Southern Syria

[6] Throughout the Ottoman period, prior to World War I, the Levant was viewed administratively as part of one province called the Vilayet of Syria and was divided into districts known as "Sanjaks".

[citation needed] In 1884, the governor of Damascus proposed the establishment of a new Vilayet in southern Syria, composed of the regions of Jerusalem, Balqa' and Ma'an though nothing came out of this.

After the war, the Hashemite prince Faisal attempted to establish Pan-Levantine state —a united kingdom that would comprise all of what eventually became Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, but he was stymied by conflicting promises made by the British to different parties (see Sykes–Picot Agreement), leading to the French creation of the mandate of Syria and Lebanon in 1920.

[10][11] The notables in Faisal's government in Damascus, such as Iraqis and Damascenes, including the Palestinians, had some conflict, and each sought to place their interests above others.

[10] According to the Minutes of the Ninth Session of the League of Nations' Permanent Mandates Commission, held in 1926, "Southern Syria" was suggested by some as the name of Mandatory Palestine in the Arabic language.