Kurdish emirates

The Kurdish chiefdoms or principalities were several semi-independent entities which existed during the 16th to 19th centuries during the state of continuous warfare between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Iran. The Kurdish principalities were almost always divided and entered into rivalries against each other. The demarcation of borders between the Safavid Shah Safi and the Ottoman caliph Sultan Murad IV in 1639 effectively divided Kurdistan between the two empires.

The eyalet of Diyarbakir was the center of the major and minor Kurdish chiefdoms. However, other Kurdish emirates existed outside of Diyarbakir.

Policy during the Ottoman-Persian wars

The Ottomans gave the Kurds self-rule during the Ottoman-Persian wars, to ensure that the Kurds remain on the Ottoman side. After the Treaty of Erzurum in 1823 the Persian threat was reduced & the Ottomans brought the Kurdish Chiefdoms under direct control.

List

Northern Kurdistan

Beylik's name	Capital city	Duration of rule
Principality of Bohtan	Cizre	early 8th century–1847
Principality of Eğil	Eğil	1049–1864
Principality of Bitlis	Bitlis	1187–1847
Emirate of Çemişgezek	Çemişgezek	13th century–1663
Emirate of Hasankeyf	Hasankeyf	1232–1524
Emirate of Hâkkari	Hâkkari	before 1380s–1847
Principality of Zirqan	Mardin, later Gürdükan, finally Ataq	1335–1835
Principality of Suleyman		15th century–1838
Principality of Mahmudi		1406–1839
Emirate of Pazooka	Eleşkirt	1499–1587
Emirate of Miks	Bahçesaray	?–1846
Emirate of Kilis	Kilis
Emirate of Şirvan	Şirvan	?–1840s
Emirate of Palu	Palu	1495–1850

See also

• Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire
• List of Kurdish dynasties and countries
• Ayyubids
• Shaddadids
• Islamic Emirate of Byara
• Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro
• Mount Lebanon Emirate

References

• Evli̇ya Çelebi̇ in Diyarbekir: the relevant section of The seyahatname, p. 19, at Google Books By Evli̇ya Çelebi̇, Martin van Bruinessen, Hendrik Boeschoten