As he entered office on 25 February a price hike for bread in the city spiked due to the short supply of grain as a result of the severe winter that preceded his rule.
Damascene notables heading to Husayn Pasha's residence to welcome him were assaulted by some protesters and vocally condemned for alleged grain hoarding and "exploiting the poor and miserable".
(advance guard) was assaulted by a coalition of Bedouin tribes led Qa'dan Al-Fayez of the Bani Sakhr in al-Qatranah near al-Karak.
Its commander Musa Pasha was wounded and died seeking help in Daraa, while most of the jurdah dispersed, fleeing to Hauran, Gaza, Jerusalem or Ma'an.
The Bedouin tribes launched a massive assault against the caravan south of Tabuk in October, looting it and massacred Muslim pilgrims, including the sister of Ottoman sultan Osman III, in the process.
[7] The Ottoman authorities remained suspicious of Zahir nonetheless,[8] and also believed that ex-governor As'ad Pasha had a hand in the raid since no attacks against the caravan had occurred during his 15-year governorship.
The yerliyya Janissaries revolted, causing businesses in Damascus to shutter and prices of bread to more than double, leading to more riots in the city.