The Sheikh Obaidullah Rebellion and Its Effect on Ottoman-Iranian Relations
The Sheikh Obaidullah Rebellion and Its Effect on Ottoman-Iranian Relations
Yazar: Tan, Hasan
Dergi: International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Vol. 10 No. 2, 2024
Anahtar kelimeler: Defence Studies ; Savunma Çalışmaları ; Citizenship ; Vatandaşlık ; Political Science (Other) ; Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer) ; Ottoman,Iran,Kurds,Sheikh Obaidullah,Rebellion. ; Ottoman,Iran,Kurds,Sheikh Obaidullah,Rebellion.

The Kurdish Principalities that ruled until the 19th century have disappeared as a result of the centralization policy of the Ottoman State. The power gap that emerged after the disappearance of these principalities was filled by sheikhs belonging to the Naqshbandiyya cult. Among these sheikhs, the most prominent one was Sheikh Obaidullah Nahri. Sheikh Obaidullah emerged as a respected figure with influence not only on Kurds who were Ottoman subjects, but also on Kurds in Iran and even among non-Muslims. Shujauddevle Yusuf Khan, the governor of Urmia of Iran, plundered Kurdish villages in the border region and massacred some of the inhabitants, main reasons for the Sheikh Obaidullah rebellion that took place between 1880 and 1882. In statements from the Sheikh and in Ottoman archival documents, there is evidence that the Iranian rulers in the region did in fact plunder and massacre. It was in order to prevent such oppression that the people of the region appealed to Sheikh Obaidullah asking for his help. Reacting, Sheikh Obaidullah, along with local forces supporting him, captured various Iranian cities. However, what with England and Russia’s intervention and their pressure on the Ottoman Empire, the Ottomans sent military forces to the region, forcing Sheikh Obaidullah's forces to retreat. The present study focusses on the reasons for the Sheikh Obaidullah rebellion and its effect on Ottoman-Iranian relations.

The Kurdish Principalities that ruled until the 19th century have disappeared as a result of the centralization policy of the Ottoman State. The power gap that emerged after the disappearance of these principalities was filled by sheikhs belonging to the Naqshbandiyya cult. Among these sheikhs, the most prominent one was Sheikh Obaidullah Nahri. Sheikh Obaidullah emerged as a respected figure with influence not only on Kurds who were Ottoman subjects, but also on Kurds in Iran and even among non-Muslims. Shujauddevle Yusuf Khan, the governor of Urmia of Iran, plundered Kurdish villages in the border region and massacred some of the inhabitants, main reasons for the Sheikh Obaidullah rebellion that took place between 1880 and 1882. In statements from the Sheikh and in Ottoman archival documents, there is evidence that the Iranian rulers in the region did in fact plunder and massacre. It was in order to prevent such oppression that the people of the region appealed to Sheikh Obaidullah asking for his help. Reacting, Sheikh Obaidullah, along with local forces supporting him, captured various Iranian cities. However, what with England and Russia’s intervention and their pressure on the Ottoman Empire, the Ottomans sent military forces to the region, forcing Sheikh Obaidullah's forces to retreat. The present study focusses on the reasons for the Sheikh Obaidullah rebellion and its effect on Ottoman-Iranian relations.