The Abillama dynasty (Arabic: أبي اللمع, romanized: Abī al-Lamaʿ, sometimes shortened as بللّمع, Bil-Lamaʿ, also known as the Lamaʿids), was a prominent Arab Tanukhid clan. The Abillama trace their lineage to Muqaddam Abi Lamaʿ, who descended from the Banu Fawaris, an Arab tribe that migrated alongside the Tanukh from al-Hirah in modern-day Iraq to the Al-Aʿla Mountain, east of the city of Hama, before eventually settling in Lebanon. They assumed control over the Metn district, initially establishing themselves in Kfar Silwan, where they assumed the title of "Muqaddams of Kfar Silwan". By the late tenth century,^[a] they had embraced the Druze faith. They relocated to Ras el-Matn c. 1108 – c. 1109,^[b] where their influence extended over Shahar al-Metn, al-Jurd, the Beqaa, and later Bikfaya. The Lamaʿ were affiliated with the Qaysi faction and emerged as key supporters of the Maʿnids during their rule over Mount Lebanon. During the conflict between the Qaysi and Yamani factions from 1600 to 1711, which culminated in the Qaysi victory, they rose to prominence, particularly under the leadership of Muqaddam Murad al-Lammaʿi.^[1] Following Murad's valor in the Battle of Ain Dara in 1711, the Emir of Mount Lebanon Haydar Shihabi granted him the title of Emir. The Abillama converted to Maronite Christianity after the Shihabi conversion from Sunni Islam.^[2] Architecturally, the Abillamas contributed to the cultural heritage of Mount Lebanon by constructing numerous palaces and edifices, many of which remain extant.

Historical accounts identify the Abillamas as a branch of the Arab Tanukh clan that migrated from al-Hirah in modern-day Iraq to the Al-Aʿla Mountain, east of the city of Hama. Their arrival in Mount Lebanon is documented by Lebanese historial and priest Antun Daou's who recounts that the Tanukhids migrated in 820 from Al-Aʿla Mountain, driven by the heavy taxation imposed by the Abbasids,^[3] and in as a result of an incident involing a tax collector and a local woman. A man named Naba, outraged by the Abbasid official’s misconduct, killed him in retribution and fled to Lebanon with his family to escape the governor’s punishment. Historian Tannous Al-Shidyaq corroborates this account, adding that Naba sought refuge in Lebanon, where he founded the village of Kasarnaba, east of Keserwan near Baalbek. The governor of Aleppo’s demand for his surrender led his entire clan to migrate southward.^[4][5] A Tanukhid noble, known as Al-Mundhir, arrived with Naba’s tribe, along with ten clans, they settled in uninhabited lands, with Al-Mundhir settling in Sarhmoul and the others dispersing across the Lebanese mountain and surrounding territory.^[c][5] Among the ten clans that migrated with Emir Tanukh were Banu Fawaris, from whom the Abillama family descends.^[5]

Lebanese historian Saqr Yusuf Saqr presents another reason for the Tanukhid migration is political persecution, as their displacement from Syria coincided with that of the Maronites, who were targeted for their alliance with the Umayyads. As the Abbasids sought to eliminate the Umayyads and their supporters, both groups were forced to flee. The Maronites settled in Jbeil, Batroun, and northern Lebanon, while the Tanukhids established themselves in Wadi al-Taym and the surrounding mountainous regions. According to Saqr, this shared history of displacement and resistance laid the foundation for the Druze-Maronite alliance, which later solidified during the later centuries.^[5]

