The Shekak or Shakkak ( Kurdish : شکاک, Şikakî ) is a Kurdish tribe present in various regions, mainly in West Azerbaijan province , Iran .
131-608: The Shikaki tribe are first mentioned in a Yezidi mişûr (manuscript) from 1207 AD, where they're mentioned as one of the tribes affiliated to Pir Sini Darani , who is a Yezidi saint represented in the Yezidi religion as the Lord of the sea. In the Sharafnama , they are mentioned twice. First, in the chapter on the emirate of Bohtan , as being one of the four tribes living in Hakkâri . Second, in
262-598: A fallen angel . The Yazidis of Kurdistan have been called many things, most notoriously 'devil-worshippers', a term used both by unsympathetic neighbours and fascinated Westerners. This sensational epithet is not only deeply offensive to the Yazidis themselves, but quite simply wrong. Non-Yazidis have associated Melek Taûs with Shaitan (Islamic/Arab name) or Satan, but Yazidis find that offensive and do not actually mention that name. Yezidis believe in Seven Angels, considered
393-928: A pre-Zoroastrian Iranic faith . Since the spread of Islam began with the early Muslim conquests of the 7th–8th centuries, Yazidis have faced persecution by Arabs and later by Turks , as they have commonly been charged with heresy by Muslim clerics for their religious practices. Despite various state-sanctions in the Ottoman Empire , Yazidis historically have lived peacefully in proximity with their Sunni neighbours . In modern times, Yazidis face persecution particularly by ISIS . Due to ongoing terrorist attacks in Kurdish regions , many Yazidis sought refuge in Western countries. Recently, some Yazidis have returned to their home villages in Turkey. The 2014 Yazidi genocide that
524-730: A Sincaq intended for the region they were visiting and paraded it through the Yazidi villages and areas to maintain the spiritual legitimacy and to symbolize the authority of Lalish and the Mîr. Due to the ever-growing large and influential power of the Yezidis, they began to be perceived as a threat by the neighbouring Muslims, leading to a rapid intensification of the Yezidi-Muslim conflict that would last for centuries. Yezidis were subject to brutal persecution by Arabs , Persians , Turks and Sunni Kurds. Two of
655-792: A Yezidi, in his stead. Despite Qasim Beg paying homage to the Sultan, Sheikh Izz ed-Din was still able to have himself named the Emir of the Kurds after persuading the local Ottoman governors to execute Qasim Beg for treason. However, due to Sheikh Izz ed-Din leaving no heirs after his death, the title was returned to the family of Qasim Beg. Yezidis were a large and numerous group living in many places, namely, based on Evliya Çelebi's reports, in Bingöl , Bitlis , Van , Hazo, Amedi , Diyarbekir , Hasankeyf , Cizir and Duhok . Yezidi leaders occupied important positions within
786-626: A commission of inquiry and to be prepared to answer the charges of using Ottoman troops in combat without being given permission by the Ministry of War . Four months later the Pasha returned to the capital in disgrace. Yezidis finally regained the possession of Lalish in 1904, and the stolen sacred objects were returned to them in 1914. As Hemoye Shero had acquired the Paramountcy of Sinjar, his followers drastically increased in numbers and they began to serve as
917-601: A compact and organized group which started to be named as the Fuqara tribe. Among the Fuqara, tribal cohesion very much depended on membership in the faqir religious class to which all the male members of the tribe belonged. At the Tur Abdin foothills west of Shingal, Hasan Kanjo, a Yezidi chieftain, converted to Islam and joined the Hamidiye together with his tribe. He later became the right-hand man and lieutenant of Ibrahim Pasha ,
1048-601: A counter-attack against Muslim raiders in his hometown of Bashiqa and inflicting a devastating defeat despite being outnumbered. He went on to become the head of the Bashiqa- Bahzani and in later stages of his life, also the Governor of Mosul. He and his troops fought for the Ottoman side during Battle of Baghdad together with the Mîr of the Yezidis at the time, Zeynal Javkhali, and six other Yezidi chieftains. In 1649, Êzidî Mirza
1179-536: A currency of his own bearing the inscription "Bedirkhan, the Emir Of Bohtan". However, his success did not last for long, Ottomans attacked again and Bedirkhan Beg, despite offering some resistance, vacated Cizre and took refuge in the fortress of Evreh. His ally, Han Mahmoud , who was on his way to assist Bedirkhan, was intercepted in Tillo and defeated by Ottoman forces and Yezidi fighters. Bedirkhan had to surrender to
1310-666: A determining factor in World War I . In the following years, a dispute occurred among the community on the mountain, causing the power of Musqura and Mihirkan tribes to deteriorate as they included large Muslim sections and were thus traditionally viewed with the suspicion of being inclined to insitage Ottoman interference in the Shingali affairs. On 9 December 1892, Sultan Abdulhamid sent a telegram in which he dismissed Omar Wehbi Pasha from his post and ordered him to remain in Mosul, pending arrival of
1441-519: A divine Triad. The original, hidden God of the Yazidis is considered to be remote and inactive in relation to his creation, except to contain and bind it together within his essence. His first emanation is Melek Taûs ( Tawûsî Melek ), the Peacock Angel, who functions as the ruler of the world. The second hypostasis of the divine Triad is the Sheikh 'Adī . The third is Sultan Ezid . These are
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#17328729690741572-551: A few days later, arrived with a small escort at the town of Baadre , where the residence of the Yezidi princely family is located. It is unknown whether he took a small escort out of disdain for the Yezidi leader, or for the purpose of demonstrating his trust in his host. Upon his arrival, Ali Beg had him and his son, Sinjan Agha, treacherously murdered. This murder which was condemned by the Yazidi clergy and Yazidi chieftains, as it went against Yazidi canons and tribal customs. It also led to
1703-578: A further decline of the Yazidi influence, power and population. With the ending of the semi-autonomous Kurdish principalities and the series of Ottoman Tanzimat reforms from the mid-19th century onward made the Yezidi-populated regions more prone to localized political instabilities. Furthermore, being excluded from the status of " People of the Book ", the Yezidis were not granted religious rights that were enjoyed by other groups such as Christians and Jews under
1834-558: A gathering. The prayers are classified according to their own content. There are: Many Yazidis consider pork to be prohibited. However, many Yazidis living in Germany began to view this taboo as a foreign belief from Judaism or Islam and not part of Yazidism, and therefore abandoned this rule. Furthermore, in a BBC interview in April 2010, Baba Sheikh , the spiritual leader of all Yazidis, stated that ordinary Yazidis may eat what they want, but
1965-550: A great degree of anger among the Mizuris and provoking them into gathering for great raid against the town of Baadre. In anticipation of the attack, thousands of Yezidi warriors stationed themselves in Baadre. The raid was called off due to fear of Bahdinan forces assembling against the Mizuris when the Pasha of Amadiya, who was also the Prince of Bahdinan and was suspected of having conspired in
