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Abdul Rahman Shahbandar | |
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 Shahbandar in January 1920 | |
| Born | (1879-11-06)November 6, 1879 |
| Died | July 6, 1940(1940-07-06) (aged 60) |
| Known for | Syrian nationalist |
| Spouse | Sarah |
Abdul Rahman Shahbandar (Arabic:عبد الرحمن الشهبندر;ALA-LC:‘Abd al-Raḥman al-Shahbandar; November 6, 1879 – July 6, 1940) was a Syrian statesman and prominent nationalist figure during theFrench Mandate of Syria. He was a leading opponent of compromise with the French colonial authority in Syria, and his devotion toArab nationalism dated to the days of theCommittee of Union and Progress and its "Turkification" policies. Shahbandar supported theArab Revolt during theFirst World War and briefly headed the foreign ministry under EmirFaisal.
When France occupied Syria in July 1920 he fled the country. Shahbandar returned in 1921 and organized theIron Hand Society to agitate against French rule. This was the first Syrian nationalist group to emerge inDamascus during the Mandate and Shahbandar organized its spread toHoms andHama.[1] In April 1922, the French arrested him and other Iron Hand leaders for incitement against their rule. The arrests triggered several days of demonstrations and bloody confrontation between protesters and French forces in Damascus. Nonetheless, the French tried Shahbandar for subversive activities and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment.
After serving 1½ years of his sentence the French sent him into exile where he joined the activities of the Syrian-Palestine Congress based inCairo. The French allowed him to return to Syria in 1924. The following year Shahbandar guided the formation of Syria's first nationalist party, thePeople's Party. He then helped organize the spread of theSyrian Revolution fromJabal Druze to the rest of Syria. He eluded the French authorities and moved to Jabal Druze for the duration of the revolt. There he andSultan al-Atrash formed a provisional government. When the revolt collapsed in 1927 Shahbandar fled toTransjordan and from there toEgypt.
In 1937 a French amnesty allowed him to return from exile and he directed his supporters to oppose theFranco-Syrian Treaty on the grounds that it granted France privileges that detracted from Syrian sovereignty. He was joined by powerful Syrian politicians such asMunir al-Ajlani. He also directed a political campaign to discredit theNational Bloc government of Prime MinisterJamil Mardam Bey. DuringWorld War II the French considered cooperating with Shahbandar because of his opposition to the National Bloc and because of support for him from Britain and theHashemites.
In July 6, 1940, Shahbandar was killed inDamascus. The French accused several prominent National Bloc figures, including Jamil Mardam andSaadallah al-Jabiri, of plotting the murder and they fled toIraq. While Shahbandar was one of Syria's most popular leaders he never built up an organization that would perpetuate his political legacy.
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