- ʿ arab ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Bed ou in ▁em irs ▁were ▁class ified ▁as ▁ar b ā b ▁al - su y ū f ▁( men ▁of ▁the ▁sword ), ▁i . e . ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁hierarchy . ▁The ▁rank ▁of ▁an ▁am ir ▁al - ʿ arab ▁was ▁equal ▁to ▁an ▁am ir ▁mi ʿ a ▁mu q add am ▁al f ▁( em ir ▁of ▁one ▁hundred ▁[ mount ed ▁troops ], ▁commander ▁of ▁one ▁thousand ) ▁and ▁n ā ẓ ir ▁al - j ay sh ▁( head ▁of ▁the ▁army ) ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁the ▁na ' ib ▁( g overn or ) ▁of ▁H oms . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁Ott om ans ▁preserved ▁the ▁im ar at ▁al - arab ▁at ▁least ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁title ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁am ir ▁ ʿ arab - i ▁Sh ā m . ▁However , ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁am ir ▁al - arab ▁and ▁his ▁status ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁administration ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁Sy ria ▁are ▁not ▁well - defined ▁in ▁the ▁contemporary ▁sources , ▁according ▁to ▁historian ▁Muhammad ▁Ad nan ▁B akh it . ▁The ▁provincial ▁records ▁of ▁Dam asc us ▁E y alet ▁( Pro v ince ▁of ▁Dam asc us ), ▁whose ▁juris diction ▁extended ▁throughout ▁Sy ria ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 th ▁century , ▁do ▁not ▁mention ▁the ▁em ir ate ' s ▁function