2096-526: A grisly ceremony where he would with his own hand slaughter those Yezidis who had refused to convert to Islam. A medical missionary from Urmia who visited Derguleh in 1846 reported seeing 40-50 Yezidi converts in Bedirkhan's castle, enjoying Bedirkhan's special attention and jealousy among his less favoured attendants. Pressure and protests from the European Powers, namely France and England , demanding
2227-399: A large force to Shingal where he was met with the resistance of the Yezidis under the leadership of Ali Beg's wife. After numerous defeats, Muhammad Pasha's forces eventually succeeded in capturing the district. The Yezidis who survived the massacres took refuge in distant areas including but not limited to Tur Abdin , Mount Judi and the less-affected Shingal region. After controlling most of
2358-710: A mass exodus of Yezidis from Van , Kars , and Bazîd , who together with many Armenians, fled from the Ottoman Empire in masses to Transcaucasia , following their kinsfolk who had already settled in territories of Russian Empire after fleeing during the Russo-Turkish wars in 1828–1829 and 1877-1878 . In May 1918, Ottomans crossed Akhuryan river in order to invade the Armenian Republic . One column captured Alexandropol and marched north of Mount Aragats , where eighty Yezidis were massacred at Kurdsky Pamb , towards
2489-509: A mixed Yezidi tribal force against Turkish convoys and military posts on the route to Nusaybin, causing severe disruptions on Turkish communication lines north of the Shingal mountains . Additionally, he fiercely resisted Ottoman attack on the Shingal mountain when Ottoman troops besieged the mountain and briefly occupied Yezidi villages to the south, using Tel Afar as their logistic base. In 1915/1916
2620-525: A peace settlement in Shingal and allowed Yezidis of Sheikhan to practice their religion again. The Yezidi Mir, Mirza Beg, among other prominent converts to Islam, resumed their old faith. However, the price for these compromises was enforcement of military service, continuance of the Islamic schools in the settlements on a voluntary basis and the surrender of the Lalish sanctuary to Muslim dervishes , who had established
2751-533: A powerful and influential figure. His son, Hussein Beg, succeeded him after his death in 1534. Despite the persecution and the brutal rule over the Muslims of Soran, the Yezidis were able to maintain a large political, military power under the short-lived, but prosperous leadership of Hussein Beg and enjoy a rare period of peace and freedom from persecution. The Muslims of Soran opposed Hussein Beg's rule, and attempted to overthrow
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#17328729690742882-478: A retreat there and operated an Islamic school. Lalish would later be largely abandoned and left in ruins, with reports of overgrowth of nettles and shrubbery in places where the roofs had fallen in, and the dome above Sheikh Adi's mausoleum smashed, allowing the sun to shine inside, until Yezidis would rebuild and regain the possession of the sanctuary in 1904. During World War I , the Armenian genocide of 1915 caused
3013-491: A shrine holds annual tiwafs in the name of the holy being to which the shrine is dedicated. Prayers occupy a special status in Yazidi literature. They contain important symbols and religious knowledge connected with the Holy Men, God, and daily situations. The prayers are mostly private and as a rule they are not performed in public. Yazidis pray towards the sun, usually privately, or the prayers are recited by one person during
3144-412: A stop to the massacres of Nestorians and removal of Bedirkhan Beg, led to the Ottoman forces, with the support of Yezidi fighters, invading his territories in 1846–1847. At the beginning of the conflict Bedirkhan was able to successfully defeat the Ottoman army sent against him and afterwards, he decided to sever all connections with the Ottoman Empire by proclaiming independence of his state and creating
3275-656: A strong tribal structure and were active participants in the political affairs. One of the largest attacks took place in 1844, when Bedirkhan sent a large army to force Yazidis into accepting Islam, those who refused were captured and killed. Seven Yezidi villages converted to Islam out of fear. The local Christian population also suffered massacres in 1843 and 1846 by the hand of Bedirkhan and his allies Han Mahmoud and Nurallah Bey. Yezidis were object of extra attention from Bedirkhan. During Bayram feast , when Muslims celebrate Abraham 's ritual sacrifice of Isaac by slaughtering animals, Bedirkhan would round up Yezidi captives for
3406-463: Is Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir . Sheikh 'Adī ibn Musafir settled in the valley of Laliş (some 58 kilometres (36 mi) northeast of Mosul ) in the Yazidi mountains in the early 12th century and founded the 'Adawiyya Sufi order . He died in 1162, and his tomb at Laliş is a focal point of Yazidi pilgrimage and the principal Yazidi holy site . Yazidism has many influences: Sufi influence and imagery (especially taken from Mansur al-Hallaj) can be seen in
3537-524: Is almighty and absolute, and the Xudans are a part of His power, moreover, in relation to nature, Yazidis believe in Xudans for most of natural elements and phenomena and they are regarded as divine powers that have control over these phenomena. In Yazidi mythology, the Xudans appeared after the creation of the world for the four elements of nature and their manifestations. One of the important figures of Yazidism
3668-537: Is called mor kirin (literally: 'to seal'). Traditionally, Yazidi children are baptised at birth with water from the Kaniya Sipî ('White Spring') at Lalish. It involves pouring holy water from the spring on the child's head three times. The Yazidis are strictly endogamous ; members of the three Yazidi castes , the murids , sheikhs, and pirs , marry only within their group. There are several religious duties that are performed by several dignitaries, such as
3799-623: Is celebrated from 6 October to 13 October, in honor of the Sheikh Adi. It is an important time for cohesion. If possible, Yazidis make at least one pilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for the Feast of the Assembly in autumn. Tiwafs are yearly feasts of shrines and their holy beings which constitute an important part of Yazidi religious and communal life. Every village that contains
3930-436: Is harmonised and coexists with the younger idea of a collective eschatology . The Yazidi cosmogony is recorded in several sacred texts and traditions. It can therefore only be inferred and understood through an overall view of the sacred texts and traditions. The cosmogony can be divided into three stages: The term Enzel is one of the frequently mentioned terms in the religious vocabulary and it comes up numerous times in
4061-416: Is known as Tawûsê Melek , and the others are better known by the names of their earthly incarnations/representations: Fexreddin , Sheikh Shems , Nasirdin , Sejadin , Sheikh Obekr , and Shex Hesen (Şêxsin). The Yazidi pantheon contains a total of 365 holy figures venerated by Yazidis, designated by various special terms including Xudan , Xas , Mêr and Babçak. According to Yazidi beliefs, God
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4192-558: Is until today named after Ali Beg. Christian communities lying in the path of Muhammad Pasha's army were also victim to the massacres, the town of Alqosh was sacked, large number of its inhabitants were put to the sword and the Rabban Hormizd monastery was plundered and its monks, together with the Abbot , Gabriel Dambo, were put to death. A large amount of the ancient manuscripts were destroyed or lost. The monastery of Sheikh Matta suffered
