Shahrizor Eyalet Explained

Native Name:
Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928);: ایالت شهر زور
Common Name:Sharazor Eyalet
Subdivision:Eyalet
Nation:the Ottoman Empire
Year Start:1554
Year End:1862
P1:Safavid Empire
Flag P1:Safavid Flag.svg
S1:Baghdad Eyalet
Image Map Caption:The Sharazor Eyalet in 1609
Capital:Kirkuk
[1]
Sulaymaniyya (after 1784)
Today:Iraq
Iran

Shahrizor Eyalet (Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928);: ایالت شهر زور|Eyālet-i Šehr-i Zōr)[2] was a semi-independent eyalet of the Ottoman Empire covering the area of present-day Iraqi Kurdistan.

History

When the Ottomans conquered the region in 1554, they decided to leave the government of the region to Kurdish leaders, so it was not incorporated directly into the Ottoman administrative system.[3] The governors were members of Kurdish clans, and only rarely were there Ottoman garrisons in the province.[3]

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the eyalet came to be dominated by the Baban clan.[4] The members of this clan were able to maintain their rule by guaranteeing the security of the Ottoman Empire's volatile border with Iran in exchange of almost full autonomy.[4] The Sanjak of Baban, which included the town of Kirkuk, was named after the family.[4]

The Baban considered the Kurdish princes of Ardalan, who controlled the Iranian portions of Kurdistan, to be their natural rivals, and in 1694 Sulayman Beg Baban invaded Iran and defeated the mir of Ardalan.[4] After 1784,[3] the Babans moved their capital to the new town of Sulaymaniya, which was named after the dynasty's founder.[4]

In 1850 the rule of the Babans was finally brought to an end,[4] and the region was placed under the direct control of the governor of Baghdad in 1862.[3] However, the fall of the Babans led to a deterioration of the relations between the clans, and the resulting anarchy was only ended with the rise of another Kurdish clan, the Barzinji, in the early 20th century.[4]

Administrative divisions

Sanjaks of Sharazor Eyalet in the 17th century:[5]

  1. Sarujek
  2. Erbil
  3. Kesnan
  4. Sheher-bazar
  5. Jenguleh
  6. Jebel-hamrin
  7. Hazar-mardud
  8. Alhuran
  9. Merkareh
  10. Hazir
  11. Rudin
  12. Tiltari
  13. Sebeh
  14. Zenjir
  15. Ajub
  16. Abrumaz
  17. Pak
  18. Perteli
  19. Bilkas
  20. Aushni
  21. Kala-Ghazi
  22. Sanjak of Shahrizor

Notes and References

  1. Book: John Macgregor. Commercial statistics: A digest of the productive resources, commercial legislation, customs tariffs, of all nations. Including all British commercial treaties with foreign states. 2013-06-01. 1850. Whittaker and co.. 12.
  2. Web site: Some Provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Geonames.de. 25 February 2013.
  3. Book: Gábor Ágoston. Bruce Alan Masters. Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. 2013-06-01. 2009-01-01. Infobase Publishing. 978-1-4381-1025-7. 526.
  4. Book: Gábor Ágoston. Bruce Alan Masters. Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. 2013-06-01. 2009-01-01. Infobase Publishing. 978-1-4381-1025-7. 70.
  5. Book: Evliya Çelebi . Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa in the Seventeenth Century . Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall . Oriental Translation Fund . 1834 . 97 . 2013-06-01.