Siege of Amadiya
1831 siege in Mesopotamia
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The Siege of Amadiya occurred in 1831 led by Mir Muhammad of Soran against Bahdinan. Mir Muhammad captured the city and deposed the ruler Mohammad Said Pasha.[1]
| Siege of Amadiya | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mir Muhammad's Bahdinan campaign | |||||||||
Amadiya city (2009) | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Soran Emirate |
 Bahdinan Emirate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Mir Muhammad of Rawanduz |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Heavy | ||||||||
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Most of the population perished Many Jews displaced or persecuted by Soran | |||||||||
Background
During his rise to power he enforced his sovereignty over the Yazidis, Hakkari Emirate and the Baradost, Surchi, and Mamash tribes, taking over Rawanduz, Zakho, Dohuk. The two remaining prominent Kurdish emirates were Soran and Botan.[2][3] His authority expanded from the borders of Iran to Cizre and Diyabakir.[4]
Siege
The siege took place following the capture of Aqrah another city under Bahdinan, Mir Muhammad advanced toward Amadiya, the principal stronghold of the Bahdinan emirate. The city was naturally fortified by steep cliffs and had long been regarded as one of the most defensible positions in the region. Despite these advantages, Bahdinan forces were weakened by prior defeats and lacked sufficient manpower to withstand prolonged resistance.[5] Accounts indicate that Mir Muhammad’s forces surrounded the city and initiated a siege designed to force surrender rather than rely solely on direct assault. The pressure exerted by continuous military presence, combined with shortages inside the city, contributed to the weakening of resistance among the defenders.[6] After a brief siege. He overthrew Mir Said, installing a Bahdinani puppet in his stead. He also acquired Zakho and Duhok.[5] Allowing Mir Muhammad to assert control over the city. He placed it under the command of Rasool Beg his brother. The Ottoman authorities were aware of what was happening but had in-sufficient local forces to deal with Mir Muhammad. They had been preoccupied with Ibrahim Pasha's seizure of Syria and invasion of Anatolia and feared that Mir Muhammad was actually in touch with Egyptian forces.[7]
The Jewish population was affected by violence and looting. They “were treated with merciless cruelty and oppression." Many were forced to migrate and some fled the city after its fall. Similar reports are mentioned for other towns under his control, including Ranya, Khoy, Erbil, Aqra, and Zakho. Following the defeat of Mir Muhammad, Amadiya came under the rule of the Ottoman governor of Mosul. The situation of the Jewish community improved slightly.[8] (See Mir Muhammad for further information)
Aftermath
Said Pasha later retook the city but failed and Mir Muhammad killed most of the rebellions leaders. A large portion of the population perished from starvation and disease.[9] Most of its leading population was also put to the sword, Mir Muhammad then formally annexed Bahdinan to Rawanduz effectively eliminating all Bahdini Mirs.[5]