4323-675: Is used for this is sur or sirr (literally: 'mystery'), which denotes a divine essence from which the angels were created. This pure divine essence called Sur or Sirr has its own personality and will and is also called Sura Xudê ('the Sur of God'). This term refers to the essence of the Divine itself, that is, God. The Angels share this essence from their creator who is God. In religious literature, these Angels are sometimes referred to as Cibrayîl , Ezrayîl , Mîkayîl , Şifqayîl, Derdayîl , Ezafîl , and Ezazîl . The leader of these Angels
4454-481: The sinjaq , sacred images of a peacock symbolizing Tawûsê Melek. These are venerated, fees are collected from the pious, sermons are preached and holy water and berat (small stones from Lalish) distributed. The greatest festival of the year is the Cêjna Cemaiya (' Feast of the Assembly '), which includes an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh 'Adī' ( Şêx Adî ) in Lalish, northern Iraq . The festival
4585-545: The Qewal , constitute a distinct class within the Yazidi society. They are a veritable source of ancient Yazidi lore and are traditionally recruited from the non-religious members of other Kurdish tribes , principally the Dumilî and Hekarî. The qewls are full of cryptic allusions and usually need to be accompanied by čirōks ('stories') that explain their context. Mishurs are a type of sacred manuscripts that were written down in
4716-592: The Ancient Mesopotamian and Indo-Iranian traditions; therefore, Yazidi cosmogony is closer to those of Ancient Iranian religions , Yarsanism , and Zoroastrianism . The religious literature of Yazidis is composed mostly of poetry which is orally transmitted in mainly Kurmanji and includes numerous genres, such as Qewl (religious hymn), Beyt (poem), Du‛a (prayer), Dirozge (another kind of prayer), Şehdetiya Dîn (the Declaration of
4847-472: The Gregorian calendar . One of the most important Yazidi festivals is Îda Êzî (" Feast of Êzî "), which is celebrated in commemoration of the divine figure Sultan Ezid . Which every year takes place on the first Friday on or after 14 December. Before this festival, the Yazidis fast for three days, where nothing is eaten from sunrise to sunset. The Îda Êzî festival is celebrated in honor of God and
4978-549: The Middle East today live in Iraq, primarily in the governorates of Nineveh and Duhok . There is a disagreement among scholars and in Yazidi circles on whether the Yazidi people are a distinct ethnoreligious group or a religious sub-group of the Kurds , an Iranic ethnic group . Yazidism is the ethnic religion of the Yazidi people and is monotheistic in nature, having roots in
5109-666: The Ottoman Empire . The Ottomans had conquered Kurdish regions and installed their own governors in Diyarbekir , Urfa , Shingal and Mosul . In 1516 AD, Sultan Selim the Grim launched an invasion into Syria , capturing Aleppo and Damascus from the Mamluks of Egypt . The chief of the Kurds in Aleppo was Qasim Beg, he had long been at odds with the Mamluks who wished to install Sheikh Izz ed-Din,
5240-472: The emanations of God, who, In Yazidi creation stories , were created by God from his own light ( nûr ) before the creation of this world. God assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Angels and Tawûsê Melek was appointed as the leader. The angels are also referred to as Heft Sirr ("the Seven Mysteries"). In this context, they have, so to speak, a part of God in themselves. Another word that
5371-418: The event of Kerbela these people have been rich, and no king had ever conquered them before. In 1655, Evliya Çelebi revisited Shingal to catch up with Firari Mustafa Pasha, the governor of Diyarbekir whom Evliya had been ordered to collect an old debt from. Firari Mustafa Pasha had encamped in Shingal to collect taxes from the Yezidis, when he sent a delegation to parley with the locals and demand tax payments,
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5502-622: The 13th century and handed down to each lineage ( ocax ) of the Pirs; each of the manuscripts contain descriptions of the founder of the Pir lineage that they were distributed to, along with a list of Kurdish tribes and other priestly lineages that were affiliated with the founder. The mishurs are safekept among the families of Pirs in particular places that are designated for their safekeeping; these places are referred to as stêr in Kurmanji . According to
5633-522: The 14th century, Yezidis built up their own internal religious and political administrative apparatus in the areas that were inhabited by them. The Yezidi territory was divided into seven administrative centres, each having its own Sincaq (banner, flag, province, region), more commonly known as Tawis among the Yezidis. Sincaqs are sacred bronze effigies bearing the image of a bird or peacock to symbolize Tawûsî Melek . They serve as symbols of power for each administrative centre, namely: Every six months,
5764-589: The 17th century and settled west of Lake Urmia , which displaced the Donboli tribe. The first known chieftain of the 'Awdoǐ was Ismail Agha, who died in 1816 and whose tomb is beside the Naslu River . His grandson Jafar Agha was executed as a bandit in Tabriz in 1905. Jafar's brother Simko Shikak was responsible for leading the anti- Christian and anti- Alevi massacres in the area before and during World War I , and for
5895-466: The 1990s has shown such an approach to be simplistic. Yezidism emerged in the 12th century when Sheikh Adi , who, after studying in Baghdad , established an order of his own called Adawiyya, mentioned in medieval Arabic sources as Akrad 'Adawiyya (Adawiyya Kurds), settled in Lalish valley and introduced his doctrines to the local Kurds at the time practicing an old Iranic faith, which although similar,
6026-411: The Book of Revelation and Black Book. Scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travellers' and scholars' interest in the Yazidi religion; however, the material in them is consistent with authentic Yazidi traditions. True texts of those names may have existed, but remain obscure. The real core texts of
6157-517: The Dasini rulers several times, their initial attempts were unsuccessful and were repelled, until the neighbouring Muslim rulers formed an alliance against Hussein Beg, and captured Erbil while Hussein Beg was absent and on a visit to Sheikhan , or Istanbul according to other sources. Hussein Beg's attempts to retake the city were unsuccessful due to the local support enjoyed by the Muslim rulers and resulted in
6288-566: The Dasinis According to another document dating back to 1571 AD, the Prince of Bahdinan, Sultan Husayn Waly, demanded the Ottomans to send a firman (Order) to the states (Wilayāt) of Jazira , Mosul , Amadiya , and Erbil to arrest the Yezidi leaders. During the first half of the 17th century, Yezidis became a very powerful entity under the leadership of Ezidi Mirza , a young, yet reputable military leader who gained fame after leading
6419-623: The Devil). Under the section Maktel-i Yezidiyan ve Intikam-i Şüheda-i Van (The Killing of Yezidis and the Revenge of the Martyrs of Van), he recounts the Pasha of the city assembling an army of 7,000 soldiers from Ahlat , Adilcevaz and Erçiş to take on the Yezidis and the battle eventually ending up in a victory for the Empire and the Muslims. He describes that this place did not pay Jizya or poll tax and that it
