Mara tu wamisionari walipofanikiwa kuanzisha vituo vyao ndani ya Dola ya Kiislamu, walianza kutafuta fursa za kuchochea wananchi wa Dola ya Kiislamu. Fursa moja ilijitokeza wakati Ibrahim Pasha alipojiondoa kutoka al-Sham. Hatua yake ilizua hofu na wasiwasi miongoni mwa watu, na machafuko yaliyotokea yaliwagawanya. Wajumbe wa kigeni, hasa wamisionari, walitumia fursa hiyo na kuanza kuchochea vita vya ndani. Wamisionari waliweza kufanya kitendo hicho cha hila kwa sababu walijua kwamba Dola ya ‘Uthmaniyyah ilikuwa na ushawishi mdogo huko al-Sham wakati huo. Baada ya kipindi cha mwaka mmoja tu, mnamo mwaka 1841, ghasia kubwa zilizuka katika milima ya Lebanon kati ya Wakristo na Druze. Hali ilizidi kuwa mbaya, na chini ya shinikizo na ushawishi wa nchi za kigeni, Khilafah ya ‘Uthmaniyyah ilishawishiwa kubuni mfumo tofauti wa utawala kwa Lebanon, ukigawanya mkoa huo sehemu mbili; sehemu moja ingekaliwa na Wakristo, huku Druze wakikalia sehemu nyingine. Khilafah ya ‘Uthmaniyyah ilimteua wali (gavana) juu ya sehemu zote mbili, kwa lengo la kuepusha mapigano yoyote kati ya madhehebu hayo mawili. Mfumo huu haukufanikiwa.

Once the missionaries had succeeded in establishing their centres in the Islamic State, they began to look for opportunities of agitating the citizens of the Islamic State. One such opportunity presented itself when Ibrahim Pasha retreated from al-Sham. His move created unrest and fear amongst the people and the anarchy that broke out divided them. The foreign delegates, especially the missionaries, seized the opportunity and began igniting civil strife. The missionaries were able to take such a treacherous action because they knew that the ‘Uthmani State had little influence in al-Sham at that time. After a period of just one year, in 1841, serious disturbances broke out in the mountains of Lebanon between the Christians and the Druze. The situation deteriorated and under the pressure and influence of the foreign states the ‘Uthmani Khilafah was persuaded to design a separate ruling system for Lebanon, dividing the province into two parts; one part would be occupied by the Christians, while the Druze would occupy the other. The ‘Uthmani Khilafah appointed a wali (governor) over both parts, aiming therefore to avoid any clashes between the two sects. This system did not succeed.

Uingereza na Ufaransa zilijiingiza katika mzozo huo na kuchochea machafuko ya ndani kila mahali mamlaka rasmi zilipojaribu kuzima fujo.

Britain and France became involved in the dispute and incited civil strife wherever the official authorities attempted to quell trouble.

Mapigano haya yalitumiwa kama kisingizio na Waingereza na Wafaransa kuingilia mambo ya Lebanon. Wafaransa waliwaunga mkono Wamaroni, na Waingereza waliwaunga mkono Wadruze, jambo lililosababisha kuzuka tena kwa vurugu mwaka 1845. Mashambulizi yalipanuka na kuyajumuisha makanisa na nyumba za watawa. Wizi, mauaji na uporaji vikawa jambo la kawaida, hali iliyoisukuma serikali ya Dola ya 'Uthmani kumtuma mkaguzi wake wa mambo ya nje kwenda Lebanon ili atumie mamlaka yake ya lazima kuzima fujo hizo kwa mara moja na kwa wote. Hata hivyo, hakuweza kufanikiwa jambo lolote la maana, ingawa aliweza kupunguza kidogo mvutano. Wakati huo huo, wamisionari waliongeza shughuli zao, na mwaka 1857 Wamaroni walianza kutoa wito wa mapinduzi na mapambano ya silaha. Makasisi wa Kimaroni walichochea wakulima dhidi ya wamiliki wa ardhi wa kimwinyi na kuwashambulia kwa ukali katika Kaskazini mwa nchi, hivyo mapinduzi yakaanza na kuenea hadi Kusini. Wakulima Wakristo sasa waliinuka dhidi ya wamiliki wa ardhi wa Kidruze, na Waingereza na Wafaransa wakawaunga mkono washirika wao husika. Mapigano ya kiraia yalienea kwa kasi kote Lebanon kutokana na hali hii. Wadruze walianza kuwaua Wakristo wote bila ubaguzi, iwe walikuwa makasisi au watu wa kawaida. Mapigano haya ya kiraia yalisababisha vifo vya zaidi ya Wakristo elfu kumi, na wengi zaidi waliondolewa makwao au kukosa makazi.

