an important commercial market known as (Alsouk Aljadid), so after that he became very famous. Al Shatti continues saying that he was working as an employment in the religious courts then he moved to the commercial council. This information is supported by a temporary source which is Al Ahzaan book that refers to Othman Bey Ben Mardam Pasha, so the book said that Othman was the head of the board of directors and the same source mentioned also that he was a member in the compensation committee which informed during the incidents that took place in 1860. The incidents refer that Othman Mardam Bey is Othman Bey himself (Saheb alhal wa al aked) i.e. the most powerful man in Damascus, in the appointment of the new mufti in 1850 in the time where the authority of Al Mouradi abated, who was the most powerful man in Damascus. In 60th Othman and Ali traveled to Istanbul to get the permission of the authorities regarding the rights of their family in the Entailments (Awkaf) of Lala Moustafa Pasha and his wife Fatima Khaton Bent Mouhamad Bey Ben Alsultan Kansoah Al Kori. These estates consisted of Lands and some estates in Damascus, Wadi Al Boukaa, the western side of Lebenon Mountains, around Saida and Safad, the west side of Damascus, Al Shaara, Al Hola, Al Jawlan and Houran. It is said that Mardam Bey’s family collected a great wealth from investing these estates.

Not only the sons of Othman and Ali were famous persons but also the sons of their cousins were very known people: Moustafa died in 1852, Abd Allah died in 1827 and Saed Al Deen died in 1875. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Mardam Bey’s family consisted of one hundred approximately. So it was considered as one of the biggest and the most highbred families in Damascus. It’s men owned some estates inside and outside the central rectangle and in both of the local area near souk Alsnania and the Otoman area opposite to Alsaraya. Although Mardam Bey’s family is a glorious Syrian one in Damascus that improved its situation recently in the middle of the nineteenth century, its name appeared in the general life when its men got Albakawia class which nobody else had in Damascus except the following families: Alazem – Alkahala – Kanj – Yousef. But contrary to these families, Mardam Bey’ men were not mentioned in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The statement of Linda Shershel ended in the book (Families In Politics).

Furthermore, he tended to involve the religious aspect in his book (Al Kater Al Moukhtar fi Bohor al Aema Al akhiar) which talked about the elite of (Al Moutaswefa) in 2001.

References

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