6550-597: The East , and Islam . Yazidism is based on belief in one God who created the world and entrusted it into the care of seven Holy Beings, known as Angels . Preeminent among these Angels is Tawûsî Melek ( lit. ' Peacock Angel ' , also spelled as Melek Taûs ), who is the leader of the Angels and who has authority over the world. The religion of the Yazidis is a highly syncretistic one: Sufi influence and imagery can be seen in their religious vocabulary, especially in
6681-548: The Faith), Terqîn (prayer for after a sacrifice), Pişt perde (literally 'under the veil', another genre), Qesîde ( Qasida ), Sema ‛ (literally 'listening'), Lavij, Xerîbo, Xizêmok, Payîzok, and Robarîn . The poetic literature is composed in an advanced and archaic language where more complex terms are used, which may be difficult to understand for those who are not trained in religious knowledge. Therefore, they are accompanied by some prosaic genres of
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#17328729690746812-513: The French orientalist, Roger Lescot , the Ottomans launched 15 campaigns against the Yezidis of Shingal and Sheikhan in the 18th century alone. One expedition against the Yezidis of Shingal was led by the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Pasha, who forced many families into converting to Islam. Another expedition in 1809 was led by the new Governor of Baghdad, Sulayman Pasha, who burnt down Yezidi farms and beheaded Yezidi chieftains. The 18th-19th centuries saw
6943-456: The Kurdish mountains before the 12th century, when Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir (1072–1078), a Sufi of Umayyad descent and venerated by Yazidis to this day, settled there and attracted a following among the adherents of the movement. The name Yazidi seems to have been applied to the group because of his Umayyad origins. In Yazidi religious lore, there is no trace of any link between Sultan Ezid and
7074-523: The Mizuri chieftain's assassination, announced his opposition to the raid. Thereby, Mulla Yahya al-Mizuri, a cousin or nephew to the Mizuri chieftain and a respected religious dignitary, unsuccessfully attempted to plead for rectification from the Bahdinan princes Ahmed Pasha and his brother, Said Pasha, who declined to sanction punitive action against Yezidis and blamed Ali Agha for naively accepting Ali Beg's offer and venturing into his enemy's own country without adequate escort, furthermore, they also killed
7205-439: The Ottoman millet system. By the early 19th century, Yezidis were involved in a long feud with the neighbouring Sunni Kurdish tribe of Mizuri who with one of their clerics had issued in a fatwa in 1724 that Yezidis were infidels and apostates and that killing them was a religious duty. Yezidi women and the Yezidi property were to be considered spoils of war. In another encounter in 1802, the Alghushiyya branch of Mizuris raided
7336-409: The Ottoman Empire, Muhammad Pasha had annexed several neighboring Kurdish principalities to his domains and also intended to seize the Bahdinan emirate and Yazidi lands. In 1815, for the sake of power, he executed his two uncles, Timur Khan and Wahbi Beg, along with their sons, to rid himself of contenders for the rulership. Knowing this, Mulla Yahya persuaded him into sending a punitive force to punish
7467-401: The Ottoman Sultan to eliminate the Yazidis with the justification of Yazidi being apostates. Numerous Ottoman documents reveal the role of the princes, including one dating back to 1568 AD, which reads: The necessity of ending the corruption and evil-doing of the Dasini sect [i.e. Yazidis] and [asking the Ottoman state to send] firmans (orders) to the governors of Mosul and Erbil to punish
7598-452: The Ottoman Sultans and issued fatwas that legitimized the Sultan's killing of Yezidis, enslavement of Yezidi women and the sale of Yezidi slaves in the markets. This resulted in Yezidis being subject to constant Ottoman military pressure and their territories being considered Dar Al-Harb from a religious standpoint. In later periods, Sunni Kurdish princes, particularly those of the Bahdinan principality and its Muslim clerics, requested
7729-484: The Ottomans at Evreh Castle in Eruh , Siirt on the 4 July 1847. He was put in chains with his family and eventually transferred to Constantinople . Towards the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman policies towards Yezidis gained a new dimension under the reign of Abdulhamid II , under whose regime the Muslim Identity became increasingly essential for the Sultan's perceptions of loyalty among his subjects. As missionary activity and nationalism among non-Muslim groups
7860-452: The Ottomans eventually succeeded in capturing the mountain. Evliya Çelebi, who was an eyewitness of the event, reports that 3,060 Yezidis were killed on the Shingal mountain, and writes about the wealth of the Yezidis and the abundance of the Yezidi areas, which he describes as being prosperous in the Yezidis' hands. He reports the spoils from the Ottoman attacks on Yezidis in the following manner: These Yezidis were as wealthy as Croesus, All
7991-441: The Ottomans, with the support of numerous Sunni Kurdish tribes, initiated widespread persecutions against the Christian communities of Mardin , Nusaybin and Cizre . Leading to waves of Christian refugees, including Armenians , Chaldeans , Jacobites and Nestorians fleeing to Shingal in hope of finding shelter among the local Yezidis. By 1916 approximately 900 people had taken permanent residence in Balad (City of Shingal ) and
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#17328729690748122-464: The Shingal mountain, which lasted for three years between the Sacheli tribe and armies of the neighbouring Pashas, ended up in a victory for the mountaineers, who captured around 4,000 prisoners. Yezidis are mentioned in Van Tarihi, a 1715/1716 account by the local imam of the Van city, Ibn-i Nuh, which was about the history of Van. The report describes an Ottoman attack on the Yezidis of Van which took place in 1715. It addresses Yezidi victory during
8253-402: The Transcaucasian railway line to Baku . The other column marched southeast along the left bank of the Aras river to secure the recently completed line to Tabriz . At Sardarabad , the column marching southeast was confronted by a 4,000 strong Armenian force which included 700 Yezidi cavalry. A few days later, Armenians and Yezidis drove back the northern column from the Bash-Aparan defile on
8384-753: The Yazidi literature that often interpret the contents of the poems and provide explanations of their contexts in the spoken language comprehensible among the common population. The prosaic genres include Çîrok and Çîvanok (legends and myths), and Dastan and Menal Pîr s (interpretations of religious hymns). Yazidis also possess some written texts, such as the sacred manuscripts called mişûr s and individual collections of religious texts called cilvê and Keşkûl , although they are rarer and often safekept among Yazidis. Yazidis are also said to have two holy books, Book of Revelation and Black Book whose authenticities are debated among scholars. The Yazidi holy books are claimed to be
8515-440: The Yazidi tradition, there are a total of 40 mishurs which were distributed to the 40 lineages of Pirs. The Yazidi New Year ( Sersal ) is called Çarşema sor ("Red Wednesday") or Çarşema Serê Nîsanê ("Wednesday at the beginning of April"). It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday of the April and Nîsan months in the Julian and Seleucid calendars , i.e. the first Wednesday on or after 14 April according to
