Nazira Jumblatt
Lebanese politician (1890–1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nazira Jumblatt (1890–1951) (Arabic: نظيره جنبلاط) was a Druze leader and the mother of Lebanese politician and Kamal Jumblatt. She was styled sitt (lady in Arabic).[1]
Nazira Jumblatt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1890 |
| Died | 27 March 1951 (aged 60–61) |
| Spouse | |
| Children |
|
| Parents |
|
Biography
_p008_PALACE_OF_SAID_BAG_JUMBULAH_AT_MOKTARAH.jpg)
Nazira was born in 1890, and her parents were Faris and Afrida Said Jumblatt.[2] Her maternal grandfather, Said, died in prison of tuberculosis on 11 May 1861.[3] She was educated at home by her grandmother and private teachers, learning both English and French.[2]
She married Fouad Jumblatt in 1905 when she was 15.[2] Their children were Kamal Jumblatt and Linda Al Atrash who was killed in her house in East Beirut on 27 May 1976 during the civil war.[2][4][5] Nazira took on the political role and the leadership of the Jumblatt family upon the assassination of her husband Fouad Jumblatt in 1921.[2][6] She ran the family affairs until 1943 when her son Kamal took the reins of political and family leadership into his own hands.[2][6] Unlike her son, she had a close relationship with the French mandatory authorities.[2]
Following the assassination of Fouad Jumblatt, the two Jumblatt family branches of the Mukhtara clan, had an internal power struggle.[6] One was led by Nazira, and the second by Ali Jumblatt (Fouad's older brother) and his son Hikmat who challenged the leadership of Nazira.[6] Nazira managed to end this struggle in 1937 when her daughter Linda married Hikmat.[6] It was through Nazira's efforts that the Druze uprising in Hauran, which occurred between 1925 and 1927, did not spill over to other regions.[6] One of her personal friends and advisers was Paul Peter Meouchi, a Maronite bishop.[7] Nazira died on 27 March 1951.[8]
Legacy
French novelist Pierre Benoit used Al-Sitt Nazira as the model for the heroine of his 1924 novel La Châtelaine du Liban (the Châtelaine of Lebanon).[9][10] Sitt Nazira was also the main subject of the 2003 Lebanese documentary Lady of the Palace.