Miralay Halid Beg Cibran (; 1882 – 14 April 1925) was a Ottoman - Kurdish soldier in the
Ottoman Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922.
Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
and chairman of the
Azadî
The Azadî (), officially (Society for Kurdish Freedom), later Civata Xweseriya Kurd (Kurdish: Society for Kurdish Independence) was a Kurdish secret organization. According to Kurds who reported to British intelligence officers, Azadî was estab ...
organization.
Early life and education
He was born in
Varto
Varto (; or , ''Varto'') is a town in Muş Province, Turkey. It is the seat of Varto District.Bitlis vilayet in 1882. His father Mahmud Bey was the chieftain (''
ağa
Ağa is a Turkish surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Mustapha Aga, Ottoman Empire ambassador to the Swedish Court
*Osman Aga of Temesvar, Ottoman army officer
*Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, Ottoman architect of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
*Sul ...
'') of the
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish language
** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
**Central Kurdish (Sorani)
**Southern Kurdish
** Laki Kurdish
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern ...
Cibran tribe. The Cibran was an influential
Kurmanji
Kurmanji (, ), also termed Northern Kurdish, is the northernmost of the Kurdish languages, spoken predominantly in southeast Turkey, northwest and northeast Iran, northern Iraq, northern Syria and the Caucasus and Khorasan regions. It is the ...
speaking Kurdish tribe and used to work closely with the Ottoman government. In exchange the Cibrans were allowed to set up regiments for the Hamidiye cavalry. Halid Beg has attended the Aşiret (tribal) school in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. Afterwards he has followed up on his studies at the
Ottoman Military College
The Ottoman Military College or Imperial Military Staff College or Ottoman Army War College ( or
), was a two-year military staff college of the Ottoman Empire. It was located in İstanbul. Its mission was to educate staff officers for the Ott ...
.
Military career
In 1892, he became the leader of the second Hamidiye regiment and was in charge of leading the 1894 attack on Zeynel Talu Hermekli, the son of the
Alevi
Alevism (; ; ) is a syncretic heterodox Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Islamic teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, who taught the teachings of the Twelve Imams, whilst incorporating some traditions from shamanism. Differing ...
Ibrahim Talu, who was killed by troops of the second Hamidiye regiment under the command of Halid Beg Cibran in 1906. The Alevi tribes wouldn't forget such treatment by the Sunni, and wouldn't join the Sheikh Said Rebellion in 1925. During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he was deployed in the eastern front, and fought against the Armenians and Russians. It is reported that, concerned about the possible betrayal of the Alevi Kurds, he sent a message to General Kazim Pasha, urging him to refuse their support in the battles. During the
Turkish War of Independence
, strength1 = May 1919: 35,000November 1920: 86,000Turkish General Staff, ''Türk İstiklal Harbinde Batı Cephesi'', Edition II, Part 2, Ankara 1999, p. 225August 1922: 271,000Celâl Erikan, Rıdvan Akın: ''Kurtuluş Savaşı tarih ...
, he sided with
Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa () is one of the names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world.
Given name Moustafa
* Moustafa A ...
(Atatürk) and took a stand against the Ottoman government in İstanbul.
Kurdish rebellions
After the war, he returned to the
Dersim
Tunceli (, , ) is a municipality (belde) in Tunceli District and capital of Tunceli Province, Turkey. The city has a Zaza majority. It had a population of 35,161 in 2021.
Name
During Ottoman times, the settlement was called ''Kalan'' or ''Mam ...
region, made first attempts to counter the
Turkish nationalism
Turkish nationalism () is nationalism among the people of Turkey and individuals whose national identity is Turkish. Turkish nationalism consists of political and social movements and sentiments prompted by a love for Turkish culture, Turkish ...
and support the Kurdish cause, encouraging the Kurds to speak their language. Following the signing of the
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres () was a 1920 treaty signed between some of the Allies of World War I and the Ottoman Empire, but not ratified. The treaty would have required the cession of large parts of Ottoman territory to France, the United Kingdom, ...
in 1920, he garnered support for the Kurdish aims for self rule. He visited various towns in the region, such as
Hınıs
Hınıs (; ) is a municipality and district of Erzurum Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,367 km2, and its population is 24,680 (2022). Historical monuments in the town include the castle and the Ulu Cami Mosque, said to be built in 1734 by A ...
,
Varto
Varto (; or , ''Varto'') is a town in Muş Province, Turkey. It is the seat of Varto District.Bingöl
Bingöl (; ; ), known as Çapakçur before 1944, is a city in Turkey. It is the seat of Bingöl Province and Bingöl District,Bulanık
Bulanık, formerly Gop or Kop (; ), is a town in Muş Province, in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. It is the seat of Bulanık District.Malazgirt
Malazgirt (; ; ), historically known as Manzikert (), is a town in Muş Province in Turkey. It is the seat of Malazgirt District.Koçgiri uprising, he began to oppose the
Kemalists
Kemalism (, also archaically ''Kamâlizm'') or Atatürkism () is a political ideology based on the ideas of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey.Eric J. Zurcher, Turkey: A Modern History. New York, ...
. According to Kurds reporting to the British intelligence, he established Azadi in Erzurum, the city where he formerly was a military commander, in 1921 of which he became its president. The Azadi was a Kurdish society which later would become a leading force in the Sheikh Said Rebellion. He led the uprising at Beytüşşebap in 1924.
He was captured in Erzurum on 20 December 1924 reportedly after having been accused of his involvement in the Beytüssebap revolt by Yusuf Zia Bey (another leader of the Beytüssebap revolt). Both were courtmartialed in Bitlis and Halid Beg Cibran was hanged on the 14 April 1925.{{Cite book, last=Yilmaz, first=Özcan, title=La formation de la nation kurde en Turquie, publisher=Graduate Institute Publications, year=2015, isbn=978-2-940503-17-9, pages=86, language=fr