Fakhr al Din and his family may be the most well-known Kurdish power-holders in 17th-century Lebanon, but there were many other Kurdish families who relocated to Lebanon during the early modern period. Reading Stefan Winter's books provides an excellent introduction to their migratory stories. Winter's research has the distinction of being based on Ottoman documents.
What else can be said about these Lebanon-based families? They appear to represent the epitome of Kurdish historical elites in terms of their approach to religious identity. Families that could achieve material aims by switching ostensibly from their previous (nominal) religions did just that. Modern religious readers usually make the mistake of conflating their own approach to religion with that of elite historical figures. It appears to be an incorrect view in too many instances, because these families, who changed religions as easily as one changes underwear, were representative of historical Kurdish political elites in terms of profile.
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