Sherefxan Bidlisi
Encyclopedia
Sharaf Khan Bidlisi or Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi, (Kurdish
: شەرەفخانی بەدلیسی, Şerefxan Bedlîsî ), was a medieval Kurdish
Emir
and a politician
from the Emirate of Bitlis.
But he is more known as a historian
, writer
and poet
who wrote exclusively in Persian
and Kurdish
. Born in the Garmrood village, in the Principality of Bitlis, at a young age he was send to the Safavid's court and obtained his education there.
He is the author of one of the most important works on Medieval Kurdish history written in 1597, Sharafnama
. He created a good picture of Kurdish life and Kurdish dynasties in the 16th century in his works. Outside Iran
and Kurdish speaking countries
, Sharaf Khan Bidlisi has had an impact on Kurdish literature and societies through the translation of his works by other scholars.
He was also a gifted artist
, and a well educated man excelling as much in mathematics
and military strategy
, as he did in history
.
since at least the 9th century
, and therefore, he never took up the common tribal title of “Khan
”, preferring instead the royal title of emir
or mir
, “prince.” He was most commonly known as, Mir Sharaf (Prince Sharaf). Later his family was taken under protection of the Safavid dynasty
. He was schooled at Tahmasb's court, and wrote in 1596:
Bedlîsî speaks of his education entailing instruction in the Quran, readings in on the principles of the shari'a, a piety and purity. Due to Shah Tahmasb's religious disposition, Bidlisi was introduced to religious scholars, who warned him against evil people, and instead encouraged friendship with the virtuous. And once Bidlisi attained maturity, he was thought the martial arts
(sipahigira), archery
, polo
, racing
, swordmanship, and the precepts of chivalry
- humanism and generosity.
In 1576 Tahmasb of the Safavids gives him the title the Mir
of Mirs; appoints him leader of all Iranian Kurdish tribes. He accepts his title, but only two years later, Sharafkhan abandons his previous stand, and supports the Ottomans in their war against the Iranians
, offering them 400 soldiers. Between 1578 and 1588, Sharafkhan virtually led all the Ottoman wars against the Persians
. Sultan Murad III
, the Ottoman Sultan, grants Sharafkhan the title of Khan. He becomes the Mir of the Batlisi province. As he turned 53, Sharafkhan gave the authority of his dynasty to his son Shamsaddin Bag Abu Alma'ali.
.
The Sharafnama divides its history into four parts. The first one deals with the five Kurdish dynasties that have enjoyed status as royalty (Saltant): the Marwanids of Amed, the Hasanwayhids of Dinavar and Sharizur
, the Fadluyids of the Great Lur, the princes of little Lur, and finally, Saladin the Great
and the Ayyubids. The second part lists dynasties that have had coin struck and the khutba recited in their names. (The Khutba is a religious invacation pronounced at the Friday day prayers meeting that mentions the Prophet, the first four caliphs and the current rulers). The third part numbers the families of the hereditary governors, while the fourth details the history of the mirs of Bitilis.
He wrote his works in Persian
, and it was not until in 1879 it was translated into Kurdish
(Kurmanji
) by the well known Kurdish
polymath
, Mahmud Bayazidi
(1797–1859). It's hand-written version is preserved in the Russian National Library
, and was published for the first time in 1986. In 1972 the Sorani
version of Sharafnama was written for the first time by the late Kurdish scholar Abdurrahman Sharafkandi (1920 - 1991), also known as Mamosta Hajar. In 1873-1875, the French scholar François Charmoy, translated Sharafnama from Persian
into French
and published it in Saint Petersburg
, in Russia
. Among many other languages, Sharafname has been translated into Arabic
, English
, Turkic languages
, Russian
, Greek
and Armenian
.
. The fact that a Kurd, for the first time, put Kurdish culture under a spotlight is of special importance in contrast to other studies that were done before Sharafnama.
Bidlisi has a unique place in Kurdish history. After his Sharafnama a number of copies and other works similar in nature surfaced over the centuries within the cultural sphere on rich Kurdish history. In the text of the Sharafnama , the empires of the Kurds parallel those of the Arabs, Persians and Turks, some, according to Bitlisi, reaching back over 4,000 years. Sharafkhan's Sharafnama is today safely kept in Oxford
.
