Tevn › Early Modern Kurdish Figures › Nurullah Beg of Hekarî

Nurullah Beg of Hekarî

نووروڵڵا بەگی هەکاری

Died 1861

Posts about Nurullah Beg of Hekarî

Nurullah Beg was the last emir of the Hekarî Emirate in the 19th century, a period marked by significant upheaval in the Ottoman Empire. His tenure was characterized by internal power struggles, alliances with other Kurdish leaders, and conflicts with neighboring communities.

In the 1820s, the Hekarî Emirate had internal problems. It was embroiled in a conflict between Nurullah Beg and his nephew Suleiman Beg. This internal strife was further complicated by the involvement of Assyrian tribes, with the patriarch Mar Shimun supporting Suleiman Beg. The influence of Western missionaries and their associated governments also disrupted the religious equilibrium between Christian and Muslim tribes during this period.

Posted by Zagrosian · 22 May 2025

For this reason — Nurullah Beg formed a notable alliance with Bedirxan Beg and Xan Mahmud in the 1840s. This coalition carried out several assaults (punishments) on Assyrian communities for involving themselves in Kurdish tribal affairs and disrupting their peace, by carrying out series of massacres and forced displacements that significantly altered the demographic balance in parts of the Ottoman Empire.

Posted by Zagrosian · 22 May 2025

The Ottoman Empire, aiming to centralize its authority, eventually confronted the Kurdish statelets. In 1847, the Ottoman military defeated the Kurdish tribes, leading to the dissolution of the Hekarî Emirate. Nurullah Beg was deposed and exiled to Crete in 1849.

Posted by Zagrosian · 22 May 2025

See Nurullah Beg of Hekarî on the Early Modern Kurdish Figures page →