Two Historic Documents – Letters sent to the Governor of Safed, 1840-1841

Two Historic Documents – Letters sent to the Governor of Safed, 1840-1841
Two letters sent to Abd-el-Halim Aga, Governor of Safed, in view of the deterioration of the state of Jews in the Upper Galilee during the period following Ibrahim Pasha's rule. Safed, 1840-1841. Arabic. The first letter, of 1840, was written by Ahmed Zacharia Pasha, commander of Sidon and Tripoli's governor's army. He describes the complaints of Safed Jews regarding the occupation of houses, enslavement of people and confiscation of cattle, and orders the Governor of Safed to restore peace and serenity of Jewish life and provide them with security and defense. It is also mentioned in the letter that R'[Haim Nissim] Abulafia, is in charge of all of his community.
The second letter, of April 1841, deals with the same matter. The writer (signature not clear) announces that a letter was received from R' Haim Abulafia concerning the appointment of two representatives of Safed Jewry – Haim Mizrahi and Haim Franco, and all requests towards the Jewish community have to be addressed to them. Translation of both letters appears in the book "Mechkarim U-Mekorot" by Yitzchak Ben-Zvi. (Edited by Zalman Shazar and Meir Benayahu). Yad Ben-Zvi publishing, Jerusalem, 1966. See attached material. 19.5X32 cm; 20X30 cm. Good condition. Stains, folding-marks, tears, restored with adhesive tape.