8646-479: The Yazidis, the Yaresan and the Kurdish Alevis . The shared features among the three religions can be traced back to an ancient faith that was probably dominant among the western Iranic peoples , but distinct from Zoroastrianism and derived from the pre-Zoroastrian Iranic tradition. Early writers attempted to describe Yazidi origins, broadly speaking, in terms of Islam , or Persian, or sometimes even " pagan " religions; however, research published since
8777-432: The Yezidi Qewals, who are trained reciters of Qewls and other forms of sacred oral Yezidi tradition, were sent out to other Yezidi-inhabited areas with military protection from the central administrative region of Shekhan and the spiritual centre of Lalish . This tradition served to preserve the Yezidi faith and doctrine. The Qewals were financed exclusively by the voluntary alms of the faithful. The Qewals and delegates led
8908-400: The Yezidi territory, the Pasha's forces enslaved and took home around 10,000 Yezidi captives, mostly females and children together with Ali Beg, to Rawanduz , the capital of the princedom. Upon the arriving in the capital, the prisoners were asked to convert to Islam, many of them, including Ali Beg and his entourage, rejected the request and thus were taken and executed at Gali Ali Beg , which
9039-452: The Yezidi village of Ghabara in western Sheikhan , killed nearly a hundred people and occupied Lalish for eight months. Furthermore, during this period, conflict erupted between the tribe of Mizuri and the principality of Bahdinan, which resulted in a clash in 1804. The Mizuris stormed into the city of Amadiya and captured the family of the Bahdinan prince, Qubad Pasha, and imprisoned him together with his brother, after which they plundered
9170-401: The Yezidis of Sheikhan. Bedirkhan was a member of the Ezizan family, the hereditary rulers of Bohtan and one of the oldest and most prominent Kurdish families whom according to Sharafkhan Bidlisi were originally adherents of Yezidism . The Ezizan claimed descent from Abd al-Aziz, a son of the famous Islamic commander and companion of the Prophet, Khalid Ibn al-Walid . Yezidis of Tur Abdin had
9301-1019: The Yezidis replied "if Melek Ahmed Pasha had come back to fight them, they would rub their faces in his footprints, but for Mustafa Pasha, they would only give ten loads of silk", which enraged Mustafa Pasha and provoked him into calling for reinforcements and launching an expedition against the Yezidis of Shingal, the result of this expedition is unknown. In Evliya's works, the tribes of Rojkî , Halitî (Xaltî), Çekvânî, Bapirî, Celovî, Temânî, Mervanî, Beddi, Tâtekî, Gevarî, Gevaşî, Zêbarî , Bezikî , Modikî , Kanahî and Şikak are mentioned as Yezidis. A lot of phrases are used by Evliya when referring to Yezidis, namely: Saçlı Kürdü (long-haired Kurds), Yezidi Ekrad (Yezidi Kurds), Saçlı Yezidi Kürdleri (long-haired Yezidi Kurds), kavm-i na-pak (impure group), bed-mezheb (bad sect), bî-din (faithless), savm u salât ve hacc u zekât vermezler (they do not know anything about these pillars of Islam ), kelb-perest (dog worshippers), and firka-ı dal" (heretic sect). In 1671, another battle in
9432-671: The Yezidis, he divided his force into two groups, one led by his brother, Rasul, and the other one led by himself. These forces marched in March 1832, crossing the Great Zab River and first entering and killing many inhabitants of the Yezidi village, Kallak-a Dasinyya, which was situated near Erbil and was the border between Yezidis and Soran Principality until the 19th century. These forces proceeded to march and capture other Yezidi villages. After arriving in Sheikhan , Muhammad Pasha's forces seized
9563-473: The Yezidis. Accounts regarding the manner in which he persuaded Muhammad Pasha vary from him visiting and seeking the aid of the wali of Baghdad, who upon hearing the Mullah's grievances sent a letter to Muhammad Pasha and urged him to punish Yezidis for their misdeeds, to the Mullah directly visiting Muhammad Pasha, with whom he was on very friendly terms. Muhammad Pasha prepared an army of 40,000 to 50,000 against
9694-552: The authorities and neighbouring powers at various times, some Yezidi tribes allied with Qara Yusuf of Kara Qoyunlu , while others allied with Uzun Hasan of the rival Aq Qoyunlu against the Timurids . During Saladin 's reign, Yezidis served as troops, ambassadors and they were given lands to govern. Yezidis came into contact with the Ottomans for the first time in the early 16th century and lived as semi-independent entities under
9825-478: The caliph. The word Yazidi means 'the servant of the creator'. Other scholars derive it from Old Iranian yazata , Middle Persian yazad , "divine being". Another derivation of the word origin relates to Ez dā ('Created me'). Yazidis also refer to Xwedê ez dam ('God created me') and to Em miletê ezdaîn ('We are the Ezdayi nation'). Scholars have discovered many striking similarities between
9956-462: The capital and most important commercial centre of the mountain, as he gained the support of local Christian merchants and thus was able to expand his economic and political prestige and dominance. In 1918, when the Yazidis of Shingal mountain received an ultimatum from Ottomans to hand over the weaponry and the Christian refugees that they were sheltering, or otherwise face consequences. The Yezidis tore
10087-503: The chapter on the Ayyubid emirate of Hasankeyf . In a 16th-century Ottoman Defter , they are mentioned in the regions of Birecik , Kahta , Joum, Suruç and Ravendan, and called 'Taife-I Ekrâd-I Shikakî'. In another Defter, they are mentioned in the region of Çemişgezek . Among the clans of the Shekak are the 'Awdoǐ or Evdoyî. According to their oral history they came from Diyarbakır in
10218-562: The city and remained in there until at the request of Ahmed Pasha, another Bahdinan prince who ruled Akre , the Yazidis of the Dina tribe came to the aid and the Mizuris were expelled from Amadiya, restoring order in the city. Ahmed Pasha sought to put an end to inter-tribal feuds and reconcile his neighbours. Thus, the Yezidi leader Ali Beg, sent a word the Mizuri chieftain Ali Agha al-Balatayi, expressing
10349-454: The clerics Mulla Yahya al-Mizuri and Muhammad Khati, rejected any chance of reconciliation. Yezidis of Sheikhan were defeated and subject to devastating massacres where slaughter of both the elderly and young, rape and slavery were some of the tactics. Yezidi property, including gold and silver was plundered and looted, and numerous towns and villages previously inhabited by the Yezidis were demographically islamized. Afterwards, Muhammad Pasha sent
10480-523: The death of 500 Yezidi warriors. After the defeat, Hussein Beg was summoned back to Istanbul and executed. As the relations were deteriorating with the Ottomans and strained with the Sunni Kurds, the Ottomans exploited from these tensions and used religious differences to control both groups. In 1566, Abu al-S'ud al-'Amadi al-Kurdi, who was the Mufti of the Ottoman Empire and Sheikh al-Islam , cooperated with
10611-466: The deserted villages, they were ambushed and the Pasha, together with his brother were killed. The panic-stricken troops fled to Mosul while being pursued by the fighters of the Dina tribe. The sequel of this encounter is not recorded. The enslavement of Yezidi captives and military action against Yezidis was legitimized by Muslim theologians, who classified Yezidis as heretics. At least eight expeditions are recorded between 1767 and 1809 and according to
