The effect of Cebel-i Lebanon regulation on the administrative structure of lebanon in the Ottoman Period

The Tanzimat Period is a period of change in the political sense for the Ottoman Empire because it is a period in which many reforms were implemented for the first time in order to ensure centralization. The ways in which Tanzimat reforms were implemented outside the central state were often neglected. Tanzimat is a result of the modernization movement brought by the French Revolution for the Ottoman Empire. This effect has not only been seen in the central but also in the provincial provinces. The way Tanzimat reforms are implemented in the provinces is often neglected. Similarly, the process of internal conflict in the provinces of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century was much debated, but in many studies it was examined as a religious conflict between Maronites and Durzis rather than reflecting a complex socio-economic and political network of events. In this context, the role played by the Tanzimat reforms is often neglected. It is not enough to explain the conflicts in the Lebanese region only for religious, social and economic reasons. The groupings and conflicts in Lebanon increased with the interventions of the external states. On the one hand, there are Maronites who receive the support of France, and on the other side the Druzes who take important privileges in the Ottoman Empire and also support England. Particularly, France entered missionary activities in the region and then implemented a policy of influence in social institutions. The proposals offered by the European States to the Ottoman administration in order to ensure the security of the region are seen as evidence of the intervention of the external states to the Ottoman State. These proposals are in line with the interests of the foreign states and weaken the central power of the Ottoman Empire. The policies of interest disrupted the internal balances and decided to manage Lebanon in an autonomous way. The 1861 Provincial Regulation was signed and it was decided to manage the region through a Christian governor appointed by the Ottoman Empire. With this decision, the events were resolved. This study answers several questions at the same time. First, attention is drawn to how the reforms are implemented, the constraints in implementation and the consequences. Secondly, the internal conflict process in Lebanon is examined in terms of the complex structure of governance and social structure relations. In the study, the state is placed at the center of the analysis and it is seen that the way of implementing the reforms leads to the internal conflict and the conflicts affect the formation of the Cebel-i Lebanon Regulation.