, Iran and the Soviet Union
were victims of forced assimilation
. It was also during this period the Soviet Union wanted to make better relations with Kemal Ataturk and his new Turkish State, by declaring the Kurdish ruler and historian, Sharaf Khan Bidlisi to have been an ethnic Azeri Turk. To even this day the Republic of Azerbaijan deny the fact that he was of Kurdish origin, and claim he was a ”proud Turk”. This conjecture is however not supported by any modern scholar or historian who consider him, ”Father of Medieval Kurdish history.
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
: شەرەفخانی بەدلیسی, Şerefxan Bedlîsî ), was a medieval Kurdish
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...
Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
and a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the Emirate of Bitlis.
But he is more known as a historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who wrote exclusively in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
. Born in the Garmrood village, in the Principality of Bitlis, at a young age he was send to the Safavid's court and obtained his education there.
He is the author of one of the most important works on Medieval Kurdish history written in 1597, Sharafnama
Sharafnama
The Sharafnama is the famous book of Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi , which he wrote in 1597, in Persian. Sharafnama is regarded as the main source on Kurdish history...
. He created a good picture of Kurdish life and Kurdish dynasties in the 16th century in his works. Outside Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Kurdish speaking countries
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
, Sharaf Khan Bidlisi has had an impact on Kurdish literature and societies through the translation of his works by other scholars.
He was also a gifted artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, and a well educated man excelling as much in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
, as he did in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Early life
Sharaf Khan Bidlisi was born in February 25, 1543, in the Principality of Bitlis, son of Shamsaddin Batlisi, in the Garmrood village, during the exile of his father. The Rojaki dynasty, which had ruled intermittently as an independent emirate from their capital of BitlisBitlis
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...
since at least the 9th century
9th century
The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.-West Africa:- Southeastern Nigeria :...
, and therefore, he never took up the common tribal title of “Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
”, preferring instead the royal title of emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
or mir
Mir (title)
Mir is a title which is derived from the Arabic title Emir or Amir . It was adopted in many languages under Islamic influence, such as Persian , Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, meaning leader of a group or tribe in Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.-Title:In Iran, mir has also been formally used as a...
, “prince.” He was most commonly known as, Mir Sharaf (Prince Sharaf). Later his family was taken under protection of the Safavid dynasty
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
. He was schooled at Tahmasb's court, and wrote in 1596:
Bedlîsî speaks of his education entailing instruction in the Quran, readings in on the principles of the shari'a, a piety and purity. Due to Shah Tahmasb's religious disposition, Bidlisi was introduced to religious scholars, who warned him against evil people, and instead encouraged friendship with the virtuous. And once Bidlisi attained maturity, he was thought the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
(sipahigira), archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
, racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, swordmanship, and the precepts of chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
- humanism and generosity.
In 1576 Tahmasb of the Safavids gives him the title the Mir
Mir (title)
Mir is a title which is derived from the Arabic title Emir or Amir . It was adopted in many languages under Islamic influence, such as Persian , Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, meaning leader of a group or tribe in Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.-Title:In Iran, mir has also been formally used as a...
of Mirs; appoints him leader of all Iranian Kurdish tribes. He accepts his title, but only two years later, Sharafkhan abandons his previous stand, and supports the Ottomans in their war against the Iranians
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, offering them 400 soldiers. Between 1578 and 1588, Sharafkhan virtually led all the Ottoman wars against the Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
. Sultan Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
, the Ottoman Sultan, grants Sharafkhan the title of Khan. He becomes the Mir of the Batlisi province. As he turned 53, Sharafkhan gave the authority of his dynasty to his son Shamsaddin Bag Abu Alma'ali.
Sharafnama
He was thinking for a long time to write a book about Kurdish history, and finally in 1597 Sharaf Khan Bidlisi started his composition of his epic, SharafnamaSharafnama
The Sharafnama is the famous book of Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi , which he wrote in 1597, in Persian. Sharafnama is regarded as the main source on Kurdish history...
.
The Sharafnama divides its history into four parts. The first one deals with the five Kurdish dynasties that have enjoyed status as royalty (Saltant): the Marwanids of Amed, the Hasanwayhids of Dinavar and Sharizur
Sharazor
Sharazor was the name of a Sassanid district , Kurdish kingdom, Ottoman vilayet and finally a Sanjak of Mosul vilayet situated to the southern and eastern part of what is now known as Iraqi Kurdistan....
