 Aqil secured a durable alliance with the Beni Sakhr , consecrated through his marriage to a woman from the tribe . From Transjordan , he and his band of irregulars raided areas on both sides of the Jordan River until he was invited back to the Galilee by Acre 's kaimakam in 1847 . The latter had sought to neutralize Aqil and his allies ' marauding activities , and thus pardoned Aqil . He was also given command of 75 bashi @-@ bazouk in Lower Galilee . Thereafter , he was commissioned with overseeing that region 's security . In particular , the successive governors of Acre entrusted him with protecting the Galilee 's trade routes and maintaining general security in the area , which he did successfully . With time , he became an unofficial mutasallim ( tax collector ) for much of northern Palestine , including the Jezreel Valley , Safad , Tiberias and Nazareth . The tax he collected was not on behalf of the authorities , but rather a tribute payment ( khuwwa ) to receive his protection . While this unofficial system proved successful in guaranteeing local security , later historians criticized it as akin to a protection racket . 
