Ottoman Frontier Expansion in Hawran

This study aims to explore the transformation of Hawran following its incorporation into theDamascus province as a sanjak in 1864 within the context of Ottoman frontier expansion. Theintegration 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 initiativesand the sedentarization of nomads, the merchants, who were rather integrated into internationalmarkets in cities such as Mosul, Damascus, and Nablus, extended their trading activitiesto the newly established regions. This dynamic created a mutually beneficial relationshipbetween the Ottoman government and these merchants concerning the frontier regions. Asthe traditional patronage system proved inadequate for this trade, Hawrani peasants directlyengaged as business partners with the newly prosperous Damascene merchants. Particularlynoteworthy was the establishment of enduring trading alliances between Druze sheikhs andthese affluent merchants, which gradually evolved into significant socio-cultural associations.