Historians have different opinions about the origins of the city of Sharizor (Alternative spellings: Şahr-i Zor, Şahr-i Zul, Sharahzur, Shari Zor), as is often the case with important historical cities. Several historical figures are associated with the city and region. Some claim that it was founded by the son of Dahhak Zour. Others say that Alexander the Great died on his return from India on the road to Sharizor. The name Sharizor in Kurdish simply means strong city or city of strength. For a long time, this city and region have been one of Kurdistan's cultural, political, and intellectual capitals.
One of the greatest medieval historians Ṭabarī (839-923) states that Alexander (356 BC-323 BC) “died on the road to Sharahzur” and another well respect historian Qazwíní (1281-1349) says that he died in Sharizor.
A hill with a shrine roughly one day’s walking distance from the ruins of the historic city is referred to by local people as the hill of Alexander.
The presumed place of Alexander’s death, local people still consider it a shrine.
Sharizor is the name both of a historical city in southern Kurdistan and of a region home to several Kurdish dynasties. At the same time, the name of Sharizor region is synonymous with Kurdistan. Abu al-Kasim Ibn Hawkal al-Nasibi (Nesebini) travel there in the 960s AD, and calls Sharizor is a walled Kurdish town.
The surrounding land, from Iraq to the north, is notably productive, fertile, pleasant, and Kurdish. It is important to underline that Iraq refers here to historical Arab Iraq, which is in the southern section of Mesopotamia and south of Baghdad today. The following map is based on Arab geographer Al-Muqdassi in 985, AD. (Red highlight of Sharizor and the Dinawar Kingdom and Iraq is mine.)
al-Muqaddasi, ., & Miquel, A. (1963). Ahsan at-taqasim fi ma'rifat al-aqalim: '(La meilleure répartition pour la connaissance des Provinces)'. Damas: Institut Français de Damas.
Suwar-al-Aqdlim writes, “it is said that this place is named Shahr-zur (city of strength) because its governors are always the Kurds, ...” (as quoted by Qazvini in 740 (1340).
Yaqut ibn 'Abd Allah al-Hamawi, (1179?-1229), a Muslim Greek geographer, says that this country produced so many scholars that even the person with the sharpest memory cannot recall all of them. The tradition of scholarship in this region still inspires the Muslim world from Algeria to the Caucasus. For example, Mewlana Khalid Shahrizori (1779-1827) studied theological studies, grammar, logic, mathematics, geometry, astronomy, and astrolabe at a number of colleges in Kurdistan. He also then studied in many other international schools and became the founder of the Naqshbandi Khalidi Sufi order. The majority of Sunni-Muslim Kurds still follow these teachings, which have many branches in other countries. For instance, Shaykh Ahmad Kuftaro, the former Grand Mufti [Chief Justice of Islam] of Syria (1963-2004), was a follower.
Şeref (Sharaf) Han (king), the author of the Kurdish Dynasties, writes in 1597 about the Hasanveyh Kingdom of Şehrizor and Dinawer (970-1107 A.D.) during the reign of Bedir ben Hasanveyh, saying that the Kingdom “expanded its territory to Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Berucerd, Esedabad, and Nihavend.”
Unfortunately the city of Sharizor was destroyed by the Mongol ruler Hulagu (1215-1265). After Kurds and Mongols made peace, the Mongols, in compensation for the historic city of Sharizor, helped the Kurds to build the Citadel of Kirkuk as the new Sharizor. Therefore, sometimes Kirkuk is called Sharizor, and old and new get mixed up, and Kirkuk becomes the capital of Sharizor region and state after that.
In the 16th century, a large part of Kurdistan/Sharizor became affiliated with or part of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman or Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) after the war of “two Iraqs” [Iraqi Ajam and Iraqi Arab] 1534. After defeating the Safavids [Persians], the Ottomans faced extreme danger from the winter. Ottoman historians describe these events in 1632:
While, on account of the inability and incapacity of the army of Islam [Ottoman] to move forward at all, and the blockade on their retreat by the abundance of snow and sleet, the late Sultan Suleyman was dazed and concerned over the fate of the army of Islam. The Kurdish commanders [Kings] opened paths leading from the pasture of Sultaniye [a city in Eastern Kurdistan] in the direction of Baghdad, guiding the troops of victory…
This relationship becomes the basis of the second treaty of military alliance between Kurdistan and the Ottoman Dynasty in 1534. It is stated that after victory, the Sultan expressed his gratitude by recognizing Kurdish Kings and Princes with many gifts and granting them land ownership. The Sultan expressed his feeling about Kurdistan by saying,
“God made Kurdistan act in the protection of my imperial kingdoms like a strong barrier and an iron fortress against the sedition of the demon Gog of Ajam [Iran]. A thousand thanks and praises to the presence of Almighty, creators of everything.”
According to the Ottoman historian and traveler Evliya Çelebi (1611-1682) Sharizor voluntarily joined the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Suleyman, and by law, become a state (eyalet) of the empire. It had 86 strongly built citadels, which were impossible to conquer by war. The city of Kirkuk became the capital.
Another Ottoman historian and geographer, Katip Çelebi (1609-1657) says the state of Sharizor in Kurdistan consists of 32 counties, [sanjak], and Kirkuk was the capital.
Map by Katip Çelebi about 1648-1656 obtained from Austria National Library Map Section in Vienna (1732 print edition)
Women’s legal rights to become rulers
Two Kurdish Kingdoms were in this state: the Kingdom of Gâzîyân and the Kingdom of Mehrevân. The rulers’ title was King of the King and is not subject to appointment or dismissal by the Sultan. Their rule was hereditary. Only in these two Kingdoms could women legally become rulers; nowhere else is it allowed, according to Evliya.
Sharizor in 1698
Visscher, Nicolaum (1698) Magni Turcarum Domini Imperium in Europa, Asia, Et Africa team in Proprias, Tributarias, Ac Clientalers Regiones (obtained from Newberry Library in Chicago, IL. USA)
Shaizor 1744
Tirion, Isaak. (1744) Nieuwe kaart van Turkey van Persie Amsterdam (obtained from Newbery Library Chicago, IL. USA)
1826 the State Sharizor and Capital Kirkuk red underlined by the author.
Weiland, C. F. Das Osmanische Asien. The Verlage des geography Institute, Weimar 1826 Obtained from the University of Chicago library Map section IL, USA
In 1864-1871, the Ottoman government instituted an administrative reorganization by moving from the traditional eyalet/state system to the vilayet/province system. The state of Sharizor was divided into the provinces of Mosul and Baghdad, but Kirkuk retained its status as the new administrative capital for several districts of the province of Mosul, still called Sharizor as shown in the following map from 1884.
Kiepert, H. Arperçu General De La Division Administrative Des Provinces Asiatique De L’Empire Ottoman (1883-84) Berlin, D. Reimer 1884 (from Harvard Library)
Mosul province was one of the six in Kurdistan, according to the Ottoman military textbook. Part of Sharizor became a province of Mosul, and Kirkuk remained the capital.
From Ahmed CEMAL (1893), Mufassal Coğrafya-yı Osmânî. Mekteb-i Fünûn]-I Harbiye Matbaası, [The Ottoman Geography in detail Istanbul [Military printing press] (pp. 181-194).
Sharizor has always played an important role in Kurdistan’s history, politics, and culture.
Amed Demirhan is the General Manager and Director of Barzani National Memorial. He is a multilingual librarian and researcher internationally recognized with multiple awards in librarianship.
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