Ihsan Nuri, also known as Ihsan Nuri Pasha (), 1892 or 1893,

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province.Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

) was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

soldier and politician, former officer of the Ottoman and

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...

, and one of the leaders of the

Ararat rebellion The Ararat rebellion, also known as the Ağrı rebellion ( or ''Ağrı isyanı''), was a 1930 uprising of the Kurds of Ağrı Province, in eastern Turkey, against the Turkish government. The leader of the guerrilla forces during the rebellion ...

as the

generalissimo ''Generalissimo'' ( ), also generalissimus, is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used. Usage The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative ...

of the Kurdish National Forces.

Early life and education

Ihsan Nuri was born in the house of his father Elî QulîMehmet Kemal Işık (Torî), "İhsan Nuri Paşa", ''Ünlü Kürt Bilgin ve Birinci Kuşak Aydınlar'', Sorun Yayınları, İstanbul, Kasım 2000, , p. 169. in

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province.Celalî tribe. After finishing primary education at the Gök Meydan

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province.Ottoman Military Academy The Turkish Military Academy () or as it is known historically and popularly Harbiye is a four-year co-educational military academy and part of the National Defence University. It is located in the center of Ankara, Turkey. Its mission is ...

.İhsan Nuri Paşa, ''Ağrı Dağı İsyanı'', Med Yayınları, İstanbul, 1992, p. 7. While at the academy, he joined the ''Hêvî,'' a Kurdish association of students. In 1910, he graduated from this academy as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

and joined the

Ottoman Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

Ottoman military career

After he participated in the counterinsurgency operations in

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, he was sent to

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

and served there for 33 months. After returning from Yemen, he was appointed the aide-de-camp of Ottoman 93rd Infantry Regiment and was sent to Beyzon. In the early stage of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he was injured at Nerman and sent back to the rear area for treatment. On the way to Erzincan, he suffered from frostbite near

Karaburun Karaburun (, Achirlí) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of İzmir Province, in western Turkey. Its area is 421 km2, and its population is 12,200 (2022). The district area roughly corresponds to the peninsula of the same nam ...

. After treatment in Erzincan, he was assigned to the Ottoman Ninth Army, and then appointed the member of the administration committee of

Ozurgeti Ozurgeti ( ka, ოზურგეთი ) is the capital of the western Georgia (country), Georgian province of Guria. It was formerly known as Macharadze or Makharadze (named in honor of Filipp Makharadze). It is a regional center of tea and haze ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, briefly occupied by the Turkish troops during the

Caucasus Campaign The Caucasus campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, later including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, the German Empire, the Central Caspian Dict ...

of 1918 and served as the commander of the mobile

gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

of the town. After the First World War, he got in contact with the

Society for the Rise of Kurdistan Society for the Rise of Kurdistan () also known as the Society for the Advancement of Kurdistan (SAK), was secretly established in Istanbul, Constantinople on 6 November 1917 and officially announced organization formed on the 17 December 1918. ...

, who delivered him the task to establish relations amongst the Kurdish notables in area around Diarbakır,

Siirt Siirt (; ; ; ) is a city in the Siirt District of Siirt Province in Turkey. It had a population of 160,340 in 2021. The city is predominantly inhabited by Kurds. Neighborhoods The city is divided into the neighborhoods of Afetevlerı, Alan, ...

and

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province. He wrote an article about

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

Fourteen Points The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace terms to the United States Congress ...

, which was published on 30 March 1919 in the ''Jîn'' magazine. When he arrived at

Trabzon Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...

, Rushdi Bey, who was the commander of the 9th Caucasian Division, sent him to

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

to meet authorities of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

.Mehmet Kemal Işık (Torî), "İhsan Nuri Paşa", p. 170. He was a commander of the crushed Beytüşşebab rebellion in September 1924Olson, Robert (1989). pp,46–47 in which he demanded other Kurdish tribal militiamen to support the uprising. He also supported the Sheikh Said rebellion in 1925 but did not take part in it in a leading position as he was in exile in

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

in February 1925. After the rebellion in Beytüssebap was subdued, the Turks intelligence undertook an attempt to portray Nuri as a Turkish spy to the British.Olson, Robert (1989). p.175 But the British dismissed the attempt.

