Seyid Riza

Seyid Riza (1863–1937)

Kurdish-Alevi Tribal Leader | Spiritual Guide | Leader of the Dersim Rebellion (1937–1938) | Symbol of Resistance and Dignity

Seyid Riza was a Kurdish tribal leader and Alevi religious elder (Pir) from Dersim, Northern Kurdistan. He is best known for leading the Dersim Rebellion against the Turkish Republic in 1937, a revolt sparked by decades of state pressure to suppress Kurdish identity, Alevi belief, and tribal autonomy. He was executed at the age of 74, and has since become a powerful symbol of Kurdish-Alevi resistance, pride, and moral courage.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Background and Role in Dersim:

Born into a respected Alevi Kurdish family, Seyid Riza belonged to the Kureşan tribe, one of the prominent confederations in Dersim. As both a religious and tribal leader, he held immense authority — not only as a political figure, but also as a spiritual guide in the Alevi Sufi tradition.

The people of Dersim were fiercely independent, with a tribal system rooted in mutual respect, oral law, and spiritual hierarchy — largely untouched by Ottoman central rule for centuries.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Turkish Republican Centralization and Repression:

After the founding of the Turkish Republic (1923), the new state pursued an aggressive policy of centralization, Turkification, and Sunni Islamization:

• Kurdish language and identity were criminalized
• Alevi beliefs were treated with suspicion and hostility
• Tribal structures were targeted for dissolution
• “Civilizing missions” masked plans for displacement and pacification

In 1935, the region was renamed from Dersim to Tunceli (“Land of Bronze”), and brought under the Tunceli Law, which gave military commanders wide authority to suppress dissent.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

The Dersim Rebellion (1937–1938)

Tensions escalated into armed resistance in 1937, when Seyid Riza, in his seventies, led a last stand to protect Dersim’s autonomy and dignity. Though outgunned and surrounded, he rejected surrender. Villages resisted conscription, land seizures, and forced relocations.

The Turkish military launched a brutal campaign involving:

• Mass aerial bombardment
• Destruction of villages
• Massacres of civilians (including women and children)
• Forced deportations

It is estimated that over 10,000 civilians were killed, and thousands more displaced. The Dersim Massacre is one of the darkest chapters of Turkish state violence in the 20th century.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Capture and Execution (1937):

Seyid Riza was eventually tricked into negotiations, captured, and brought to trial in Xarpêt. The trial was rushed, without fair defense, and clearly meant to set an example. Despite being over the legal age for execution, the authorities falsified his age to carry out the sentence.

He was hanged on November 15, 1937, along with his son and other comrades.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Reported Last Words:

Before his execution, he is said to have declared:

“Ez ev e, ez mirinê xwe di rêya xwe de dibînim. Em şeref û namûs xwe ne firotîye. Bêxwedî ne me, bêgunah in me.”
“This is me; I see my death on my path. We did not sell our honor. We are not without God, and we are innocent.”

These words have become immortalized in Kurdish oral history, poetry, and memorials.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Legacy:

Seyid Riza is a martyr (şehîd) for both the Kurdish and Alevi causes, seen as a dignified elder who chose death over dishonor. His name is a symbol of moral resistance, spiritual strength, and the cost of fighting injustice. The Dersim Massacre remains a deeply taboo subject in Turkey, though recent decades have brought limited acknowledgment. Monuments to Seyid Riza exist in Dersim (Tunceli), Europe, and across the Kurdish diaspora.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Modern Relevance:

• Dersim Kurds — mostly Zaza-speaking Alevis — still hold Seyid Riza in the highest regard.
• His image is a fixture at Kurdish demonstrations around the world.
• He represents the intersection of ethnic and religious persecution under the modern Turkish state.

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025

Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025