Sheikh Said of Piran (1865-1925)
Religious leader | Scholar | Leading sheikh of the Naqshbandi-order
Sheikh Said of Piran (Şêx Seîdê Pîranî), born around 1865 in the village of Piran near Palu in present-day northern Kurdistan, remains one of the most iconic figures in modern Kurdish history. A respected Naqshbandi sheikh, religious scholar, and charismatic tribal leader, Sheikh Said came to embody the intertwined struggle for Kurdish national identity and Islamic faith during a time of radical transformation and repression. Sheikh Said embodied the unity of spiritual authority and national vision - a symbol of Kurdish dignity, faith, and unbroken resistance.
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
Raised in a family deeply rooted in Sufi learning and Kurdish tribal leadership, Sheikh Said combined religious authority with political vision. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed and the new Turkish Republic sought to enforce a policy of Turkification, Kurdish language, culture, and religious institutions were brutally suppressed. It was against this backdrop, in 1925, that Sheikh Said led the famous Sheikh Said Rebellion - an uprising aimed at defending both the Kurdish national existence and Islamic tradition against the secular, assimilationist policies of Ankara.
His revolt, which united dozens of Kurdish tribes from different religious orders and regions, was not merely a reactionary movement; it was driven by a vision of Kurdish autonomy and cultural survival, inspired by a belief in justice rooted in faith. Despite fierce resistance and wide support, the rebellion was crushed by superior Turkish forces. Sheikh Said was captured and, after a summary military trial, executed in Amed in June 1925 alongside 47 companions. His last words are remembered as an expression of unshaken faith and dignity:
“We fought not for personal gain, but for our religion and our people.”
Today, Sheikh Said remains a martyr in Kurdish history, honored not only for his courage but for his vision of a Kurdistan that could remain faithful to its ancient culture and Islamic heritage. His life symbolizes a historic chapter where faith and national identity walked hand in hand against oppression - and a testament that Kurdish identity could not be extinguished, even by the harshest decree.
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
To this day, Sheikh Said is honored as a martyr and symbol of Kurdish dignity, faith, and resistance - a figure who dared to challenge the denial of Kurdish identity and paid the ultimate price for his people. His life story remains a poignant chapter in the long Kurdish struggle for recognition, cultural rights, and freedom.
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
Sources / References:
• Olson, Robert. The Emergence of Kurdish Nationalism and the Sheikh Said Rebellion, 1880–1925. University of Texas Press, 1989.
- McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. IB Tauris, 2004.
- Bruinessen, Martin van. Agha, Shaikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan. Zed Books, 1992.
- Archives of Amed Military Court (translated excerpts, Kurdish Institute of Istanbul).
Posted by Zagrosian · 13 July 2025
According to this source, sheikh said killed 50k kemalist and it took them 60 million pounds to beat sheikh said.
Posted by Teymur · 20 November 2025
No definitive evidence has been found that the Sheikh Said Rebellion was directly prepared or instigated by the British
Posted by Teymur · 15 August 2026