Republic of Ararat

Kurdish nationalist Kurdish nationalism () is a nationalist political movement which asserts that Kurds are a nation and espouses the creation of an independent Kurdistan from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Early Kurdish nationalism had its roots in the Ottoman ...

s met in October 1927 and not only proclaimed the independence of

Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...

, but also formed

Xoybûn Xoybûn or Khoybun () was a Kurdish nationalist political party, that is known for leading the Ararat rebellion, commanded by Ihsan Nuri. Many Armenians joined the movement as well, the party was active in all parts of Kurdistan until it was d ...

(Independence), a “supreme national organ … with full and exclusive national and international powers”. Cognizant of the need for a proper military structure,

promoted Ihsan Nuri to general (pasha) and nominated him Commander-In-Chief of the Kurdish National Army. Ihsan Nuri was a former

member of the

Young Turks The Young Turks (, also ''Genç Türkler'') formed as a constitutionalist broad opposition-movement in the late Ottoman Empire against the absolutist régime of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (). The most powerful organization of the movement, ...

. By 1928, Ihsan Nuri had assembled a small group of soldiers armed with modern weapons and trained in infantry tactics. This force initiated the Xoybûn revolt, marching towards

Mount Ararat Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...

. Ihsan Nuri and his men not only achieved success in reaching Mount Ararat, but they were able to secure the regions of

Bitlis Bitlis ( or ; ) is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the seat of Bitlis District and Bitlis Province.

Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...

province, and most of the countryside around

Lake Van Lake Van (; ; ) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey in the provinces of Van Province, Van and Bitlis Province, Bitlis, in the Armenian highlands. It is a Salt lake, saline Soda lake, soda lake, receiv ...

, establishing a notable area of Kurdish resistance in the region. By the end of summer 1930, the

Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force () is the Air force, air and space force of the Turkish Armed Forces. It traces its origins to 1 June 1911 when it was founded as the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons, Aviation Squadrons by the Ottoman Empire. It was composed ...

was bombing Kurdish rebel positions around

from all directions. According to General Ihsan Nuri, the military superiority of the Turkish forces and the air bombardment demoralized the

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

and led to their eventual capitulation.

As refugee

During the 1930s,

Generalissimo ''Generalissimo'' ( ), also generalissimus, is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used. Usage The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative ...

İhsan Nuri arrived as a refugee in Tehran. The government restricted his movements for years in Tehran. In 1960, his situation became better and he was permitted to settle in the Kurdish region around

Urmia Urmia (; ) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. In the Central District of Urmia County, it is capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is situated near the borders of Iran with Turkey and Iraq. ...

. In 1962, he undertook a journey to

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

to a Kurdish language congress and, while he stayed in Berlin, he also met Kamuran Bedir Khan. While in Europe, he also visited the cities of

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and at both locations he was received by Iranian diplomats. He returned to Iran in mid 1962, where he returned to Urmia. In the summer of 1976, he was injured when he was hit by a motorcyclist directly in front of his home at around 10:00 am. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his wounds during the day. The culprit who hit him while driving the motorcycle was never identified or apprehended.

Sources

External links

Ağrı Dağı İsyanı'nın lideri İhsan Nuri Paşa'yı anlatıyor
Navenda Lêkolînan Kurdistan {{DEFAULTSORT:Ihsan Nuri 1890s births 1976 deaths Year of birth uncertain Kurdish people from the Ottoman Empire People from Bitlis Ottoman Military Academy alumni Ottoman Army officers Ottoman military personnel of World War I Turkish Army officers Turkish military personnel of the Turkish–Armenian War Turkish Kurdish politicians Ararat rebellion Generalissimos Pashas Road incident deaths in Iran Kurdish nationalists Pedestrian road incident deaths Kurdish independence activists Mount Ararat Turkish emigrants to Iran