10742-486: The desire for peace and friendship and offering him to act as a kirîv (sponsor) for the circumcision of his son. However, another prince of Bahdinan, Said Pasha, persuaded Mîr Elî Beg to kill the Mizuri chieftain and rid everyone of him, intending to put another tribal leader in his position. Some sources report that he threatened Mîr Elî Beg that he would kill his entire family if he refused to do this. Ali Agha al-Balatayi responded favourably to Mîr Elî Beg's invitation and
10873-701: The district. Throughout the 18th century, Yezidi mirs of Sheikhan were subjects to the Kurdish Principality of Amadiya , a semi-autonomous fiefdom which guarded the Ottoman frontiers in the east. The rulers, who were strict Sunni Muslims claiming descent from the Abbasids , had ruled Amadiya since the Timurid period. Amadiya was also home to a Jewish community and included Nestorians who were actively proselytized by Dominican missionaries who were stationed there from 1759 to 1779. Yezidis are briefly mentioned by one of
11004-564: The earth are sacred elements that are not to be polluted. During prayer Yazidis face towards the Sun, for which they were often called "sun worshippers". The Yazidi myth of creation begins with the description of the emptiness and the absence of order in the Universe . Prior to the World's creation , God created a dur (white pearl) in spiritual form from his own pure Light and alone dwelt in it. First there
11135-738: The expectations of Ottomans, the campaign of the Pasha had crucial influence in setting a widespread religious revival in motion at Shingal . Yezidi refugees fleeing from Sheikhan , including both the commoners and the clergy, took shelter on Shingal mountain and their stories about the atrocities in Sheikhan that were committed by Muslims facilitated the vigoruous millenarian and anti-Muslim propaganda that were carried out by two religious personalities from Sheikhan who had settled in Shingal, Mirza al-Kabari and Alias Khallu. Slogans about an imminent and new Yezidi reign of justice and prosperity against Muslim oppression were successful in mobilizing large sections of
11266-409: The expeditions launched against Shingal from Mosul and Baghdad became less severe and was counted as a cost of doing business by the raiders. In 1785, the governor of Mosul, Abd el-Baqi Pasha led a raid on the nomadic Dina tribe of Yezidis living east of Tigris near Duhok , led by a young chief named Kor Namir Agha (The Blind Namir Agha) who was blind in one eye. Whilst the Pasha's troops were looting
11397-438: The first waves of attacks and Yezidis capturing the Pasha of the city of Van during the battle. Under the section titled as Harb-i Yezidiyan Der Sahra-yi Canik Ba-Vaniyan (The battle of the Yezidis with Vanis at the desert of Canik) , Ibn-i Nuh lists the names of important people who died during the battle and describes a dreadful situation for the Muslims and Islam at the hands of what he describes as Cünd-i Şeytan (The army of
11528-462: The initiative of completing his tasks through violence due to the lack of cooperation from Yezidis. Around 500 Yezidis died in the Shingal campaign of November–December 1892, Lalish was forcibly converted into a madrasah , sacred objects of the Yezidis were confiscated, mosques built in Yezidi villages and the Yezidi Mir Mirza Beg was provoked into converting to Islam. However, in contrast to
11659-449: The large Shikak , Reşan , Dumilî/Dumbuli , Memkan, Kîkan, and Musareşan tribes. In addition, Sherefkhan Bidlisi writes in Şerefname that seven of the most important Kurdish tribes were Yezidi. Yezidism was the official religion of numerous Kurdish emirates and principalities, including the principalities of Bohtan , Mahmudi , Donboli and the Emirate of Kilis . Starting from
11790-612: The letter up and sent the messengers back naked. Yazidism Ancient Medieval Modern Yazidism , also known as Sharfadin , is a monotheistic ethnic religion that originated in Kurdistan and has roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion , directly derived from the Indo-Iranian tradition. Its followers, called Yazidis , are a Kurdish -speaking community. Yazidism includes elements of ancient Iranian religions, as well as elements of Judaism , Church of
11921-456: The local Yezidi populace. This prompted Omar Wehbi Pasha to launch an unsuccessful intervention in Shingal, which resulted in the faqir , Hemoyê Shero , who had earlier declared himself the Paramount of Shingal, together with his followers becoming the focus of anti-Muslim resistance and increasing their military capacity by seizing a huge amount of Turkish armaments and ammunition which would be
12052-498: The missionaries, Padre Maurizio Garzoni, who reported "the post of the executioner is always given by the princes of Amadiya to a Yezidi, who never loath to shed Muslim blood." Yezidi mirs of Sheikhan were also involved in several rebellions against Amadiya principality; in 1770–1771, Bedagh Beg, who was Mir of Sheikhan at the time, joined a rebellion against the Prince of Amadiya, Ismail Pasha. Bedagh Beg eventually got captured and fined, and 16 years later, his son and successor, Jolo Beg,
12183-515: The most known early and major expeditions against the Yezidis took place in 1246, when the Yezidi leader, Sheikh Hassan ibn Adi was killed by Badr Ad-Din Lulu , and 1414, when a joint army of neighbouring Sunni Kurdish tribes ransacked Lalish. During these conflicts, many important Yezidi chiefs were forcibly converted to Islam, leading to a gradual decline of the Yezidi power from the 15th century. However, Yezidis were also able to establish alliances with
12314-514: The multitudes of troops from the provinces of Van and Diyarbekir and Mardin who came to the aid of Melek Ahmed Pasha, all the Kurdistan soldiery who participated in plundering the money and food and drink and copper vessels and household furnishings and the like which emerged over ten days from the Saçlı Dağı caves, could not carry away more than a drop in the sea and a mote in the sun. For ever since
12445-460: The old Dynasty and Khanjar was replaced by Jolo Beg's son, Hasan Beg. In Shingal, Yezidis had gained notoriety for raiding every caravan passing between Mardin and Mosul . Yezidi raiders operated as far as in the routes between Anah and Baghdad , where one band attacked a caravan in 1782 and seized 30 donkey-loads of cotton goods. Caravans that were escorted by well-armed guards were often able to fight off raiders, whereas fate of other caravans
12576-564: The organised resistance against the regime of Reza Shah . The Shekak tribe has been described as brave warriors and they trained officers of soldiers of the Qajar dynasty since the reign of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar . The tribe inhabits the villages of Akçakuşak , Çevrimli , Düğünyurdu , Koçtepe and Yatağankaya in the Şırnak Province of Turkey . It moreover inhabits multiple villages in Tunceli Province . Turkicized Shiite portions of
12707-661: The other side with their ferries. Under the reign of Sultan Suleyman in 1534, the Yezidi leader, Hussein Beg was given the control over the domain of the Soran Emirate together with its capital of Erbil , and the Bahdinan Emirate with its capital of Amediye . Hussein Beg's father, Hassan Beg, had allied himself with the victorious Ottomans after the Battle of Chaldiran and was famed for his diplomatic and political expertise, which helped him bring Mosul under his rule and become
12838-411: The pearl The Yazidi qewls mention the universe as having originated from a white pearl that existed in pre-eternity. At the beginning of the time prior to the creation, God emerged from the cosmic pearl, which rested on the horns of a bull that stood on the back of a fish. After God and the pearl separated, the universe burst out of the pearl and became visible as waves rippled across from pearl to form
