Many people, looking from the perspective of XXI century and knowing what happened try to read the story of XIX ccentury Jerusalem in a way that would suit their preconceptions. It is very natural and human, it is acceptable if done honestly and unacceptable if it is thought to serve some propaganda (as it often does).
I have myself some preconceptions (how could I not) but I am also genuinely interested and fascinated in the past, in the ways people lived, wored, thought... There are of course times and places more fascinating to some of us. For me Jerusalem is THE place and her history - throughout the time - a fascinating tale. Yet XIX century was for many reasons special (if in such a special place we may find special times, but I believe we do) and I would like to share some reflections on XIX century Jerusalem in context of relationships between her inhabitants. As I am only amatour in history I will wholeheartedly welcome feedback from any professional historians of the period.
Throughout XIX century Jerusalem was a provincial city in vast Ottoman empire. Yet, there were already very clear signs of its decline, one of the most important being Napoleonic wars, other so called Albanian conquest (though it had little to do with Albania as a country except for the main character in the story) and finally renewed European interest in Jerusalem, mostly on religious ground.
Between 1830-1840 Jerusalem was conquered by Albanian born Muslim, Mehmet Ali, who created dynasty rulling over Egypt for well over 100 years - they were in power in Egypt during building of Suez canal, during Mahdi"s rising, murder of Gordon and war with Kitchener, during IIWW and still when modern Israel came into being, overruled only in 1952. Mehmet Ali was a magnificent warrior but very cruel man and his governor for Jerusalem and adjacent lands, Ibrahim, was known as "Red" (and not because his looks). The land was conquered from weakened Ottoman empire and both the empire and Mehmet Ali were trying for European powers support to keep the rule over the land. Thus for the first time since crusades period the European political interest in what was known after Napoleonic wars as "Palestine" (the name given later also to British protectorate) was renewed.
After infamous "Albanian" period with its bloody rebels and their bloodier still fighting by Ibrahim there came again the Ottoman empire, but already opened for European influx with European and American consuls in place. Different Jerusalem.
How did she look like? Who inhabited her?
Around 1840 there were approximately 5,000 Jews; 4,500 Muslims and around 3,500 Christians of different denominations living in Jerusalem. At the time more liberal attitude towards non-Muslims had been introduced. By 1870 Jewish population reached 11,000 and constituted absolute majority inside the Old City (we are still well before even creation of Zionist movement, but hundreds years after the prayer "next year in Jerusalem" was introduced).
Due to sir Montefiore's financial and organisational help the living conditions (still very poor) were slowly improving.
And the relationships between different groups? Simon Sebag Montefiore in his book about Jerusalem describes it like that: "At the end of the Ramadan fast, all the religions celebrated with a feast and a fair outside the walls, with merry-go-rounds and horseraces (...). During the Jewish festival of Purim, Muslim and Christian Arabs dressed up in the traditional Jewish costumes, and all three religions attended the Jewish Picnic held at the tomb of Simon the Just north of Damascus Gate. Jews presented their Arab neighbours with matzah and invited them to the Passover Seder dinner, while the Arabs returned the favour by giving the Jews newly baked bread when the festival ended. Jewish mohels often circumcised Muslim children. Jews held parties to welcome their Muslim neighbours back from haj. (...) During droughts, the ulema asked the Sephardic rabbies to pray for rain." Sounds like paradise and without doubts there were lots of bonds between communities and lots of cooperation (and sometimes ganuinly good feeling and friendship). The city was poor and cooperation was making life easier for everybody. The advantages of friendship and peace also weren't lost on (nearly) anybody. Yet in this nice picture there already have been seeds of future conflict. At the time the most hostile to Jews were Ortodox Christian Arabs who were insulting them in their traditional Easter songs and lynching on their way to church. But Muslims were also often attacking both Jews and Christians, specially after the Nabi Musa festivities.
The traditional pecking order under Ottomans was: Turks, Arabs, Christians, Jews. Now, in a wake of XIX-century formal equality the system started to collapse. Yet not everyone (obviously) wanted to see it go. When sultan Abdul-Hamid II entered the throne he was forced (by Russians) to introduce constitution (ironically enough much earlier than it was introduced in Russia itself), yet when he had gained power he cancelled it and started to promote specific, Ottoman nationalism combined with a pan-Islamic loyalty to the caliphate.
The struggle between European powers, the Crimean war and the trials to resuccitate Ottoman Empire all had their influence on Jerusalem. new hostilities were born, helped by foreign, specially British and Russian, influences. European-brand anti_Semitism was brought and joined the local, Arab one creating deathly mixture. Jerusalem, the provincial city, was at the recieving end of global stirrups. The age of nationalisms, genocide and global divisions was fast approaching...
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