These clashes were used as an excuse by the British and the French to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs. The French sided with the Maronites and the British sided with the Druze, leading to the renewal of disturbances in 1845. The attacks were extended to include churches and monasteries. Theft, killing and pillage became common practice, prompting the ‘Uthmani government to send her foreign affairs inspector to Lebanon in order to use his mandatory powers to quell the trouble once and for all. He, however, could not achieve anything significant, although he managed to reduce the tension a little. Meanwhile, the missionaries intensified their activities and in 1857 the Maronites began calling for revolution and armed struggle. The Maronite clergy incited the farmers against the feudal lords and attacked them fiercely in the North of the country, thus the revolution was ignited and it spread to the South. The Christian farmers now rose against the Druze feudal lords and the British and the French backed their respective allies. Civil strife rapidly spread all over Lebanon as a result of this. The Druze began to kill all Christians indiscriminately, whether they were clergy or ordinary people. This civil strife led to the death of over ten thousand Christians, and many more were either displaced or became homeless.

Mgogoro wa kiraia katika eneo la Lebanon ulienea hadi sehemu nyingine ya al-Sham. Huko Damascus kulifanyika kampeni kali ya chuki kubwa kati ya wakazi wake Waislamu na Wakristo, ambayo hatimaye ilisababisha Waislamu kushambulia wilaya ya Wakristo mwaka 1860.

The civil strife in the area of Lebanon spilled over to rest of al-Sham. In Damascus a fierce campaign of deep hatred was waged between its Muslim and Christian inhabitants which finally led to the Muslims attacking the Christian district in 1860

na kusababisha wao kufanya mauaji ya halaiki. Hili liliambatana na uporaji na uharibifu mkubwa hadi Dola ililazimika kuingilia kati kijeshi ili kukomesha machafuko hayo. Ingawa Dola ilifanikiwa kurejesha utulivu na utaratibu, nchi za Magharibi ziliona hilo kama fursa ya kuingilia mambo ya al-Sham, na hivyo zikapeleka meli zao za kivita kwenye pwani yake. Mnamo Agosti 1860, Ufaransa ilituma kikosi cha jeshi lake la ardhini hadi Beirut, ambacho kilianza kazi ya kukandamiza mapinduzi hayo.

resulting in them committing a massacre. This was accompanied by pillaging and mass destruction until the State was forced to intervene militarily in order to put an end to the disturbances. Although the State managed to restore calm and order, the Western countries saw it as an opportunity to interfere in al-Sham and so they dispatched their warships to its shores. In August 1860 France sent a division of her territorial army to Beirut which began the task of quashing the revolution.

Hivi ndivyo Dola ya ‘Uthmani ilivyokumbwa na fitina za kivita huko Syria na Lebanon. Sababu yake halisi ilikuwa nchi za Magharibi ambazo zilikuwa zikijaribu kuingilia mambo ya ndani ya Khilafah ya ‘Uthmani. Walifanikiwa kuilazimisha Dola ya ‘Uthmani kubuni mfumo maalum wa utawala kwa Syria, kwa kuigawa katika majimbo mawili na kuipa Lebanon haki maalum. Kutokana na matukio haya, Lebanon ilitengwa na sehemu nyingine ya al-Sham, na ikapewa uhuru wa kujitawala, ikiongozwa na utawala wa ndani unaoongozwa na mtawala Mkristo na kusaidiwa na baraza la utawala linalowakilisha wakazi wa huko. Tangu wakati huo, nchi za kigeni zimesimamia mambo ya Lebanon na kuifanya kuwa kitovu cha shughuli zao. Lebanon hivyo ikawa daraja la kuingilia ambalo nguvu za kigeni zilipenya hadi moyoni mwa Dola ya ‘Uthmani na ardhi ya Waislamu.

This was how the ‘Uthmani State was infested by civil strife in Syria and Lebanon. Its true cause was the Western states who were trying to meddle in the internal affairs of the ‘Uthmani Khilafah. This they did and they managed to force the ‘Uthmani State to design a special ruling system for Syria, dividing her into two provinces and giving Lebanon special privileges. From out of these events Lebanon became separated from the rest of al-Sham and it was granted local autonomy, governed by a local administration headed by a Christian ruler and assisted by an administrative council representing the local residents. Since then, foreign countries have managed the affairs of Lebanon and have made it the centre for their activities. Lebanon therefore became the bridgehead from which the foreign powers infiltrated into the heart of the ‘Uthmani State and Muslim land.