Editing History of Lebanon (section)

==Middle Ages==

===Islamic rule===
{{Main|Bilad al-Sham|Muslim conquest of the Levant|7th century in Lebanon|8th century in Lebanon}}
During the [[7th century in Lebanon|7th century AD]] the Muslim Arabs [[Muslim conquest of the Levant|conquered Syria]] soon after the death of [[Muhammad]], establishing a new regime to replace the Romans (or [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] as the Eastern Romans are sometimes called). Though Islam and the Arabic language were officially dominant under this new regime, the general populace still took time to convert from Christianity and the [[Syriac language]]. In particular, the Maronite community clung to its faith and managed to maintain a large degree of autonomy despite the succession of rulers over Syria. Muslim influence increased greatly in the seventh century, when the nearby city Damascus, in modern-day Syria, was set as the capital of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]].

During the reign of [[Uthman]], who ruled the [[Rashidun Caliphate]] between 644 and 656, Islam gained prominence in Damascus, primarily due to [[Mu'awiya I|Mu'awiya]], a relative of Uthman who served as the governor. Mu'awiya deployed forces to Lebanon's coastal region, where he expanded Islamic influence, resulting in conversions to Islam among the coastal residents. However, in the mountainous areas, the local population retained their Christian or other cultural traditions.<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last1=Najem |first1=Tom |title=Historical Dictionary of Lebanon |last2=Amore |first2=Roy C. |last3=Abu Khalil |first3=As'ad |date=2021 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-2043-9 |edition=2nd |series=Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East |location=Lanham Boulder New York London |pages=2–8}}</ref> Moreover, both Christians and Jews were obliged to pay the ''[[jizya]]'', or poll tax, to Islamic rulers. The collection of this tax from mountain Christians saw inconsistent enforcement until the [[First Crusade]], where it ceased under Latin rule. A revival occurred under the [[Mamluk Sultanate|Mamluks]], concluding with its abolition through an Ottoman edict in 1856.<ref name=":4" />

After the Islamic conquest, Mediterranean trade faced a prolonged decline lasting three centuries, attributed to maritime conflicts between the Islamic caliphate and the Byzantines. The partially damaged ports, vital as naval strongholds for the caliphate, struggled to regain prosperity. Despite attempts involving military presence and new settlers, the cities of Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, and Tripoli likely sustained populations of only a few thousand each during the Umayyad and [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] periods.<ref name=":4" />

By 758, the Abbasid Caliph [[al-Mansur]] tasked the Arab [[Tanukhids]] with the defense of the hills around Beirut. In 845, tensions flared as Tanukhs clashed with Christians in [[Kisrawan]].<ref name=":4" />

In the 980s, the [[Fatimid Caliphate]] gained dominance over Mount Lebanon. Under Fatimid rule, the region experienced a renaissance in Mediterranean trade along the Lebanese coast, stimulated by commercial connections with Byzantium and Italy. Consequently, Tripoli and Tyre thrived well into the 11th century, specializing in the export of products like cotton and silk textiles, sugar, and glassware.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Harris |first=William W. |title=Lebanon: A History, 600-2011 |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-518111-1 |edition= |series=Studies in Middle Eastern history |location=New York, N.Y |pages=3–28}}</ref>

In the 1020s, the [[Druze]] sect began to diverge from [[Isma'ilism|Isma’ili Shia Islam]]. [[Tanukhids|Tanukhid]] chiefs embraced the "Call," acknowledging Fatimid Caliph [[Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah]] as divine, thereby establishing the foundation of the sect in Mount Lebanon.<ref name=":4" /> The new faith gained followers in the southern portion of Lebanon.

===Crusader kingdoms===
{{Main|Crusader states|Kingdom of Jerusalem|County of Tripoli}}
{{Further|History of the County of Tripoli}}

Following the fall of Roman/Christian Anatolia to the Muslim [[Seljuk dynasty|Turks]] of the [[Seljuk Empire]] in the 11th century, the Romans in Constantinople appealed to the Pope in Rome for assistance. There resulted a series of wars known as the [[Crusades]], launched by Latin Christians (of mainly French origin) in Western Europe to reclaim the former Roman territories in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially Syria and Palestine (the ''[[Levant]]''). Lebanon stood in the main path of the [[First Crusade]]'s advance on [[Jerusalem]] from Anatolia. Frankish nobles occupied areas within present-day Lebanon as part of the southeastern [[Crusader States]]. The southern half of present-day Lebanon formed the northern march of the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]] (founded in 1099); the northern half became the heartland of the [[County of Tripoli]] (founded in 1109). Although [[Saladin]] eliminated Christian control of the [[Holy Land]] around 1190, the Crusader states in Lebanon and Syria were better defended.

[[File:Liban des Croisades vers 1180 EC.jpg|thumb|A map of Mount Lebanon c. AD 1180]]

One of the most lasting effects of the Crusades in this region was the contact between the crusaders (mainly French) and the [[Maronites]]. Unlike most other Christian communities in the region, who swore allegiance to [[Constantinople]] or other local patriarchs, the Maronites proclaimed allegiance to the Pope in Rome. As such the Franks saw them as Roman Catholic brethren. These initial contacts led to centuries of support for the Maronites from France and Italy, even after the later fall of the Crusader states in the region.

===Mamluk rule===
Muslim control of Lebanon was reestablished in the late 13th century under the [[Mamluk Sultanate|Mamluk sultans of Egypt]], who reinstated Sunni Islamic dominance. Initially sacking Crusader towns and punishing perceived infidels and heretics in the mountains, the Mamluks later became more discerning in their actions. They demolished less fortified ports south of Sidon, and reconstructed Sidon, Beirut, and Tripoli. This resulted in the decline of Tyre while propelling Tripoli to prominence as the region's foremost port town. Now a provincial capital, Tripoli evolved into a center for Sunni religious education and became the primary hub for long-distance trade in Syria. The Mamluks also invested in [[Baalbek]] as an inland center.<ref name=":4" />

Despite facing the devastating impact of the [[Black Death]] in 1348–1349, which reduced the population by a third and curtailed economic activity for over two centuries, the Mamluks contributed to the enduring architectural legacy of the region, including the restoration of the Crusader [[Citadel of Tripoli]] and the construction of stone buildings and mosques.<ref name=":4" />