Ahmed Barzani
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Barzani , also known as Khudan , was the head of the Barzani
tribe in South Kurdistan. Sheikh Ahmed is considered to be the architect of Barzan
by bringing many different Kurdish
tribes under his command and expanding Barzan
region. Along with his younger brother Mustafa Barzani
, he fought against the oppression of the Iraqi government in the 1920s and 1930s.
Barzani's teachings of love, patriotism, tolerance, respect, equality, sharing of wealth, acquiring knowledge, social reform and environmental protection were unprecedented during his time in Kurdistan. Barzan
was at its heyday during his time.
revolts took place in 1931 after Barzani, one of the most prominent Kurdish
leaders in Northern Iraq
, and succeeded in defeating a number of other Kurdish
tribes.
He was later forced to flee to Turkey
, where he was held in detention and then sent to exile in the south of Iraq
. He headed Barzan
’s largest revolution from 1931 to 1937 and gained the respect of many Iraq
i Army generals who were fighting him, such as General Abdul-Jabar Barznji the commander of Iraq
i Army in Barzan
region.
Barzani was the center of focus of the British
, Iraq
i and Turkish discontent. He was very sympathetic to the Kurdish
movements in the North led by Khoyboun (the Arrarat Revolt). He received many Kurds who were seeking sanctuary in Barzan
, including Kor Hussein Pasha. In September 1930, a Turkish
military attaché in Baghdad
told Iraq
's Prime Minister Nuri Said, “the Turkish
military operations in Ararat were very successful. The army will carry similar operations to the west of the Lake of Wan
. We expect these operations to come to an end soon. The Turkish
army will mobilize along the Iraq
-Turkey
border if the Iraq
i Army moves against the Sheikh Barzan
. In fact, Ismet Inono complained to Nuri Said in Ankara that Sheikh Ahmed was supporting the insurrection in Ararat (see Archive E4976/1932/93, dated 4SEP1930)
qibla
. Mullah Abd al-Rahman was eventually killed by Sheikh Ahmed's brother, Muhammad Sadiq for attempting to substitute Shaykh Ahmad's name and his own in the call to prayer.
About ten weeks later, the Balik tribe announced its attachment to Sheikh Ahmad, recognizing the Sheikh's divinity. In 1931, Barzani's religious eccentricity led to war with an old Naqshabandi rival, Shaykh Rashid of Lolan, leader of the Baradust Kurds. Barzani told his followers to eat pork, symbolic of the synthesis of Christian beliefs with Naqshabandi Islam and encouraged destruction of copies of the Qur'an
. Infuriated by this apparent unbelief, Rashid ordered his clan to attack Barzani villages on July. The ensuing vicious cycle of raids and counter-raids eventually culminated in November with the defeat of the Baradust Kurds, despoliation of their villages and the exile of Rashid to Iran
.
Barzani converted to Christianity during the Barzani revolts.
environmentalist and conservationist leader. He attempted to enforce certain regulation to maintain a clean environment. He prohibited, among other things:
Movement and was highly critical of ignoring the oppressed masses who were the victims of the movement’s failures. He is also credited with emphasizing that marriage should be voluntary: such freedom he considered a basic civil right and stressed it publicly.
Barzani
Barzani may refer to:*Barzani Kurds*Barzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic, a dialect spoken by Kurdish Jews-People with the name:*Massoud Barzani , current President of Iraqi Kurdistan...
tribe in South Kurdistan. Sheikh Ahmed is considered to be the architect of Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
by bringing many different Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
tribes under his command and expanding Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
region. Along with his younger brother Mustafa Barzani
Mustafa Barzani
Mustafa Barzani also known as Mullah Mustafa was a Kurdish nationalist leader, and the most prominent political figure in the modern Kurdish politics. In 1946 he was chosen as the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to lead the Kurdish revolution against Iraqi regimes...
, he fought against the oppression of the Iraqi government in the 1920s and 1930s.
Barzani's teachings of love, patriotism, tolerance, respect, equality, sharing of wealth, acquiring knowledge, social reform and environmental protection were unprecedented during his time in Kurdistan. Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
was at its heyday during his time.
