Badlis
Encyclopedia
Principality of Bitlis (1182-1847), was a Kurdish
principality
originated from the Rojaki (or Rozagi) tribal confederation. The Rojaki defeated the Georgian
King David the Curopalate
and conquered Bitlis
and Sasun in the 10th century. The principality occasionally came under the rule of outsiders, such as Akkoyunlu (from 1467 to 1495) and Safavids (from 1507 to 1514). After the decline of Akkoyunlu, the Rojaki princes asserted their independence. Until 1596, eighteen Rojaki princes ruled the principality. In 1531, the Rojaki prince Sharaf Khan changed his allegiance to Safavids and in 1532 he was killed by Olama Takkalu.
The famous Kurdish historian, Sharaf al-Din (commonly known as Sharaf Khan Bidlisi) was the son of Shams al-Din the prince of Bitlis and grandson of Sharaf Khan. Shams Al-Din fled his principality due to pressure from Suleiman I and took refuge in Persia in the court of Shah Tahmasp I. His son, Sharaf Al-Din was born in 1533 and was raised in the Safavid court. During the reign of Shah Isma'il II, he fell under suspicion and was sent to exile in Nakhichevan
. He escaped to Van
and was appointed as the prince of Bitlis by Murad III
in 1583.
The Rojaki rulers maintained their relative independence during the long rivalry between Ottomans and Safavids. In mid 17th century, Abdal Khan was the ruler of the principality. He has been described by the French
traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
, as the most powerful Kurdish prince. According to him, Abdal Khan was independent and did not acknowledge the Safavid or Ottoman states. Evliya Çelebi
has praised Abdal Khan as a renaissance
prince and master of a thousand arts.
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
originated from the Rojaki (or Rozagi) tribal confederation. The Rojaki defeated the Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
King David the Curopalate
David III of Tao
David III Kuropalates or David III the Great , also known as David II, was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid family of Tao/Tayk, a historic region in the Georgian–Armenian marchlands, from 966 until his murder in 1000...
and conquered Bitlis
Bitlis
Bitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
and Sasun in the 10th century. The principality occasionally came under the rule of outsiders, such as Akkoyunlu (from 1467 to 1495) and Safavids (from 1507 to 1514). After the decline of Akkoyunlu, the Rojaki princes asserted their independence. Until 1596, eighteen Rojaki princes ruled the principality. In 1531, the Rojaki prince Sharaf Khan changed his allegiance to Safavids and in 1532 he was killed by Olama Takkalu.
The famous Kurdish historian, Sharaf al-Din (commonly known as Sharaf Khan Bidlisi) was the son of Shams al-Din the prince of Bitlis and grandson of Sharaf Khan. Shams Al-Din fled his principality due to pressure from Suleiman I and took refuge in Persia in the court of Shah Tahmasp I. His son, Sharaf Al-Din was born in 1533 and was raised in the Safavid court. During the reign of Shah Isma'il II, he fell under suspicion and was sent to exile in Nakhichevan
Nakhichevan
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,363 km² and borders Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest...
. He escaped to Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
and was appointed as the prince of Bitlis by Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
in 1583.
The Rojaki rulers maintained their relative independence during the long rivalry between Ottomans and Safavids. In mid 17th century, Abdal Khan was the ruler of the principality. He has been described by the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French traveller and pioneer of trade with India, and travels through Persia , most known for works in two quarto volumes, Les Six Voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and diamond merchant for some important diamonds of the century...
, as the most powerful Kurdish prince. According to him, Abdal Khan was independent and did not acknowledge the Safavid or Ottoman states. Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
has praised Abdal Khan as a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
prince and master of a thousand arts.