Nablus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in 1517, along with the whole of Palestine. The Ottomans divided Palestine into six "sanjaqs" ("districts"): Safad, Jenin, Jerusalem, Gaza, Ajlun and Nablus, all of which were part of Ottoman Syria. These five "sanjaqs" were subdistricts of the Vilayet of Damascus. Sanjaq Nablus was further subdivided into five "nahiya" (subdistricts), in addition to the city itself. The Ottomans did not attempt to restructure the political configuration of the region on the local level such that the borders of the "nahiya" were drawn to coincide with the historic strongholds of certain families. Nablus was only one among a number of local centers of power within Jabal Nablus, and its relations with the surrounding villages, such as Beita and Aqraba, were partially mediated by the rural-based chiefs of the "nahiya". During the 16th century, the population was predominantly Muslim, with Jewish, Samaritan and Christian minorities.