The aforementioned Banu Fawaris tribe, included muqaddam Abi Al-Lamaʿ of Kfar Silwan, the ancestor of the Lamaʿid lineage. He was known for his conflict with the Banu Al-Sawaf. His direct descendants formed three branches of the Lamaʿid dynasty: Qayd Bey, Murad, and Fares. Hassan bin Abdullah is the forefather of the Qayd Bey branch in Salima. His descendants settled to Ras Al-Metn, Shbaniyeh, Brummana, Beit Shabab, and Bikfaya. Murad bin Abdullah was the forefather of the Murad branch whose descendants settled in Qarnayel, Falougha, Al-Abadiyeh, Roumieh, Beit Shabab, and Bhannes. Fares bin Muhammad bin Al-Lam‘ was the forefather of the Fares branch in Baskinta.^[6]

The first recorded mention of the Abillama family in written historical accounts dates back to the Mamluk period; after the Maronite Patriarch Jeremiah III of Dmalsâ went Rome in 1282 AD, his deputee Bishop Tadros al-Aqouri wrote:^[3]

The Abi Lamaʿ family, muqaddams of Shahhar, Jurd, and Beqaa, fought in the year 1294 AD alongside the residents of Keserwan against the Damascene army advancing into Keserwan, inflicting upon them a severe defeat at Ain Sannin.^[d][7][3]

The Lebanese historian Tannus al-Shidyaq recorded that in 1610, the residences and fields of the Abillama family were decimated and burned:

The soldiers roamed across the regions of Jbeil and Keserwan, storming locations where it was believed that the princes were in hiding. They set fire to the homes of the Abillama family, as well as the Khazen, Hamadiyya, and Ani’yya clans, along with their administrators. They cut down their trees, plundered these lands, and left them in ruins.^[e][8][3]

The Abillama took control over the Metn district, initially establishing themselves in Kfar Silwan, where they assumed the title of "Muqaddams of Kfar Silwan". They relocated to Ras el-Matn c. 1108 – c. 1109, where their influence extended over Shahar al-Metn, al-Jurd, the Beqaa, and later Bikfaya.^[2] In 1626 AD, Emir Yusuf Maan appointed the leaders of the Abillama family as the feudal lords (muqaddam) of Keserwan.^[3]

The Abillama were affiliated with the Qaysi faction and emerged as key supporters of the Maʿnids during their rule over Mount Lebanon. During the conflict between the Qaysi and Yamani factions from 1600 to 1711, which culminated in the Qaysi victory in the Battle of Ain Dara in 1711. The Abillama rose to prominence, particularly under the leadership of Muqaddam Murad al-Lamʿi^[1] who, as a result of his valor in the Battle of Ain Dara, was grated by the Emir of Mount Lebanon Haydar Shihabi the hereditary title of Emir.^[2] To strengthen the alliance between the Shihab and Abillama families, Haydar Shihab married the daughter of Hussein Abillama, he also arranged marriages between his own daughters and members of the Abillama family, further solidifying the familial bonds between the two houses.^[9] Haydar also instituted a policy of parity between Maronite and Druze feudal lords. he elevated the status of the Jumblatt family, granting them the title of sheikhs and awarding them the region of Chouf as their hereditary fiefdom, the Talhouq family was also raised to the rank of sheikhdom and granted the Upper Gharb region. Similarly, Sheikh Ali al-Nakadi was assigned the village of Naameh, while Sheikh Qablan al-Qadi was awarded the Iqlim of Jezzine. Jumblatt Abd al-Malik was given the same title, and the feudal governance of Keserwan was transferred to the Khazen family, while the Hobeish sheikhs retained their control over the district of Ghazir.^[3] Haydar also expanded the Abillama's territorial holdings in the Metn.^[10][2][3]

