The history of Jordan during the Ottoman period is concentrated on three main subjects: administration, Hajj forts or citadels and pilgrimage stations and the Hijaz Railway system.
The administrative system of Jordan, specifically during the second phase of Ottoman rule (1864–1918), consisted of two main geographical districts: Ajlun and Irbid in the north and Salt, Kerak, Ma'an and Tafileh in the south. All of these districts came under the jurisdiction of the governor of Syria who was the highest administrative authority of Bilad al Sham. In 1878, the Ottomans introduced Circassian emigrants to Arab lands, and these settlers established new villages and cities influenced by the different cultures that had settled in Jordan.