12969-529: The powerful chieftain of Milan confederacy and highly regarded by the Sultan Abdulhamid. Hasan Kanjo built a fortress at Haleli, east of Viranşehir , to serve as a base for fighting the desert Arab tribes including the Shammar . Members of his tribe had been allowed to keep their Yezidi faith and were camped around the fortress. In Mosul, a new Governor by the name of Aziz Pasha was appointed; he had arranged
13100-484: The primeval Cosmic Ocean . As the pearl burst open, the beginning of the material universe was set in motion. Mihbet (meaning 'love') came into being and was laid as the original foundation, colours began to form, and red, yellow and white began to shine from the burst pearl. The Yazidi religion has its own perception of the colours, which is seen in the mythology and shown through clothing taboos, in religious ceremonies, customs and rituals. Colours are perceived as
13231-406: The process, which plays an exceptional role in Yazidi religiosity and is called the "change of [one's] shirt" ( kirasgorîn ). There is also a belief that some of the events from the time of creation repeat themselves in cycles of history. In Yazidism, different concepts of time coexist: In Yazidism, the older original concept of metempsychosis and the cyclic perception of the course of time
13362-433: The profane world". The Enzel stage describes a spaceless and timeless state and therefore illustrates a supernatural state. In this stage, initially there is only a God, who creates a pearl out of his own light, in which his shining throne ( textê nûrî ) is located. Qewlê Bê Elif : Padşê min bi xo efirandî dura beyzaye – My King created the white pearl from himself Textê nûrî sedef – The shining throne in
13493-610: The provincial Ottoman system and were appointed as governors as far as Tikrit and Kerek. Yezidis were also participants in commerce and river transportation of their territory through contact with other ethnicities and religions. Evliya Çelebi describes the quality of Yezidi products in the following manner: The quality of Yezidis' grapes and honey is priceless, and their raisins are highly priced in Baghdad , Basra and Lahsa markets. They have many Berry trees. Sinjar has important mineral[s] as well. Çelebi also reports that Yezidis collected fees by taking people from Hasankeyf to
13624-561: The religion that exist today are the hymns known as qawls ; they have also been orally transmitted during most of their history, but are now being collected with the assent of the community, effectively transforming Yazidism into a scriptural religion. The sacred texts had already been translated into English by the early 20th century. A very important genre of oral literature of the Yazidi community consists of religious hymns , called Qewl s, which literally means 'word, speech' (from Arabic qawl ). The performers of these hymns, called
13755-471: The religious clergy refrain from certain vegetables (including cabbage) because "they cause gases". Some Yazidis in Armenia and Georgia who converted to Christianity , still identify as Yazidis even after converting, but are not accepted by the other Yazidis as Yazidis. Children are baptised at birth and circumcision is not required, but is practised by some due to regional customs. The Yazidi baptism
13886-597: The religious hymns, known as Qewls . For instance, in Qewlê Tawisî Melek: " Ya Rebî ji Enzel de her tuyî qedîmî " (English: Oh, Creator of the Enzel , you are infinite) And Dûa Razanê: Ezdayî me, ji direke enzelî me (English: I am a follower of God, I come from an " enzelî " pearl) Thus, the term Enzel can also be referred to as a "pure, spiritual, immaterial and infinite world", "the Beyond" or "the sphere beyond
14017-464: The religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of the Yazidis' esoteric literature, but most of the theology, rituals, traditions, and festivals remains non-Islamic. Its cosmogony for instance has many points in common with those of ancient Iranian religions . Yazidis believe in the rebirth of the soul. Like the Ahl-e Haqq , the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe
14148-471: The same fate. After putting Yezidis of Sheikhan to the sword, Muhammad Pasha invaded the rest of the Bahdinan , attacking Akre and after a few days, besieging the fortress of Akre which was regarded as almost impregnable and meeting the resistance of the Kurdish tribe of Zibari. Thereafter he marched towards Amadiya which capitulated after a brief siege. The entire region, from Khabur to Great Zab rivers,
14279-506: The second Umayyad caliph. Some scholars have derived the name Yazidi from yazata , the name for a divine being in Avestan . Yazidis believe in one God, to whom they refer as Xwedê , Xwedawend , Êzdan , and Pedsha ('King'), and, less commonly, Ellah and Heq . According to some Yazidi hymns (known as Qewls ), God has 1,001 names, or 3,003 names according to other Qewls. In Yazidism, fire, water, air, and
14410-689: The slopes of Mount Aragats. However, during the first week of June, an armistice was reached whereby the Ottomans could use the key railways, but would leave Yerevan and Echmiadzin to the Armenians. The Yezidi participation in the decisive Battle of Sardarabad is still commemorated by Armenians. Yezidis in Tur Abdin and Shingal also formed common causes with Christians and fought defensively from their mountain strongholds. Yezidis in Shingal were led by Hemoye Shero , who in 1914-1915 sheltered Christian refugees fleeing from persecution and in 1917, led raids with
14541-454: The son of Mulla Yahya. As a result, he turned to the Pasha of Rawanduz , Muhammad Pasha . During that time, Muhammad Pasha had become the most powerful and independent ruler in Kurdistan. He had begun minting his own coins and declared independence from the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, the Ottomans were preoccupied with the rebellion of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Egypt , who had declared independence from
14672-535: The symbolizations of nature and the beginning of life, thus the emphasis of colours can be found in the creation myth. The colors white, red, green and yellow in particular are frequently emphasized. White is considered the color of purity and peace and is the main colour of the religious clothing of the Yazidis. Yazidi accounts of the creation differ significantly from those of the Abrahamic religions ( Judaism , Christianity , and Islam ), since they are derived from
14803-516: The terminology of their esoteric literature, but much of the mythology is non-Islamic, and their cosmogonies apparently have many points in common with those of ancient Iranian religions. The name of Yazidi is a exonym . The Yazidi people and religion are named after Sultan Ezid . Most modern historians hold that the name Ezid derives from the name of Yazid I ( c. 646–689 ), the second Caliph of Umayyad Caliphate . A pro-Umayyad movement particularly sympathetic towards Yazid I existed in
14934-459: The three days of fasting before are also associated with the ever shorter days before the winter solstice , when the Sun is less and less visible. With the Îda Êzî festival, the fasting time is ended. The festival is often celebrated with music, food, drinks and dance. Another important festival is the Tawûsgeran , where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing
