Musa Agha al-Hasi
| Musa Agha al-Hasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Upper Egypt, Ottoman Empire |
| Died |
1830 Gaza, Damascus Eyalet |
| Allegiance | Ottoman Empire |
| Years of service | 1811-1830 |
| Commands held | Commander of Hawwara irregulars |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Sanur (1830) |
| Relations |
Aqil Agha al-Hasi (son) Salih Agha al-Hasi (son) Ali al-Hasi (son) |
Musa Agha al-Hasi was an Ottoman commander of Arab irregulars in the Galilee under governors Sulayman Pasha al-Adil and Abdullah Pasha.
Biography
Musa Agha came from Faiyum in Upper Egypt.[1] He hailed from the Bedouin Hanadi tribe.[2] When the Ottoman commander Jezzar Pasha stayed in Egypt in the late 18th century, he developed a close association with the Ainawiyeh tribe of the Damanhur region near the Nile Delta. On Jezzar's return to Palestine to end the autonomous rule of Zahir al-Umar and his sons on behalf of the Sublime Porte, he took with him a contingent of Ainawiyeh tribesmen and gave them the honorary name of 'Arab al-Hawwara, which was meant to associate them with the well-known, but unrelated, Upper Egyptian tribe, who were "distinguished ... in bravery, horsemanship and equipments", according to Macalister and Masterman.[1]
Following his death in 1804, Jezzar, who had become the Acre-based governor of Sidon Eyalet, was succeeded by Suleiman Pasha al-Adil.[1] In 1811, Musa moved to Gaza in Palestine.[3] Musa sought to enjoy the favor Suleiman and his predecessor gave to the Hawwara tribesmen and requested military service. Suleiman made him a commander of the Hawwara horsemen and his successor Abdullah Pasha promoted Musa to be in charge of an even larger Hawwara contingent.[1] Along with his co-commander, Ali Abu Zayd Agha, Musa was in charge of 400 horsemen.[4] According to the Macalister and Masterman, Musa "was famed for his bravery and generosity."[1]
According to Macalister and Masterman, Musa died during Abdullah Pasha's siege of Sanur.[1] However, according to historian Alexander Schölch, he died in Gaza in 1830.[2] Musa left three sons, Ali, Aqil, and Salih. Aqil succeeded his father as the Hawwara's commander.[1]
References
Bibliography
- Macalister, R. A. Stewart; Masterman, E. W. G. (1906). "Occasional Papers on the Modern inhabitants of Palestine, part V". Quarterly statement - Palestine Exploration Fund. 38: 221–225, 286–291.
- Schölch, Alexander (1993). Palestine in Transformation, 1856-1882. Institute for Palestine Studies. ISBN 0-88728-234-2.
- Thackston, Wheeler McIntosh (1988). Murder, Mayhem, Pillage, and Plunder: The History of the Lebanon in the 18th and 19th Centuries by Mikhayil Mishaqa (1800-1873). SUNY Press. ISBN 9780887067129.