Barzani revolts
The first of the major BarzaniMustafa Barzani
Mustafa Barzani also known as Mullah Mustafa was a Kurdish nationalist leader, and the most prominent political figure in the modern Kurdish politics. In 1946 he was chosen as the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to lead the Kurdish revolution against Iraqi regimes...
revolts took place in 1931 after Barzani, one of the most prominent Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
leaders in Northern Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
, and succeeded in defeating a number of other Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
tribes.
He was later forced to flee to Turkey
Turkish Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the southeastern part of Turkey, which is inhabited predominantly by ethnic Kurds. The area covers between 190,000 to 230,000 km² , or nearly a third of Turkey...
, where he was held in detention and then sent to exile in the south of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He headed Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
’s largest revolution from 1931 to 1937 and gained the respect of many Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Army generals who were fighting him, such as General Abdul-Jabar Barznji the commander of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Army in Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
region.
Barzani was the center of focus of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i and Turkish discontent. He was very sympathetic to the Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
movements in the North led by Khoyboun (the Arrarat Revolt). He received many Kurds who were seeking sanctuary in Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
, including Kor Hussein Pasha. In September 1930, a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
military attaché in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
told Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's Prime Minister Nuri Said, “the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
military operations in Ararat were very successful. The army will carry similar operations to the west of the Lake of Wan
Wan
Wan may refer to:Gaming/Computers*Common acronym WANPeople*Wan , a Chinese surname*Wan is a common name for the people that originate from the states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, in Malaysia...
. We expect these operations to come to an end soon. The Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
army will mobilize along the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
-Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
border if the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Army moves against the Sheikh Barzan
Barzan, Iraq
The town of Barzan is located along the Great Zab in Erbil Governorate . It is the birthplace of Shiekh Ahmed Barzani and Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani....
. In fact, Ismet Inono complained to Nuri Said in Ankara that Sheikh Ahmed was supporting the insurrection in Ararat (see Archive E4976/1932/93, dated 4SEP1930)
Religious beliefs
Even though he was a renowned and respected Naqshabandi Sufi cleric and spiritual leader, Barzani became infamous for harboring extreme religious eccentricities considered very unusual for an Islamic cleric of his stature. He was central to a religious cult that had nothing to do with Naqshabandi beliefs. In 1927, when Barzan had been brought under administrative control, one of his Mullahs, Mullah Abd al-Rahman began proclaiming Barzani to be god and himself to be his prophet. He further invited Barzani's followers to abandon the MeccaMecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
qibla
Qibla
The Qiblah , also transliterated as Qibla, Kiblah or Kibla, is the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during salah...
. Mullah Abd al-Rahman was eventually killed by Sheikh Ahmed's brother, Muhammad Sadiq for attempting to substitute Shaykh Ahmad's name and his own in the call to prayer.
About ten weeks later, the Balik tribe announced its attachment to Sheikh Ahmad, recognizing the Sheikh's divinity. In 1931, Barzani's religious eccentricity led to war with an old Naqshabandi rival, Shaykh Rashid of Lolan, leader of the Baradust Kurds. Barzani told his followers to eat pork, symbolic of the synthesis of Christian beliefs with Naqshabandi Islam and encouraged destruction of copies of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. Infuriated by this apparent unbelief, Rashid ordered his clan to attack Barzani villages on July. The ensuing vicious cycle of raids and counter-raids eventually culminated in November with the defeat of the Baradust Kurds, despoliation of their villages and the exile of Rashid to Iran
Iranian Kurdistan
Iranian Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds and has borders with Iraq and Turkey. It includes Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, Ilam Province and parts of West Azerbaijan province....
.
Barzani converted to Christianity during the Barzani revolts.
Environmental protection
Barzani was the first known KurdishKurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
environmentalist and conservationist leader. He attempted to enforce certain regulation to maintain a clean environment. He prohibited, among other things:
- Cutting down trees, especially those which provided shade and prevented erosion
- Overharvesting honey
- Killing the non-poisoned snakes.
- Fishing with dynamites and other explosives
- Hunting during breeding seasons.
Barzani's legacy
Barzani rejected the traditional way of maintaining leadership within the same family. He emphasized that whoever takes the lead must be qualified for such a job. He condemned the corruption which was beginning to take part within the KurdishKurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
Movement and was highly critical of ignoring the oppressed masses who were the victims of the movement’s failures. He is also credited with emphasizing that marriage should be voluntary: such freedom he considered a basic civil right and stressed it publicly.