Kunj Yusuf Pasha
| Kunj Yusuf Pasha | |
|---|---|
| Wali of Damascus | |
|
In office 1807–1810 |
|
| Preceded by | Abdullah Pasha al-Azm |
| Succeeded by | Sulayman Pasha al-Adil |
| Personal details | |
| Died | Egypt Eyalet |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Kunj Yusuf Pasha (also spelled Kanj Yusuf Pasha) was the Ottoman governor of Damascus Eyalet between 1807 and 1810. He was an ethnic Kurd. As governor, Kunj Yusuf enacted discriminatory policies against religious minority groups in Damascus and was unable to secure the annual Hajj pilgrim caravan to Mecca. After his inability to defeat Wahhabi invaders in 1809, he was ousted by Sulayman Pasha al-Adil with the blessing of the Ottoman imperial authorities.
Kunj Yusuf Pasha was a "renowned horseman", according to historian Mikhail Mishaqa, and initially served under the Hama-based Kurdish agha, Mulla Isma'il. Kunj Yusuf entered the service of Damascus governor Abdullah Pasha al-Azm, and was made commander of a Kurdish battalion. Kunj Yusuf was promoted to become Abdullah Pasha's senior aide and he became a superior of Mulla Isma'il.
As part of official policy, the governor of Damascus duly served as the amir al-hajj (Commander of the Hajj Pilgrimage), who was responsible for leading and securing the annual Hajj pilgrimage caravan to Mecca. Due to an invasion by Wahhabi tribesmen, Abdullah Pasha did not feel able to ensure the safety of the Muslim pilgrims, and the Hajj from Syrian was consequently suspended. Kunj Yusuf used Abdullah Pasha's failure to carry out his duty to lobby for Abdullah Pasha's dismissal. In 1807, the Ottoman imperial government dismissed Abdullah Pasha and appointed Kunj Yusuf as governor based on the latter's promise to successfully lead the pilgrim caravan.
Kunj Yusuf was unable to end Wahhabi raids and sought to compensate for his failure to lead the Muslim pilgrimage by enacting discriminatory policies against Christians and Jews in Damascus. Among the new directives he issued were that Christian men had to adorn black turbans and Jewish men red turbans to distinguish them from Muslim residents, and that Christian women wear black or red robes at bathhouses to distinguish themselves from Muslim women. Dress policies extended to Muslims as well, with one directive ordering Muslim men to pain the corners of their eyes black. Despite these policies, Kunj Yusuf's inner circle was dominated by the Jewish Farhi family and later by his chief scribe, the Melkite Abbud al-Bahri.
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