Photonews Logo Photonews logo
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Balochistan
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
    Gen V Season 2 trailer
    Videos

    Gen V Season 2 Trailer Cast, Plot, Premiere Details

    July 26, 2025 3 Min Read
    IShowSpeed Daniel La Belle race
    Videos

    IShowSpeed Beats Daniel La Belle in 40-Meter Race, Hits 41M Subscribers

    June 24, 2025 2 Min Read
    Cardi B new single Outside
    Videos

    Cardi B’s ‘Outside’ Single Sparks Buzz Over Offset and Stefon Diggs

    June 20, 2025 2 Min Read
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Reading: The Fall of the Assad Dynasty: End of Alawite Rule
PhotoNews PakistanPhotoNews Pakistan
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Balochistan
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Photonews. All Rights Reserved.
End of Assad Dynasty and family tree
PhotoNews Pakistan > Blog > The Fall of the Assad Dynasty: End of Alawite Rule
Blog

The Fall of the Assad Dynasty: End of Alawite Rule

Abdul Malik
By Abdul Malik Published December 8, 2024 3 Min Read
Share
Family Tree of Assad Family (Photo Credits: Library illinois Edu), and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. (Photo Credits: The Atrum Belli)
SHARE

The Assad family’s governance in Syria, spanning over five decades, has come to an abrupt end. Today, insurgent forces have overtaken Damascus, the nation’s capital, leading to President Bashar al-Assad‘s flight and effectively concluding the dynasty’s reign.

For years, the Alawite-led dynasty maintained control over a predominantly Sunni populace, beginning with Hafez al-Assad’s rise to power through a coup on November 13, 1970. This era, characterized by political upheaval and frequent coups post-independence, saw Hafez, from the Alawite minority, ascend from Syrian Air Force commander to the head of state, establishing a network of loyalty within the military and the Ba’ath Party.

Hafez utilized divide-and-rule strategies, exploiting the country’s ethnic and religious divisions, thereby centralizing his power and creating a fragile state infrastructure. He strategically placed Alawites, a historically marginalized group, in influential military and governmental positions while manipulating sectarian and tribal lines to mitigate threats and consolidate his rule.

The Alawite Ascendancy and Ba’ath Party Influence

Post-1946 independence, the Alawites, constituting about 12-15% of the pre-war population, became a significant political and military force, bolstering the secular, inclusive Ba’ath Party founded in 1947. This contrasted with the Sunni-dominated Muslim Brotherhood, promoting Arab nationalism and secularism.

The intention was for Hafez’s legacy to continue through his eldest son, Bassel. Still, his sudden death in 1994 led to Bashar, an inexperienced ophthalmologist, inheriting the presidency in 2000, confirmed by a referendum securing 97% of the vote. Initially, Bashar’s rule brought hopes of reform, but these quickly faded as he retained his father’s authoritarian system and advisers.

Economic Challenges and Governance Under Bashar

Unlike his father’s, Bashar’s rule involved replacing old guards with his urban elite allies, lacking grassroots support and alienating rural populations. His tenure saw significant economic mismanagement, with GDP growth benefiting a narrow elite and exacerbating inequality, poverty, and corruption. A severe drought and poor resource management pushed many rural Syrians into cities, further straining societal divides.

Read: Mohammed Al-Jolani’s Rise Syria’s Rebel Victory

The governance model under Bashar, designed to be coup-proof, maintained power through a complex system of overlapping security agencies and patronage, keeping Syria a de facto dictatorship despite superficial democratic processes.

The Arab Spring and Syria’s Civil War

The 2011 uprising, part of the Arab Spring, escalated from peaceful protests to a devastating civil war, marking years of brutal crackdowns, significant casualties, and widespread displacement. The recent offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly associated with al-Qaeda, signifies a pivotal challenge to Assad’s rule, capturing Damascus and ending over half a century of the Assad family’s control.

TAGGED:Featured
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

HBL Saving Made Easy
HBL Saving Made Easy

Recent Posts

Suryakumar Yadav Asia Cup final

Suryakumar Yadav Downplays Hype for India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final

Marvel’s Wolverine PS5

Marvel’s Wolverine PS5: Release Date, Villains, and Gameplay Revealed

IMF Pakistan circular debt to Zero

IMF Asks Pakistan to Bring Circular Debt to Zero

Post Archives

More Popular from Photonews

Carruthers Geocorona Observatory
Offbeat

NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory to Study Earth’s Hydrogen Halo

2 Min Read
Iran Russia nuclear deal
Top NewsWorld

Iran and Russia Sign $25 Billion Nuclear Power Plant Deal Amid Sanctions Threat

2 Min Read
Michael Jackson for Trial
Entertainment

Michael Jackson Estate Faces $400M Lawsuit from Robson and Safechuck

3 Min Read
Offbeat

Charlie Sheen Boasts “I’ve Slept with Over 47,000 Women”

Charlie Sheen, once TV’s highest-paid actor, made headlines with his Netflix documentary Alias Charlie Sheen, released…

September 26, 2025
Entertainment

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal Announce First Child on the Way

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal shared joyous news on September 23, 2025, announcing that they are…

September 23, 2025
Tech

US-China TikTok Deal: ByteDance Keeps Board Seat, Data in US Clouds

The United States and China have agreed on a framework for TikTok's US operations. This avoids…

September 21, 2025
Pakistan

5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Friday, September 26, 2025,…

September 26, 2025
PhotoNews Pakistan

Always Stay Up to Date

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Categories

  • World
  • Pakistan
  • Punjab
  • Sindh
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Balochistan
  • Azad Jammu Kashmir

 

  • Top News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Videos
  • Tech
  • Offbeat
  • Blog

© 2024 Phototnews
All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?