, the Fadluyids of the Great Lur, the princes of little Lur, and finally, Saladin the Great
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
and the Ayyubids. The second part lists dynasties that have had coin struck and the khutba recited in their names. (The Khutba is a religious invacation pronounced at the Friday day prayers meeting that mentions the Prophet, the first four caliphs and the current rulers). The third part numbers the families of the hereditary governors, while the fourth details the history of the mirs of Bitilis.
He wrote his works in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, and it was not until in 1879 it was translated into Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
(Kurmanji
Kurmanji
Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish is the most commonly spoken dialect of the Kurdish language.- Scripts and books :...
) by the well known Kurdish
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...
polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
, Mahmud Bayazidi
Mahmud Bayazidi
Mahmud Bayazidi , was an Kurdish polymath from Bayazid in the Ottoman Empire.-Early life:He was born in Bayazid in 1797. He started his studies by reading the Koran, and then Arabic, Persian, Ottoman and Kurdish. He then moved to Tabriz in north-western Iran to continue his studies...
(1797–1859). It's hand-written version is preserved in the Russian National Library
Russian National Library
The National Library of Russia in St Petersburg, known as the State Public Saltykov-Shchedrin Library from 1932 to 1992 , is the oldest public library in Russia...
, and was published for the first time in 1986. In 1972 the Sorani
Soranî
Soranî is the name of a Kurdish language that is spoken in Iran and Iraq. Soranî is one of the main Kurdish languages, which are a branch of the Iranian languages.- Name :...
version of Sharafnama was written for the first time by the late Kurdish scholar Abdurrahman Sharafkandi (1920 - 1991), also known as Mamosta Hajar. In 1873-1875, the French scholar François Charmoy, translated Sharafnama from Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and published it in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Among many other languages, Sharafname has been translated into Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Turkic languages
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
.
Death
He died in his own principality (Emirate of Bitlis) in 1603 at the age of 60, and left over thousands of writings.Legacy
Being one of the oldest book ever written by a Kurd, the creation of Sharafnama, is a turning point in the history of Kurds and their rich cultureKurdish culture
Kurdish culture is a group of distinctive cultural traits practiced by Kurdish people...
. The fact that a Kurd, for the first time, put Kurdish culture under a spotlight is of special importance in contrast to other studies that were done before Sharafnama.
Bidlisi has a unique place in Kurdish history. After his Sharafnama a number of copies and other works similar in nature surfaced over the centuries within the cultural sphere on rich Kurdish history. In the text of the Sharafnama , the empires of the Kurds parallel those of the Arabs, Persians and Turks, some, according to Bitlisi, reaching back over 4,000 years. Sharafkhan's Sharafnama is today safely kept in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
Controversial statements by the Republic of Azerbaijan
During the Interwar period from 1918 to 1939, the Kurds in TurkeyKurds in Turkey
Ethnic Kurds compose a significant portion of the population in Turkey . Unlike the Turks, the Kurds speak an Indo-European language...
, Iran and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
were victims of forced assimilation
Forced assimilation
Forced assimilation is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community...
. It was also during this period the Soviet Union wanted to make better relations with Kemal Ataturk and his new Turkish State, by declaring the Kurdish ruler and historian, Sharaf Khan Bidlisi to have been an ethnic Azeri Turk. To even this day the Republic of Azerbaijan deny the fact that he was of Kurdish origin, and claim he was a ”proud Turk”. This conjecture is however not supported by any modern scholar or historian who consider him, ”Father of Medieval Kurdish history.
See also
- Kurdish history
- List of Kurdish dynasties and countries
- Emirate of Bitlis
- Ayyubid dynastyAyyubid dynastyThe Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
- Marwanids
- Mem and ZinMem and ZinMam and Zin is a Kurdish classic love story written down 1692 and is considered to be the épopée of Kurdish literature. It is the most important work of Kurdish writer and poet Ahmad Khani...
External links
- http://www.kurdistanica.com/?q=node/16
- http://kurdica.orientalstudies.ru/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=196&Itemid=86
- http://www.hum.uu.nl/medewerkers/m.vanbruinessen/publications/Evliya_Celebi_Kurdistan.htm
- http://www.kurdishglobe.net/displayArticle.jsp?id=7D57C802BABD5B11EBBD8D66F5FF32BC