Turabay ibn Qaraja (ALA-LC:Ṭurābāy ibn Qarājǎ, and sometimes transliterated asṬarābāy ibn Qarājǎ) was the chieftain of the Banu Haritha tribesmen in northernPalestine and anOttoman governor and tax farmer in theMarj Ibn Amer plain (Jezreel Valley). His career began under theMamluks in the late 15th century and continued under the Ottomans who kept him in his post as commander of the roads connectingDamascus withCairo andJerusalem in 1516 and soon after appointed him governor ofSafad. By 1538, he had been grantedtax farms in Marj Ibn Amer,Qaqun and in theAjlun region east of theJordan River. Turabay's descendants, theTurabay dynasty, continued to hold influence in Marj Ibn Amer as the hereditary governors ofLajjun until 1677.
Turabay belonged to the Banu Haritha tribe,[1] which claimed descent from the powerfulTayy tribe,[2] whose sub-branches had long-dominated the regions ofSyria and northernArabia. During the lateMamluk period in the 15th century, the Banu Haritha were semi-nomadicBedouin and inhabited the rural hinterlands ofNablus in northernPalestine.[1] Turabay's father, Qaraja, was appointed by the Mamluks as chieftain of theMarj Ibn Amer plain north of Nablus.[3] Turabay succeeded Qaraja after the latter was killed in 1480.[3] Though they wereArabs, both Qaraja and Turabay were non-Arabic Mamluk names.[4]
The Mamluks lost Syria to theOttomans after theBattle of Marj Dabiq in 1516. Turabay defected to the Ottoman sultanSelim I, who reaffirmed Turabay's position in Marj Ibn Amer, including his post asamir al-darbayn (commander of the two roads i.e.Damascus–Cairo and Damascus–Jerusalem).[3] Selim and Turabay maintained cordial relations.[5] Selim informed Turabay of his victory over the Mamluks at theBattle of Raydaniyya in Cairo and commanded him to arrest fugitive Mamluks escaping Egypt through Turabay's territory; senior emirs were to be handed over to the Ottomans in Egypt, while regular soldiers were to be executed.[3] When Selim departed Damascus for the Ottoman capital,Constantinople, in 1518, Turabay was among the dignitaries who bade him farewell.[5] By then, Turabay had been appointed thesanjak-bey (district governor) ofSafad Sanjak.[5]
During the revolt of the governor of Damascus,Janbirdi al-Ghazali, against Selim, Turabay backed the Ottomans.[6] Pro-Janbirdi Bedouin attacked the tribesmen of Turabay in the vicinity of Nablus, capturing their horses and camels.[7] After the revolt was stamped out, Turabay's status rose, and the Ottomans granted him more territory.[6] In 1531/32, Turabay constructed the fortress ofal-Ukhaydir on theHajj pilgrimage route, on the orders of Mustafa Pasha, governor ofDamascus Eyalet (Province of Damascus).[1] The fort was built to deter the often-rebellious tribesmen ofBanu Lam and Banu Uqbah from harassing the Hajj pilgrims.[1]
Ottoman registers from 1538 indicate the extent of Turabay's political authority in Damascus Eyalet; he was listed as thetimar-holder (akin totax farmer) of the villages of Marj Ibn Amer inLajjun Sanjak, thenahiya (subdistrict) ofQaqun inNablus Sanjak and thenahiyas of Banu Kinanah, Banu Atiyya and Banu Juhmah inAjlun Sanjak east of theJordan River.[5] He was also entrusted with supervising thenahiya ofal-Ghawr in Ajlun Sanjak.[3] Following Turabay's death (year unknown), his clan, theTurabay dynasty, were in rebellion for unknown reasons.[6] By 1559, however, the clan's circumstances stabilized, and Turabay's son Ali was appointedsanjak-bey of Lajjun Sanjak, which consisted of the Marj Ibn Amer, lowerGalilee and the hills aroundJenin.[6] Turabay's other son, Assaf, succeeded Ali circa 1571 and governed Lajjun for over a decade.[6] Members of the clan continued to rule Lajjun as a hereditary post until they were replaced by an Ottoman officer in 1677.[8]