After the fall of the Shihabi emirate in 1842, the Abillama family played a significant role in shaping Lebanon’s political landscape during the Ottoman era. When the Ottomans ended Shihabi rule and exiled Emir Bashir Shihab II to Istanbul, they appointed Omar Pasha al-Namsawi as governor of Mount Lebanon. This decision met resistance from Lebanese Christians, including Emir Haydar Abillama, who refused to cooperate with the new governor. Eventually, the Ottomans abandoned the idea of turning Lebanon into a Turkish province. A new system of governance was promulgated, dividing Lebanon into two districts (Kaymakamiyah): one Christian and one Druze. On 1 January 1843, Emir Haydar Ismail Abillama became the first Kaymakam of the Christian district, leading a turbulent period marked by sectarian strife and foreign interference. He died of a stroke on 11 May 1854 and was buried in Bikfaya. He was replaced by his nephew, Emir Bashir Assaf Abillama, by appointment from the Wali of Beirut Wassif Pasha. Bashir assumed the role but faced opposition, including from European consuls and local factions, particlarly from Khorshid Pasha, the new Wali of Beirut, which led to his ouster only fourt months after his appointment, and replacement by Emir Bashir Ahmad Abillama of Brummana in August 1854. The newly appointed Kaymakam relocated the administrative seat from Bikfaya to his hometown, Broummana, and faced growing opposition from the Lama‘ids, and the sheikhs of Keserwan the Khazin, the Hbeish families. On 11 May 1858, he fled to Beirut following public unrest, and on 27 May 1858, the Abillamas convened in Baabdat, unanimously rejecting his return to office. He remained however in office until 1860 when he was removed and replaced by Emir Hassan Abillama as caretaker. After his removal, Bashir Ahmad Abillama, sought to punish his rivals, the sheikhs of Keserwan. His actions instigated the rebellion against them, leading to what became known as the Peasants' Revolt or the uprising of Tanyus Shahin.^[11]

The Tanukhids were initially Arab polytheists. They converted to Nestorian Christianity around 410 CE under Al-Nu'man I ibn Imru al-Qays, the king of the Lakhmid Arabs and converted to Islam after its rise in 624 CE. By the late tenth to eleventh century, the Tanukhids adopted the Druze faith becoming adherents and proselytizer in Wadi al-Taym.^[6][12] In the early 18th century, Druze elites in Mount Lebanon began converting to Christianity due to their interactions with foreign missionaries, Maronite clergy, and other Eastern Christian sects,^[13] and particularly afrer a branch of the Shihab dynasty converted from Sunni Islam.^[2] The first recorded conversion was that of Abdallah Qaid Bey al-Lam‘i, who (d. 1717). This gradual process, lasting until the late 19th century, stemmed from the expansion of Christianity among the Druze nobility—particularly through Maronite influence—the efforts of Latin missionaries such as the Capuchins and Jesuits, and the spread of Maronite monastic orders like the Antonins.^[13] After the conversion of Abdallah Qayd Bey Abillama to Maronite Christianity, the sons of Prince Nassar Murad Al-Lama’i in Metn followed suit under the influence of Bishop Boulos Karam of Baskinta, then the Lama’id emirs of Qarnayel also converted around 1790 AD. Christianity later spread to Brummana and Beit Mary via the Antonine monks and to Ras Al-Matn through the Lebanese Maronite Order.^[13]

In the 18th century, Christian-Druze relations, particularly between Maronites and Druze, strengthened. As a result, some Druze endowments (awqaf) were allocated to Christian monasteries. The Capuchins maintained close ties with Emir Abdullah Abi al-Lamaʿ of Salima, while the Jesuits were connected to Emir Haydar Abi al-Lamaʿ of Bikfaya. The Antonine Order, the Lebanese Maronite Order, the Basilian Chouerite Order, and the Basilian Salvatorian Order offered their monasteries, educational and medical services to the Druze elite. The Abillama family supported monasteries with endowments and aid. Before converting to Christianity, they dedicated churches and monasteries. After conversion, they maintained ties with monks and patriarchs, overseeing religious endowments. Below is a lit of monasteries endowed by the Abillama emirs:^[14]

