The 1841 Ottoman census gave a figure of 1,200 -- 1,300 for the Maronite population .
The number of Maronites kept declining through the Ottoman rule ; 19 Maronite villages were recorded in the 15th century and the number had fallen to 9 by 1661 .
The 1841 Ottoman census gave a figure of 1,200 -- 1,300 for the Maronite population .
The number of Maronites kept declining through the Ottoman rule ; 19 Maronite villages were recorded in the 15th century and the number had fallen to 9 by 1661 .