Cyma Farah 

Abstract:
The article focuses on the outbreak of the Great Syrian Revolt in the northern Biqaʿ. This previously untold story relies on the private papers of Tawfiq Hawlu Haydar, one of the leaders of the revolt, many oral interviews, and a collection of rare Arabic books and articles. I closely analyze the role of Tawfiq Hawlu and his mother Shahina in the revolution, but also the role of their senior relatives who collaborated with the French mandate. I employ a gendered narrative that explores ideals of masculinity and femininity to understand the culture of resistance amongst the population. I showcase how the revolution shook social and gender hierarchies, as traditional positive models of masculinity were extended to include the women who—together with the majority of the peasantry—supported the military fighters’ resistance to both: the colonial authorities and the political class of Arab notables who collaborated with the mandate.

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