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Mir Muhammed Rebellion

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Mir Muhammed Rebellion
Part of Timeline of Kurdish uprisings

Kurdistan under the Ottoman Empire (1823)
Date1830[1][2]–1838[1]
Location
Upper Mesopotamia, Eastern Anatolia
Result

Ottoman victory[3][4][5]

  • Mir Muhammed surrendered[4][5]
  • Rebellion was suppressed[5]
  • Kurdistan was reintegrated into the Ottoman provincial system[6]
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire Soran Emirate
Commanders and leaders
Reşid Mehmed Pasha
Circassian Hafiz Mehmed Pasha		 Mir Muhammed of Rawanduz (POW)
Bedir Khan Beg
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy[7][8]

The Mir Muhammed Rebellion was a Kurdish uprising led by Mir Muhammed of Rawanduz between 1830 and 1838 against the Ottoman Empire. Mir Muhammed, seeking autonomy and inspired by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, launched a campaign to unify Kurdish tribes and expand his influence in Upper Mesopotamia. The rebellion coincided with the weakening of Ottoman central authority, allowing him to challenge imperial rule until the Ottomans suppressed the uprising in 1835–1838. Following his surrender, the Soran Emirate was dissolved, and Kurdish regions were reincorporated into the Ottoman administrative structure.

Background

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Mir Muhammed of Rawanduz, emir of the Soran Emirate, emerged as a dominant regional figure in the early 1830s.[9][10] Inspired by the example of Muhammad Ali of Egypt, he aimed to establish a semi-independent Kurdish state within the Ottoman Empire. He forcefully subdued neighboring Kurdish tribes and positioned himself as a significant local ruler. This period saw increasing political awareness among Kurdish notables, coupled with a growing desire for autonomy.[11][12]

Taking advantage of declining imperial control, Mir Muhammed expanded his influence into Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Mosul. During this campaign, he briefly allied with Bedir Khan Beg of Cizre, attempting to unite Kurdish leaders in opposition to the Ottomans.[3][13]

According to archival Ottoman sources, Mir Muhammed’s territorial control extended well beyond these core cities. He captured large portions of the Shahrizor region, including Koy Sanjaq, Harir, Köprü, and parts of Erbil, and expanded northward into Cizre, Bohtan, Amadiya, and reportedly even as far as Siirt. By 1835, his dominion also included sections of the Bahdinan[14] and Baban Kurdish principalities.[15][16]

In 1832 and 1833, as the Ottoman Empire faced multiple threats (including the Wahhabi rebellion and rising tensions with Muhammad Ali of Egypt), officials temporarily pursued a diplomatic approach toward Mir Muhammed. Rather than confronting him militarily, the central administration granted him the honorary title of "Pasha" in an attempt to co-opt his authority and delay open conflict.[17][18]

Rebellion and Ottoman Response

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The rebellion formally began in 1834, following increased Ottoman concern over Mir Muhammed’s growing power. An imperial force under Reşid Mehmed Pasha was dispatched to suppress the uprising and reassert control. While Mir Muhammed initially resisted successfully, the decisive 1835 campaign led to the capture of Rawanduz. Pressured militarily and politically, Mir Muhammed retreated to the mountains and later surrendered.[3][4]

It is claimed that a fatwa issued by Mullah Hadi Sebzevari discouraging public support for the rebellion played a key role in Mir Muhammed’s decision to capitulate.[5] Lacking further political and religious legitimacy, he was unable to sustain resistance and eventually yielded to Ottoman forces.

Following the death of Reşid Mehmed Pasha from cholera in 1836, he was succeeded by Hafiz Mehmed Pasha, a well-educated officer with a dual mission: to continue suppressing unrest in Kurdistan and to monitor the forces of Muhammad Ali Pasha stationed in Syria.[19][20] In the summer of 1837, during a harsh military campaign against the Yazidis in the Sinjar region, Hafiz Pasha also dispatched Mehmet Hamdi Pasha to advance on Cizre. Facing pressure, Bedir Khan Beg chose not to resist and declared loyalty to the Ottoman state. As a result, he was appointed as the provincial governor of the Bohtan Emirate centered in Cizre.

Later that year, Hafiz Mehmed Pasha launched further violent operations against the Yazidis of Sinjar and Tel Afar, resulting in heavy casualties. In May 1838, with the support of Bedir Khan, he seized the fortified castle of Gurkel from local chief Said Bey of Hacıbehram. In the following months (June–July 1838), the Yazidi populations of the Garzan region were also subdued by Ottoman forces. These campaigns not only aimed to crush local resistance, but also to preempt potential Kurdish uprisings in the event of a future confrontation with Muhammad Ali of Egypt.[3][19][8]

Aftermath

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The Ottoman victory led to the dissolution of the Soran Emirate. Kurdish tribal areas were reintegrated into the empire's provincial system, strengthening Ottoman authority in Eastern Anatolia and northern Iraq. The rebellion served as a precursor to later Kurdish revolts, including the uprising led by Bedir Khan Beg.[3][21]

[edit]
  • Academy of Sciences of the USSR & Institute of Oriental Studies, Armenian SSR. (Trans. by M. Aras), The History of Kurdish Politics in Modern Times, Pêrî Publications, Istanbul, 1998, ISBN 975-8245-06-6.

References

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  1. ^ a b Ahmet Kardam, Cizre-Bohtan Beyi Bedirhan, pp. 70, 79 – years.
  2. ^ Serpil Güneş, REWANDUZ Golden word: 1830
  3. ^ a b c d e Ahmet Kardam, Cizre-Bohtan Beyi Bedirhan: Years of Resistance and Rebellion, Dipnot(Footnote) Publishing, 2010, ISBN 9789750506642.
  4. ^ a b c Waideh Ghareeb, The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Its Origins and Development, Syracuse University Press, 2007, p. 128.
  5. ^ a b c d Aytekin Yılmaz, A Historical Note for Those Descending from the Mountains
  6. ^ Kardam, p. 72.
  7. ^ Kardam, p. 74.
  8. ^ a b Sinan Hakan, Kurdish Rebels and the Ottomans in Archival Documents (1817–1867) (in Turkish), Doz Publishing, 2011, ISBN 9789756876916, p. 86. Also available at Book link and Academia.
  9. ^ Kardam, p. 64.
  10. ^ Sina Akşin, Political History (1789–1908) and History of Turkey: The Ottoman State (1600–1908), Istanbul: Cem Yayınevi, 1988, p. 96. (in Turkish)
  11. ^ Kardam, p. 65.
  12. ^ Izady, 2007, p. 122; Lazarev et al., 2007, p. 106.
  13. ^ Ottoman Archives (BOA), VBOA 097, 21 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1257 (21 December 1841), Governor Mehmed Pasha of Mosul to the Sublime Porte.
  14. ^ Hakan, footnote 116, p. 71: "It is the Behdinan Region. It is in the north of the Soran region and south of the Hakkari region."
  15. ^ Hakan, pp. 71–72.
  16. ^ BOA, FUND CODE: HAT D.NO: 449 G.No:22346/B, 27 L 1250 (25 February 1835). See Document 02.
  17. ^ Hakan, p. 71.
  18. ^ BOA. FDN CODE: HAT D.NO: 449 G.No:22342/E.
  19. ^ a b Ahmet Kardam, Cizre-Bohtan Beyi Bedirhan, p. 74.
  20. ^ Örs, H. (2022). A Study on Helmuth von Moltke’s Letters. p. 153. Academia.edu
  21. ^ Kardam, p. 75.
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