Caphar
Encyclopedia
A caphar was a toll, or duty imposed by the Turks
on the Christian merchants, who carried or sent merchandise from Aleppo
to Jerusalem. The toll of caphar was originally created by the Christians themselves, when in control of the Holy Land
, for the support of troops and forces who were posted in the more difficult passes, to prevent pillaging from Arabs. But the Turks, who continued and even raised the toll, abused the practice, exacting arbitrary sums from the Christian merchants and travellers. This was on the pretence of guarding them from Arabs, with whom they frequently kept an understanding, and even favored their pillaging.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
on the Christian merchants, who carried or sent merchandise from Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
to Jerusalem. The toll of caphar was originally created by the Christians themselves, when in control of the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, for the support of troops and forces who were posted in the more difficult passes, to prevent pillaging from Arabs. But the Turks, who continued and even raised the toll, abused the practice, exacting arbitrary sums from the Christian merchants and travellers. This was on the pretence of guarding them from Arabs, with whom they frequently kept an understanding, and even favored their pillaging.