According to Zinat, the Battle of Ain Dara in 1711 marked a historical turning point in the adoption and spread of Islamic architecture within the fiefdoms governed by the Lamaʿid emirs. This shift occurred following their alliance through marriage with Emir Haydar Shihab, the Emir of Mount Lebanon at the time.^[15][16] This architectural transformation manifested in the infiltration and integration of Islamic architectural and decorative elements into the structures of Mount Lebanon, the center of the Lamaʿid emirs. This is evident in their palaces and residences in Salima, Ras al-Matn, Qarnayel, Falougha, Bekfaya, and Beit Shabab. The influence of their architectural style extended to the boundaries of their fiefdom, reaching as far as the Nahr al-Kalb River after the Battle of Ain Dara.^[16]

• Abi Abdallah, Abdallah (1997). تاريخ الموارنة ومسيحيي الشرق عبر العصور [The History of the Maronites and Eastern Christians Through the Ages] (in Arabic). Vol. 3. دار ملفات.
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• Bitar, Zinat (2010). فن العمارة و الزخرفة في الإمارة التنوخية: إمارة الغرب و بيروت [The Art of Architecture and Ornamentation in the Tanukhid Emirate: Emirate of the Gharb and Beirut.] (in Arabic). Beirut: مؤسسة التراث الدرزي [Druze Heritage Foundation]. ISBN 9789953017211.
• Carali, Paul Paulo / بولس قرألى (1932). " ". المجلة البطريركية (6).
• Chevallier, Dominique (1982) [1971]. La société du Mont Liban à l'époque de la révolution industrielle en Europe [The Society of Mount Lebanon at the Time of the Industrial Revolution in Europe] (in French) (2nd ed.). Beirut: Librairie orientaliste P. Geuthner. ISBN 9782705301842.
• Daou, Antoine (1990). تاريخ الامراء اللمعيين (in Arabic).
• Jabre-Mouawad, Ray; Nordiguian, Levon (2013). "Les Abillama, emirs du Metn : histoire et palais XIIIe-XIXe siecles". search.worldcat.org (in Dutch). Beirut: Dar An-Nahar. ISBN 9789953743639. OCLC 903282562. Retrieved 2025-02-18.

• Hachi, Salim Hassan / سليم حسن هشي (1984). "أبي+اللمع" تاريخ الأمراء الشهابيين : بقلم احد أمرائهم من وادي التيم (in Arabic). Beirut: دار لحد خاطر. OCLC 875084594.
• Al-Hajal, Mouawad Riad (22 October 2024). "تاريخ الأسرة اللمعية وأبرز وجوهها الانطلياسية" [The history of the Lam'i family and its prominent figures from Antelias.]. Aleph Lam. Retrieved 18 February 2025. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
• Mouawad, Pascal (2003). "صليما، ملجأ الأمراء ومرتع العز..." (Salima, the refuge of princes and the abode of glory...). Lebanese Army (in Arabic). قيادة الجيش - مديرية التوجيه. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
• Munayyir, Ḥanānīya / حنانيا المنيّر (1984) [1 May 1954]. الدر المرصوف في تاريخ الشوف / al-Durr al-marṣūf fī tārīkh al-Shūf (in Arabic). Beirut: جروس-برس. OCLC 1465402641.
• Saqr, Saqr Yusuf (2008). عائلات حكمت لبنان / ʻĀʼilāt ḥakamat Lubnān [Families that Ruled Lebanon] (in Arabic). Beirut: المركز العربي للمعلومات / al-Markaz al-ʻArabī lil-Maʻlūmāt. ISBN 9789953013763. OCLC 392645256.
• Al-Shidyaq, Tannus (1970) [1859]. كتاب أخبار الأعيان في جبل لبنان / Kitāb Akhbār al-Aʿyān fī Jabal Lubnān [The Chronicles of the Notables in Mount Lebanon] (in Arabic). Beirut: Lebanese University Press.
• Al-Shihabi, Emir Haydar Ahmad / أمير حيدر أحمد الشهابي (1984). لبنان في عهد الامراء الشهابيين [Lebanon During the Era of the Shihabi Emirs] (in Arabic). المكتبة البولسية لبنان.