▁commander ▁or ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes ▁in ▁Sy ria ▁under ▁success ive ▁medieval ▁Muslim ▁states . ▁The ▁title ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁S ali h ▁ibn ▁M ird as , ▁but ▁was ▁formal ized ▁as ▁a ▁state ▁institution ▁by ▁the ▁A yy ub id ▁Sultan ate ▁and ▁strength ened ▁by ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁M aml uk ▁success ors . ▁The ▁office ▁was ▁preserved ▁under ▁the ▁early ▁Ott om ans ▁( 1 6 th – 1 7 th ▁centuries ), ▁at ▁least ▁cer emon ial ly , ▁but ▁its ▁importance ▁had ▁decl ined ▁by ▁then . ▁The ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁was ▁generally ▁limited ▁to ▁central ▁and ▁northern ▁Sy ria , ▁and ▁its ▁holder ▁often ▁held ▁i q ta ʿ at ▁( f ief s ) ▁in ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁ste ppe , ▁which ▁formed ▁the ▁im ar at ▁al - ʿ arab ▁( em ir ate ▁of ▁the ▁Bed ou ins ). ▁The ▁im ar at ▁al - ʿ arab ▁was ▁created ▁both ▁to ▁co - opt ▁the ▁often ▁reb elli ous ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁to ▁en list ▁their ▁support ▁as ▁auxili ary ▁troops . ▁Under ▁the ▁Mam lu ks , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁principal ▁duties ▁of ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁were ▁guard ing ▁the ▁desert ▁front ier ▁against ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁Il k han ate ▁in ▁Ira q ▁and ▁An atol ia , ▁ens