The a'yan became such a powerful, [[Landed gentry|landed]] elite class that many formed their own [[Army|armies]]. Technically, these armies were at the service of the [[Sultan]] and could be called upon to fight for the Ottoman Empire (which they often were during the Ottomans' many wars in the 17th and 18th centuries.). However, they also had significant [[freedom]] to operate. "While, on the one hand, they were military [[vassal]]s to the sultan, serving in Ottoman armies during times of war, they remained, on the other hand, effectively autonomous in their home districts."<ref name=Williams1981>{{cite journal |last1=Williams |first1=Sherry Lee |title=Ottoman land policy and social change: The Syrian provinces |journal=Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae |date=1981 |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=89–120 |jstor=23682273 }}</ref> These armies were primarily used to control and seize territory from other notables..
