Posts about Mîr Muhammad of Rewandiz
Mir Kor and the Assyrians
A lament written by the Rev. Giwarghis d-Bêt Zabdây (Azah) (died 1847) refers to the devastation caused by Kurdish aghas in 1835, especially by Kör from Rewandiz.
These aghas led brutal raids that left deep wounds among the Assyrians. The poem describes the horrors as follows:
What can I say about the atrocities
Perpetrated during the reign of the godless rulers [emirs]!
They put the men to the sword
And they captured over a thousand of them.
Source: Seyfo - Assyrian Genocide History
Posted by Median Library contributor · Found by Median Library contributor · 20 April 2025
Mir Muhammad of Rewandiz and Mir Muhammad Ali
Tensions between Mir Muhammad Kor of Rewandiz and the Ottoman Empire escalated in the early 19th century.
Rumors began to spread of possible alliances between Mir Kor and Ibrahim Pasha, the Egyptian military leader who had rebelled against the Ottomans.
These suspicions alarmed Sultan Mahmud II, who feared a coordinated uprising.
The rumors of ties between Muhammad Kor and Ibrahim Pasha increased Ottoman fears of cooperation between them
and moved Sultan Mahmud II to prepare a military strike against Muhammad Kor.
Source: Michael Eppel, A People Without a State
Posted by Median Library contributor · Found by Median Library contributor · 20 April 2025
Ottoman Fear of Mir Kor
Before the rise of the Soran Emirate, the Pasha of Rewandiz had a relatively good relationship with the Pasha of Baghdad.
Tensions escalated, however, after Muhammad Pasha (Mir Kor) expanded his domain, notably by seizing Badinan and expelling high-ranking Ottoman officials.
These actions infuriated the Pasha of Baghdad and alarmed Istanbul, especially after Mir Kor took the key stronghold of Amedi.
The seizure of Amedi—a hereditary Kurdish emirate—was seen as a direct blow to Ottoman authority.
It provoked fear and hostility among Ottoman elites, who saw Muhammad Pasha’s growing power as a serious threat.
In response, Muhammad Rashid Pasha was appointed chief commander, and Ali Reda Pasha of Baghdad was ordered to assist him.
The Ottoman state began preparing to crush the Emirate of Soran.
“The Pasha of Amedi was one of the richest and most powerful chiefs in Kurdistan.”
— Kinneir, British political agent in Kurdistan, 1813–1814
Source: Michael Eppel, A People Without a State
Posted by Median Library contributor · Found by Median Library contributor · 20 April 2025
Mir Muhammad of Rewandiz: Expansion into Amed
At the height of his power, Mir Muhammad of Rewandiz ruled over a vast territory, including the towns of Zaxo and Duhok.
From these strongholds he marched westward and seized the strategic town of Cizîr.
His campaign then intensified, pushing deep into Amed province, with daring raids reaching:
- Heskîf
- Mêrdîn
- Nisêbîn
- Amed
- Cizîr
He even besieged the large Christian village of Azakh (modern-day Idil), demonstrating both military ambition and symbolic defiance.
It was widely rumoured that Mir Muhammad was in contact with the invading Egyptian army, seeking to co-ordinate operations against Ottoman authority.
At this early stage of unrest, Mir Muhammad Pasha of Rewandiz was the most successful rebel leader, outmaneuvering both rivals and imperial forces.
Source: Social Relations in Ottoman Diyarbekir, 1870–1915
Posted by Median Library contributor · Found by Median Library contributor · 15 May 2025
Kurdish Power in the Early 19th Century: Mir Muhammad of Rewandiz
In the early 1800s, Mehmet Pasha of Rewandiz (Mir Muhammad) emerged as the most powerful Kurdish leader, standing firmly against the Ottoman policy of centralization.
He was known for commanding thousands of armed men, and his military strength and charisma led neighboring Kurdish elites to submit to his authority, out of both loyalty and fear.
His power extended from the borders of Iran to Cizîr and Amed.
One of his closest allies was Mir Seyfettin, governor of Cizîr, who openly accepted his sovereignty. Cizîr, though formally part of the Empire, functioned independently and refused to obey Ottoman orders.
Cizîr became a stronghold for tribal rebels, deserters and fugitives, and a key recruitment base for Mir Muhammad, who gathered thousands of fighters there.
The khutba, the symbol of Islamic political legitimacy, was not read in the name of the Sultan but in the name of Mir Seyfettin or the Bey of Rewandiz, a powerful statement of de facto independence.
Source: based on Fatih Gencer, The Ottoman Centralization Policy Towards Eastern Provinces Before the Tanzimat Edict
Posted by Median Library contributor · Found by Median Library contributor · 16 May 2025
The British had to protect the Ottoman Empire from Mir Muhammed as he was a big threat.
Posted by Teymur · 26 August 2025
The British were surprised by how powerful Mir Muhammed became
Posted by Teymur · 26 August 2025
Posted by Teymur · 26 August 2025
Mir Muhammed was a brave and educated man, a true Kurd of the mountains.
Posted by Teymur · 26 August 2025
The Ottomans could not defeat Mir Muhammed, and the British moved against him to protect their interests in the region.
Posted by Kurdish T · 21 April 2026
Posted by Kurdish T · 5 May 2026
Mir Muhammad told Dr. Lobdell, an American Christian
“The Pasha of Ravendooz told me that when he was first appointed to that district, three years since, Jews were bought and sold by the Koords as commonly as donkeys.”
Posted by Kurdish T · 28 May 2026
The Crusades' Saladin, contrary to what is popularly believed among the people, was not a Bedouin but a Kurd, and his conquests displayed a military talent that cannot be underestimated. At the beginning of this century (19th century), Mir Muhammad Bey of Rewandiz dominated the entire region and established a renown that made his name famous.
Posted by Kurdish T · 23 June 2026
When the Ottomans invaded the region under Mir Muhammad, they faced resistance from the Kurds; after the Kurds used guerrilla warfare, the exhausted Ottomans withdrew.
Posted by Kurdish T · 24 June 2026
Mir Muhammad’s greatest blow came when the Kurds abandoned him and his own religious teachers turned against him. This happened because the Ottomans, who held the title of caliph, issued a fatwa declaring that anyone who fought them was an unbeliever (kafir). Until then, the Turks had struggled against the Mir of Rewandiz.
Posted by Teymur · 9 August 2026
Posted by Teymur · 19 August 2026
See Mîr Muhammad of Rewandiz on the Early Modern Kurdish Figures page →
