Abstract:

This study deals with the feudal rule of al-Mutawila, a Shiite sect settled in the South of Lebanon, in Jabal Amel under the Ottoman era during the period (1804–1830). Despite the abundance of a great many references on the political and feudal history of the Levant under the Ottoman regime, there remains a large number of issues that have not been tackled by historians. Of these is the history of the Shiite al-Mutawila in Jabal Amel which was eschewed by both Lebanese and non-Lebanese historians in what seems to be a deliberate attempt to ignore historicizing that crucial era in the history of that region of the Muslim World. The present study is simply a humble effort I have exerted seeking to reevaluate that Muslim sect, in which I stood detached, impartial, and free of any inclinations or prejudices and was urged by a wish that such an effort will ultimately be beneficial to bridging any gaps among the great two Islamic sects the Sunnis and the Shiites.

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