Haqqi al-Azm
Encyclopedia
Haqqi al-Azm (born Damascus
1864, died 1955) was a Syrian
politician. He was active in the Ottoman
government, and later served as the first prime minister in republican Syria
.
. He was educated at the Lazarist missionary school in Damascus and later at the military academy in Istanbul
. He began his career as a government clerk, and was soon promoted to the prestigious position of inspector-general of the Ministry of Awqaf
. He was laid off when the Committee of Union and Progress
(CUP) seized control of the ministry in 1911. After his defeat in the 1912 parliamentary elections, he moved to Cairo
, and helped found the opposition party, Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization
. The CUP interpreted diplomatic correspondence between the party and French and British agents as a proof that the party was aiming to guarantee the cession of the Arabic-speaking provinces from the Ottoman Empire. In 1913, al-Azm and other figures in the party were sentenced to death in absentia
and they lived as exiles in Cairo.
, al-Azm was a key opponent of Hijazi involvement in Syria. He opposed the Arab Revolt
and called it the "Hijazi revolt". He allied himself with the French mandate
authorities, and was appointed the first governor of the State of Damascus
in 1921. He reportedly won friends inside the administration by handing out jobs. In 1921 he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while on visit to Quneitra
with the French High Commissioner Henri Gouraud. In 1932, following the election of Muhammad Ali al-Abid, he was invited to form a cabinet, but the nationalist leaders boycotted the parliament. His rule between 1932-1934 was met with large opposition from the National Bloc
.
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
1864, died 1955) was a Syrian
Demographics of Syria
Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history...
politician. He was active in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
government, and later served as the first prime minister in republican Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Origins and early career
Haqqi al-Azm was born to the prominent Damascene family of al-AzmAl-Azm
Al-Azm is a prominent Damascene family. The origins of the family are Arabic, as it belonged to a notable family from the region of Ma'arrat al-Numan south of Aleppo. The family rose to prominence in the 18th century. Their rule started with appointment of Ismail Pasha al-Azm as wāli of Damascus...
. He was educated at the Lazarist missionary school in Damascus and later at the military academy in Istanbul
Kara Harp Okulu
The Turkish Military Academy, , is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Army...
. He began his career as a government clerk, and was soon promoted to the prestigious position of inspector-general of the Ministry of Awqaf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
. He was laid off when the Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
(CUP) seized control of the ministry in 1911. After his defeat in the 1912 parliamentary elections, he moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and helped found the opposition party, Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization
Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization
The Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization or was a political party in the Ottoman Empire founded in January 1913. Based in Cairo, OPAD called for the reform of the Ottoman provincial administration for Arab provinces rather than outright independence. The executive committee consisted...
. The CUP interpreted diplomatic correspondence between the party and French and British agents as a proof that the party was aiming to guarantee the cession of the Arabic-speaking provinces from the Ottoman Empire. In 1913, al-Azm and other figures in the party were sentenced to death in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
and they lived as exiles in Cairo.
Later career
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, al-Azm was a key opponent of Hijazi involvement in Syria. He opposed the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
and called it the "Hijazi revolt". He allied himself with the French mandate
French Mandate of Syria
Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
authorities, and was appointed the first governor of the State of Damascus
State of Damascus
The State of Damascus was one of the six states established by the French General Henri Gouraud in the French Mandate of Syria which followed the San Remo conference and the defeat of King Faisal's short-lived monarchy in Syria....
in 1921. He reportedly won friends inside the administration by handing out jobs. In 1921 he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while on visit to Quneitra
Quneitra
Quneitra is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in south-western Syria. It is situated in a high valley in the Golan Heights at an elevation of 1,010 metres above sea level...
with the French High Commissioner Henri Gouraud. In 1932, following the election of Muhammad Ali al-Abid, he was invited to form a cabinet, but the nationalist leaders boycotted the parliament. His rule between 1932-1934 was met with large opposition from the National Bloc
National Bloc (Syria)
The National Bloc was a Syrian political party that emerged to fight for Syrian independence during the French Mandate of Syria period.The party was created after a national conference in 1928, by Ibrahim Hananu....
.