▁the ▁early ▁Ott oman ▁era , ▁when ▁the ▁i q ta ʿ ▁was ▁supp l anted ▁by ▁the ▁tim ar . ▁Besides ▁Sal ami y ah ▁and ▁Pal my ra , ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁granted ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁tim ar ▁gr ants ▁in ▁the ▁Haw ran ▁plain ▁south ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁ ▁D ut ies ▁In ▁return ▁for ▁i q ta ʿ at , ▁annual ▁custom ary ▁pay ments , ▁and ▁honor ary ▁titles ▁and ▁ro bes , ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁command ▁his ▁hors emen ▁as ▁auxili aries ▁in ▁the ▁wars ▁against ▁the ▁Mong ols , ▁the ▁Cr us aders , ▁their ▁al lies ▁and ▁reb elli ous ▁M aml uk ▁em irs . ▁Another ▁expectation ▁of ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁and ▁the ▁lower - ran king ▁trib al ▁ch ie ft ains ▁was ▁intelligence ▁gather ing ▁regarding ▁enemy ▁movements ▁near ▁the ▁front ier . ▁Among ▁the ▁official ▁duties ▁of ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁and ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes ▁was ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁s ultan ate ' s ▁boundaries , ▁and ▁maintenance ▁and ▁o vers ight ▁of ▁the ▁roads , ▁brid ges ▁and ▁mountain ▁passes ▁of ▁the ▁desert ▁and ▁within ▁their ▁i q ta ʿ at . ▁This ▁also ▁ent a iled ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁merchant ▁travel ers ▁and ▁the ▁annual ▁H aj j ▁pil gr im ▁car avan , ▁which ▁travers ed ▁Bed ou in ▁territory ▁to ▁reach