15065-405: The three hypostases of the one God. The identity of these three is sometimes blurred, with Sheikh 'Adī considered to be a manifestation of Tawûsî Melek and vice versa; the same also applies to Sultan Ezid. Yazidis are called Miletê Tawûsî Melek ("the nation of Tawûsî Melek"). Muslims and Christians have erroneously associated and identified the Peacock Angel with their own conception of
15196-543: The tribe historically inhabited East Azerbaijan . This Iran -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Yazidis Yazidis , also spelled Yezidis ( / j ə ˈ z iː d i z / ; Êzidî ), are a Kurdish -speaking endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan , a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq , Syria , Turkey , and Iran . The majority of Yazidis remaining in
15327-410: The unredeemed evil spirit Satan , a misconception which has incited centuries of violent religious persecution of the Yazidis as "devil-worshippers". Persecution of Yazidis has continued in their home communities within the borders of modern Iraq . Yazidis, however, believe Tawûsî Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness. They consider him to be the leader of the archangels , not
15458-563: The village of Khatara and marched onwards to Alqosh , where they were confronted by a joint force of Yezidis and the Bahdinan who were led by Yusuf Abdo, a Bahdinan leader from Amadiya , and Baba Hurmuz, who was the head of the Christian monastery in Alqosh . These joint forces then left their positions and relocated to the town of Baadre . Ali Beg wished to negotiate, but Muhammad Pasha, influenced by
15589-460: The village of Bardahali, which had by then turned into the headquarters of the Fuqara tribe. Hemoye Shero, the chief of Fuqara, promoted Christian settlement on the Mountain through granting them his protection in accordance with a Shingali custom which encouraged the settlement of Christians if a local Yazidi agha would guarantee for them. This helped Hemoye Shero to seize full control of Shingal city,
15720-455: Was able to escape, enlist allies and lay siege to a ruined fort where the Persian cavalry had held Yezidi women captive. The defenders were at the edge of being overrun when the shah's nephew brought reinforcements and stopped the siege. As, who was abandoned by his allies, considered committing suicide, but finally surrendered himself to Nadir Shah instead and was eventually appointed the governor of
15851-511: Was an esoteric world, and after that an exoteric world was created. Before the creation of this world God created seven Divine Beings (often called "Angels" in Yazidi literature ) to whom he assigned all the world's affairs; the leader of the Seven Angels was appointed Tawûsî Melek ("Peacock Angel"). The end of Creation is closely connected with the creation of mankind and the transition from mythological to historical time. The Yazidis believe in
15982-413: Was appointed as the governor of Mosul, a title which he held until his death in 1651. Êzidî Mirza is mentioned in several Yezidi sagas until today. During the 17th century, the Ottomans launched numerous expeditions against the Yezidis in Shingal, who had long controlled the trading routes around Shingal, attacked Ottoman caravans and refused to pay the taxes levied by the Ottomans. The first expedition
16113-521: Was brought under Muhammad Pasha's rule, including Zakho and Duhok . Muhammad Pasha appointed Musa Pasha, a relative of the Bahdinan prince Said Pasha, as the governor of the capital. Musa Pasha, who had been on bad terms with Said Pasha, had offered valuable assistance to Muhammad Pasha during the attack on Amadiya. Between 1840 and 1844, Yezidis of Tur Abdin were repeatedly attacked by the ruler of Bohtan , Bedirkhan Beg , who had previously aided Muhammad Pasha during his incursions against Bahdinan and
16244-627: Was carried out by the Islamic State saw over 5,000 Yazidis killed and thousands of Yazidi women and girls forced into sexual slavery , as well as the flight of more than 500,000 Yazidi refugees. The Yazidis' own name for themselves is Êzidî or, in some areas, Dasinî , although the latter, strictly speaking, is a tribal name. Some western scholars derive the name from the Umayyad Caliph Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya (Yazid I). However, all Yazidis reject any relationship between their name and
16375-612: Was considered the Abode of War. He also mentions that some Christians lost their lives and that many women and children held as captives. In 1743, Nadir Shah , launched an invasion in the west and was aiming to capture Mosul , sent a force to subdue the Yezidi chieftain As after capturing Altun Kopru and Kirkuk . As had often raided the western provinces of Persia from his base in the mountains around Koi Sanjak . The Persians defeated an army of several thousand Yezidis and killed their leader Yezid. As
16506-540: Was embraced by many Kurdish tribes and emirates . Yezidi manuscripts, called mişûrs which were written down in the 13th century, contain lists of Kurdish tribes who were affiliated to Yezidi Pir saints. Only two of the total of 40 manuscripts have been published so far, namely the Mişûr of Pîr Sini Daranî and the Mişûr of Pîr Xetîb Pisî, the list in the Mişûr of Pîr Sini Daranî include some large tribes that have been mostly, or fully islamized today, including but not limited to
16637-497: Was involved in another rebellion, but had to later retreat. In 1789–1790, Jolo still maintained the title of Mir and was involved in battles against the Tayy Arabs, who were raiding Sheikhan, but in the following year, Jolo and his brother were executed by Ismail Pasha, who appointed a Khanjar Beg as the Mir in their stead. However, after quarrels with Khanjar, the Mir position was returned to
16768-521: Was led by the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Nasuh Pasha , and took place in 1613 AD, which resulted in a Yezidi victory and 7,000 of the Ottoman soldiers being slaughtered according to the reports of Evliya Çelebi . In 1640, another expedition against the Yezidis of Shingal was launched by another Grand Vizier, Melek Ahmed Pasha of Diyarbekir. The Ottoman troops surrounded Shingal mountains and stormed Yezidi positions. Despite heavy casualties,
16899-445: Was often a total loss or a ransom. The favourite targets were lightly armed official couriers who relied on speed to reach their destination. In one case, a captured courier was found to be carrying 40,000 carats of high-grade pearls. As a result, several expeditions were launched against the Yezidis; the punitive expeditions from Baghdad, first one launched in 1715 and a later one in 1753, inflicted heavy casualties. However, subsequently,
17030-481: Was on the rise, conversion to Islam in order to ensure their political loyalty was crucial in the perspective of Abdulhamid's government. Conscription was one of the steps taken in order to convert them. Thereafter, Yezidis would be subject to persecution from Omer Wehbi Pasha, who had been sent to Mosul by the Sultan for a task involving institutionalization of a conscription system, collection of taxes, resettlement of tribes, and crushing local tribal rebellions. He took
17161-450: Was separate from Zoroastrianism and was of pre-Zoroastrian origin. After his death in 1162 AD, his disciples and successors blended his doctrines and teachings with the local and ancient Iranic traditions. Because of this, Yezidi tradition uses many terms, images and symbols of Sufi or Islamic origin, meanwhile still to a larger extent preserving pre-Islamic mythology, symbology, rituals, festivals and traditions. Yezidism
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