Shahrizor
Eyalet (, ota, ایالت شهر زور, Eyālet-i Šehr-i Zōr)
was a semi-independent
eyalet of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
covering the area of present-day
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan ( ku, باشووری کوردستان, Başûrê Kurdistanê) refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of "Kurdistan" in Western Asia, which also inc ...
.
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.
The governors were members of Kurdish clans, and only rarely were there Ottoman garrisons in the province.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the eyalet came to be dominated by the
Baban
Baban () was a Kurdish principality existing from the 16th century to 1850, centered around Sulaymaniyah. The Baban principality played an active role in the Ottoman-Safavid conflict and gave significant military support to the Ottomans. They were ...
clan.
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.
The
sanjak
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
of Baban, which included the town of
Kirkuk, was named after the family.
The Baban considered the Kurdish princes of
Ardalan
Ardalan ( ku, میرنشینی ئەردەڵان) was a hereditary Kurdish vassaldom in western Iran from around the 14th century until 1865 or 1868 with Sanandaj as capital. The territory corresponded roughly to present-day Kurdistan Province ...
, who controlled the Iranian portions of Kurdistan, to be their natural rivals, and in 1694
Sulayman Beg invaded Iran and defeated the mir of Ardalan.
After 1784,
the Babans moved their capital to the new town of
Sulaymaniya, which was named after the dynasty's founder.
In 1850 the rule of the Babans was finally brought to an end,
and the region was placed under the direct control of the governor of
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
in 1862.
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.
Administrative divisions
Sanjaks of Sharazor Eyalet in the 17th century:
# Sarujek
#
Erbil
# Kesnan
# Sheher-bazar
# Jenguleh
# Jebel-hamrin
# Hazar-mardud
# Alhuran
# Merkareh
# Hazir
# Rudin
# Tiltari
# Sebeh
# Zenjir
# Ajub
# Abrumaz
# Pak
# Perteli
# Bilkas
# Aushni
# Kala-Ghazi
#
Sheherzul
References
{{coord missing, Iraq
Ottoman Iraq
Eyalets of the Ottoman Empire in Asia
History of Sulaymaniyah Governorate
1554 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
1862 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire
1554 establishments in Asia
1862 disestablishments in Asia