Principality of Bitlis | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1182–1847 | |||||||||
| Status |
(1655–1847) | ||||||||
| Capital | Bitlis | ||||||||
| Common languages | Kurdish Persian (ruling class/elite, bureaucracy, chancery, literary, Sufis, mercantile, scholarly,madrasas, building inscriptions, gravestone inscriptions)[1] | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Khan/Hakim | |||||||||
• 1578-1597 | Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1182 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1847 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Bitlis Province | ||||||||
ThePrincipality of Bitlis, also known as theBitlis Khanate,[2] and theBitlis Emirate (1182–1847), was a culturallyPersianate[3]Kurdishprincipality centered atBitlis. It originated from theRojaki (orRozagî) tribal confederation.
The Rojaki defeated theGeorgian KingDavid the Curopalate and conqueredBitlis andSasun in the 10th century.[4] The principality occasionally came under the rule of outsiders, such as theAq Qoyunlu (from 1467 to 1495) and theSafavids (from 1507 to 1514). After the decline of the Aq Qoyunlu, the Rojaki princes asserted their independence. The principality supported the Ottoman SultanSelim I, and in return its rulers were named Noble Khans.[5] In 1531, the Rojaki prince withdrew his support from the Ottomans and turned towards the Safavids instead, an event that led to the capture of the principality by the Ottomans.[6]
A good era for the principality began in 1578, when SultanMurad III nominatedSharaf al-Din Bitlisi the Emir of the principality.[5] Until 1596, eighteen Rojaki princes ruled the principality.
The Rojaki khans maintained their relative independence during the long rivalry between theOttomans and theSafavids. In 1665, Abdal Khan's status as the Emir of the principality was strengthened after a visit to Bitlis by the Ottoman sultanMurad IV, as he supported the Ottomans in their feud with the Safavids.[7] Abdal Khan has been described by theFrench travellerJean-Baptiste Tavernier as the most powerful Kurdish prince. According to him, Abdal Khan was independent and did not acknowledge the Safavid or Ottoman states.[8]Evliya Çelebi has praised Abdal Khan as arenaissance prince and owner of a library of books in several languages.[5] Several European travelers noted the ability of the emirate to call in militias (up to 12,000 cavalry forces) in order to defend itself.[9] The autonomy of the principality ended in 1655 as Emir Abdal Khan entered into conflict with the Malik Ahmad Pasha, theWāli ofVan at the time. Abdal Khan was accused of confiscating properties in Bitlis by merchants in Van and an[clarification needed] his closeness with theYazidis. As result, theOttoman Empire ended its tolerance towards the autonomy of the principality of Bitlis and it was integrated into theVan eyalet.[10]
For centuries, Bitlis and neighboringKurdish principalities were profoundly influenced byPersian language and culture due to their connections with Persian-centered empires. Persian was the language of administration, used bySufis, poets, merchants, and scholars. By adopting Persian, Bitlis’s ruling classes and elites aimed to integrate themselves into the broaderPersianate world, portraying their social environment as part of this prestigious tradition. From the 14th century, Persian literary production flourished in Bitlis, with notable works byIdris-i Bidlisi andSharaf Khan. Persian was predominant in palace education,madrasas, personal correspondence, and literary and historical writings. Despite a shift to Turkish in Ottoman bureaucracy during the 16th century, Persian continued to be used in Bitlis for communications withSafavidshahs and for inscriptions on buildings and gravestones. Although Bitlis’s role as an imperial vassal is documented only to a limited extent, surviving records show that Persian remained the language of bureaucracy and diplomacy in the Bitlis court throughout these centuries. Persian manuscripts filled the palace library, and its influence persisted in daily life and cultural practices well into the 19th century.[1]
In fact, Bidlis was part of the vast "Persianate world" or, as Green reconceptualizes, "Persographia," which stretched from the Balkans to Central Asia and from the Indian subcontinent to the Caucasus, the area where Persian language, culture, literature, art, and identity dominated strongly.
