Lebanon's First Conquerors

In the early 16th century, the Ottoman Turks conquered Lebanon and other regions in the area.  The expansion of the Ottoman Empire led to political and economical changes in Lebanon.  The rule under the Ottomans was not as bad as other countries that had been conquered.  The Ottomans allowed the Lebanese to practice their own religion, as long as the Lebanese kept the economy going by paying their taxes.  Leaders emerged from two different religious groups, the Muslims (also called the Druze) and the Christians (also called the Maronites) (A).  This caused long-lasting friction between the two groups.  Eventually, this friction led to a two-year war, which the Christians came out of in victory (A).  This triumph brought the Ottoman Empire officially into Lebanon.  The Christians looked upon this 'friendly' takeover as a good thing because the conquerors would not bother them because of their similarities in religions (A).  This ruling lasted until World War I from 1914 to 1918.