Sheikh Said rebellion
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| Sheikh Said Rebellion | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||
| Republic of Turkey | Sheikh Said Piran | ||||
| Commanders | |||||
| Mustafa Kemal | Sheikh Said Piran | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| 50,000 Turks
Air planes |
15,000 Kurds | ||||
Sheikh Said Rebellion is a rebellion of Sheikh Said Piran and a group of Hamidieh soldiers (Azadî group) beginning in 1924 and escalating until 1927.
Contents |
[edit] Background
The Azadî was dominated by officers from the former Hamidiye, a Kurdish tribal militia established under the Ottomans to deal with the Armenians and sometimes even to keep the Kizilbash under control. According to British intelligence reports, the Azadî officers had eleven grievances. Apart from inevitable Kurdish cultural demands and complaints of Turkish maltreatment, this list also detailed fears of imminent mass deportations of Kurds. They also registered annoyance that the name Kurdistan did not appear on maps, at restrictions on the Kurdish language and on Kurdish education and objections to alleged Turkish economic exploitation of Kurdish areas, at the expense of Kurds.
It was Sheikh Said, reportedly, who convinced Hamidiye commanders to support a fight for Kurdish independence. According to Olson, the Kurdish officers expressed their objectives in November 1924 as being: to deliver the Kurds from Turkish oppression; to give Kurds freedom and opportunity to develop their country.
| “ | Certain among you have taken as a pretext for revolt the abuse by the governmental administration, some others have invoked the defence of the Caliphate, but you are all united on one point: to create an independent Kurdistan.[1][2] | ” |
[edit] British involvement
British assistance was sought realizing that Kurdistan could not stand alone.[3]
[edit] Mosul
- See also: Mosul Province, Ottoman Empire
As a last resort, Mustafa Kemal was prepared to use military force regarding Mosul, but he believed that the Mosul problem can be solved diplomatically. Treaty of Lausanne did not solve the problem of Mosul province, and left it to League of Nations. September 1925, A council at League of Nations decided to advise leaving the Mosul to British Mandate of Mesopotamia. Turkey decided to resist this advice and prevent a final decision (award it to Britain). The border between Turkish forces (Turkey) and British forces (British Mandate of Mesopotamia) was based on Brussels line, and beginning with November 1924, the escalating rebellion was a threat to prove that Brussels line is not the correct line, which left the Kurds divided.
[edit] Active
Sheikh Said appealed to all the Kurdish tribes to join in the rebellion being planned. The tribes which actually participated were mostly Zaza (Dimli) speaking Kurds. However the Xormak and Herkî tribes were the most active and effective opponents of this rebellion. Mindful of the depredations of the Hamidiye against them (especially the Hamidiye commanded by Xalid Beg Cîbran), other Alevi tribes also refused to join the rebellion.
The main part of the uprising was over by the end of March, as the Turkish authorities crushed the rebellion with continual aerial bombardments and a massive concentration of forces.[4] The president of the military tribunal which sentenced the rebels declared, on 28 June 1925:
More than 50,000 Turkish troops were mobilized against the rebellion. The military strength of the Kurds was 15,000.[5]
In this rebellion, Turkish government used its airplanes for bombing raids in the Diyarbakır area. During this operation, the airfield near Harput road was used.[6]
[edit] Result
The rebellion diminished the negotiating power of Turkey and the Ottoman province of Musul was assigned to British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The final conclusion of the rebellion from existent powers were the British have the control of Mosul and Turkey and Kurds were the chance of uniting Mosul Province, Ottoman Empire to Turkey.
Although there are still rumours, it was publically denoted that Sheikh Said Piran was captured around 1925 and executed by a method of hanging as a result.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Viennot, Jean-Pierre (1974) Contribution á l'étude de la Sociologie et de l'Histoire du Mouvement National Kurde: 1920 á nos Jours. Paris, Institut Nationale des Langues et Civilisations Orientales. p.108
- ^ Ethnic Differentiation among the Kurds
- ^ Olson, Robert W. (1989) The Emergence of Kurdish Nationalism and the Sheikh Said Rebellion, 1880-1925, p.45
- ^ van Bruinessen, Martin (1978) Agha, Shaikh and State. On the Social and Political Organisation of Kurdistan, University of Utrecht, Utrecht.
- ^ Olson, R., The Kurdish Rebellions of Sheikh Said (1925), Mt. Ararat (1930), and Dersim (1937-8): Their Impact on the Development of the Turkish Air Force and on Kurdish and Turkish Nationalism, Die Welt des Islam, New Ser., Vol.40, Issue 1, March 2000, p.74
- ^ Olson, R., The Kurdish Rebellions of Sheikh Said (1925), Mt. Ararat (1930), and Dersim (1937-8): Their Impact on the Development of the Turkish Air Force and on Kurdish and Turkish Nationalism, Die Welt des Islam, New Ser., Vol.40, Issue 1, March 2000, p.77
