 Aqil 's irregulars attracted the membership of local individuals and small clans . Along with his alliance with the two powerful tribes of the region , the Beni Sakhr and the Anizzah , Aqil 's autonomy in the Galilee was further strengthened , although he was nominally subordinate to the Ottoman authorities . He based himself in the Zaydani fortress of I 'billin , a mixed Muslim @-@ Christian village between Acre and Nazareth that was previously fortified by the family of Zahir al @-@ Umar . By 1852 , Aqil had ceased residing in I 'billin , instead preferring the traditional Bedouin lifestyle , dwelling in encampments and among his livestock . At this point , he ruled the area between Shefa- ' Amr to Baysan . He and his Hanadi tribesmen characteristically dressed in brown @-@ striped robes . 
