Damascus economic situation in the Ottoman administration (1800-1850)

This research deals with the economic situation of the Vilayet of Sham between 1800 and1850, during which Damascus has witnessed th ree distinctive periods, each with its special attributes and features. The first phase (1800-1831) is the period of the traditional Ottoman rule that began with the Ottoman conquest and lasted until Ibrahim Pasha entered Damascus. During this period Damascus managed to shut any foreign influence out. The Vilayet of Sham was an Ottoman province, it was committed to the Ottoman laws resulting from Shara-Sharif, and everyone was living on this basis. The people of Sham showed the strongest resistance and hatred to all that is European so that Sham was known as a closed area in the face of the Europeans. I have monitored the economic reality during this period by examining weights, taxes, the prices of houses and real estate, and the prices of vegetables and fruits. The second phase (1831-1840) is the period of Egyptian rule of the Vilayet of Sham. Ibrahim Pasha has introduced some reforms that has influenced the economic, social and administrative spheres. However, his reign was really disastrous because it can be considered the beginning of European intervention in the Vilayet of Sham that has ultimately led to its falling into the hands of France and Britain. The most prominent characteristic of this period was the spreading of bars; more than 25 ones were opened. This created a negative reaction among the population because, from their point of view, this was considered a taboo that contradicts morality and religion. The third phase (1840-1850) is the period after the rule of Mehmet Ali Pasha and his son Ibrahim pasha of Sham. It was a period of absolute European control, not only over the Vilayet of Sham, but also over the whole Ottoman Empire. Had European countries like Russia, France and Britain decided not to stand by the Sultanate, it would have fallen into the hands of Mehmet Ali Pasha whose troops had arrived to Anatolia. Thus the inheritance of the Ottoman Empire, the 'sick man of Europe', was divided. Consuls in Sham and Astana considered themselves true rulers of the Ottoman Empire. It was the policy of France and Britain to work on controlling the institutions of the Ottoman state, its laws, its schools and its legislations. The European countries were able (through Hatt-i Sherif Humayun, 1856) to impose their laws on the Ottoman states. Such laws were incompatible with the Islamic law. This has broken the perfect image of the Sultan in the eyes of the people in Sham so that they started to object to his faraman and to the sultanate's orders Key Words: Ottoman State, Damascus Province, Economic Stiation, Tax, Trade.