Ottoman Frontier Expansion in Hawran

Abstract

This study aims to explore the transformation of Hawran following its incorporation into the Damascus province as a sanjak in 1864 within the context of Ottoman frontier expansion. The integration of Hawran into the heart of the Ottoman Empire can be attributed to a set of interconnected factors. First, in the encouraging atmosphere created by infrastructural initiatives and the sedentarization of nomads, the merchants, who were rather integrated into international markets in cities such as Mosul, Damascus, and Nablus, extended their trading activities to the newly established regions. This dynamic created a mutually beneficial relationship between the Ottoman government and these merchants concerning the frontier regions. As the traditional patronage system proved inadequate for this trade, Hawrani peasants directly engaged as business partners with the newly prosperous Damascene merchants. Particularly noteworthy was the establishment of enduring trading alliances between Druze sheikhs and these affluent merchants, which gradually evolved into significant socio-cultural associations.