Sharazor
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Sharazor (also: Sharazur, Shahrazor, Shahrazur, Shahrezour, Shehrizor, land of Zor and City of Zor) was name of a historic Wilayet and a city situated to the south and east of Iraqi Kurdistan;
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[edit] Eymology
The name of Sharazor is formed of two words: 'Shar' or 'shahr' meaning: land, region, city; and 'Zor' with several meanings but probably one of these: power, difficulty, generosity, too much, and probably is arabized form of 'jor' meaning height. However according to the 12th century geographer Yaqoot Hamawi, the word 'Zor' originates from name of Zor son of Zahhak (Aji Dahak), whome he mentions as founder of the famous city of Sharazor [1]. It is worthy of note that old traditions hold that Kurds are descendants of kingdom of Zahhak. The plain of Sharazor has an important status among adherents of native religion of Yarsan as a holy and sacred region where God descends.
[edit] History
Sharazor and its king Yazdan Kard are mentioned in the Karnamag of Ardashir I [2] and also in the inscription of Narseh alongside Garmian.
In the 4th century some of inabitants of Sharazor who converted to Christianity were persecuted by Sassanids, among whom one can mention the killing of Bishop Shahdost Shahrazori and 128 of his followers.
In 627 AD. Sharazor was invaded by Heraclius and remained under Byzantine Empire till 639.
In the 642 AD. Sharazor wittnesed a big battle between Kurds and invading Arab Muslims aiming to conquer the Sassanid empire, in which Arabs after facing heavy casualities, took possession of Shahrizor in 643 AD.
In the classical concept and especially under Sassanids era the region of Sharazor was corresponding to the modern provinces of Suleimania, Kirkuk, and parts of Diyala province and was centered at the city of Sharazor (around Suleimania), which later became the first capital of Ardalan state. The region was later under Baban dominion, another important medieval principality. Yaqoot Hamawi describes the region of Sharazor as areas between Irbil to the west and Hamadan to the east including many cities, towns and villages. He mentions inhabitants of the region as 'all of them are Kurds', who are rebelious against Sultan and rule their own area [3].
In the later medieval era (from 16th century) the wilayet of Sharazor was formed of three provinces of Suleimania, Kirkuk and Irbil centered at the city of Kirkuk. In 1879 the wilayet of Sharazor excluding region of Suleimania was incorporated to the wilayet of Mosul and around 1894 the region of Sharazor which already had become part of wilayet of Mosul was renamed to 'Kirkuk' in order to avoid confusion with the wilayet of Zor in the neighbouring Sham.
In the 20th century govement of Iraq formed a Kirkuk Governorate which was including the region of Kirkuk and excluding previously Suleimania and Irbil districts. Under Baath regime's rule the Kirkuk governorate underwent a process of arabization and Saddam separated Kurdish-inhabited towns of the governorate. He also renamed the governorate to 'Al-Tamim' meaning 'state-owned'.
In modern usage the name Sharazor is used simply and primarily to refer to the plain between Suleimania and Derbendixan.
[edit] References
- ^ Kitab Mu'jam Al Buldan by Yaqoot Hamawi, Book 3, p: 425-427
- ^ The Kârnâmag î Ardashîr î Babagân, Book of the Deeds of Ardashir son of Babag, Chapter VI
- ^ Kitab Mu'jam Al Buldan by Yaqoot Hamawi, Book 3, p: 425-427
[edit] See also
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