Second Bedirkhanis Revolt
Kurdish uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1877–1878
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The Second Bedirkhanis Revolt (Kurdish: دووەمین یاپەچوونی بێدهرخانی) was a Kurdish uprising against the Ottoman Empire that took place in 1877–1878, following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The revolt was led by two sons of Bedir Khan Beg, Osman Pasha and Huseyin Kenan Pasha.[2]
| Second Bedirkhanis Revolt | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Early Kurdish nationalism and Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) | |||||||
Map of the affected areas of the Bedirkhan Revolt | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
|
 Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Osman Pasha Bedirkhan[1] Huseyin Kenan Bedirkhan |
Abdul Hamid II Cemil Pasha General Shevket Beg Mushir Zeki Pasha | ||||||
This was an effort by the two brothers to revive the former Bohtan Emirate.[3]
Background
The revolt was a movement on a much smaller scale than the 1847 Bedirkhan revolt.[4][5][6] The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) created a period of chaos and an authority vacuum in the region.[7]
Osman and Huseyin Kenan Bedirkhan, who were in exile, took advantage of the war environment and the Ottoman state's inability to maintain sufficient soldiers in the region to escape their place of exile and return to Cizre.[8] Huseyin Kenan Pasha had previously participated in the 1877 Russo-Turkish War leading 3,800 Kurdish volunteers from the Adana region, where he was wounded. After recovering, he expressed regret for his service to the Ottoman state.
Revolt
The uprising began in the Cizre and Siirt regions. Huseyin Kenan and Osman, after participating in the 1877 Ottoman-Russian war, went to Botan and attempted to organize an uprising against the central government.
The revolt quickly spread to the hinterland of Lake Van, covering areas such as Van, Muş, Bitlis, Hakkari, and Amedi.[9] Osman Bey commanded Cizre and its vicinity, while Huseyin Kenan Bey managed the northern front. The southern front reportedly extended to Hakkari, Zaxo, Mardin, and Nusaybin.
The Bedirkhanis and the forces they gathered launched attacks against the central government's troops in the Cizre regions. They arrested all Ottoman officials in their vicinity and seized the treasury and arms depots. and a sermon (Khutbah) was read in Osman Bedirkhan's name. The Ottoman state mobilized local military forces, to suppress the revolt.
Support
The uprising was supported by several Kurdish tribes. Tribes such as Reşkotan and Motkan around Siirt and Bitlis supported the revolt.[10] The revolt also received support from the people of Cizre and numerous surrounding Kurdish tribes. Some tribal leaders were already in a state of rebellion and non-recognition of the government. The Hakkari Kurds also supported the revolt.
The rapid spread of the revolt was attributed to the problematic relationship between the central authority and the tribes since the dissolution of the Kurdish emirates.[11] Osman Bedirkhan corresponded with Diyarbakır Governor Abdurrahman Pasha during the revolt, stating that the bonds of the Kurdish tribes with the state were weakened due to the oppression of the governors sent by the state.
The Russian consuls closely monitored and secretly supported the revolt.[12]
Aftermath
The revolt was ultimately suppressed by Ottoman military forces. An Ottoman-appointed official, Bedri Bedir Khan (a brother of Huseyin Kenan and Osman), was sent to convince his brothers to surrender and return to Istanbul.[13] Upon their return, Huseyin Kenan and Osman were imprisoned for a short time and then released on the condition that they would not leave Istanbul.[14]