The Eyalet of Diyarbekir (; ) was an

eyalet Eyalets (, , ), also known as beylerbeyliks or pashaliks, were the primary administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. From 1453 to the beginning of the nineteenth century the Ottoman local government was loosely structured. The empire was a ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Its reported area in the 19th century was , slightly larger than the original

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

province in

Upper Mesopotamia Upper Mesopotamia constitutes the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, the regio ...

. In 1846 it was succeeded by the Kurdistan Eyalet.

Government

The 17th-century traveller

Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...

reported on the organization of the eyalet: "In this province there are nineteen

sanjak A sanjak or sancak (, , "flag, banner") was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans also sometimes called the sanjak a liva (, ) from the name's calque in Arabic and Persian. Banners were a common organization of nomad ...

s and five hakumets (or hereditary governments) ..eight anjakswere at the time of the conquest conferred on Kurdish begs with the patent of family inheritance for ever. Like other sanjaks they are divided into

ziamet Ziamet was a form of land tenure in the Ottoman Empire, consisting in grant of lands or revenues by the Ottoman Sultan to an individual in compensation for their services, especially military services. The ziamet system was introduced by Osman I, ...

s and

timar A timar was a land grant by the sultans of the Ottoman Empire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with an annual tax revenue of less than 20,000 akçes. The revenues produced from the land acted as compensation for military service. A ...

s, the possessors of which are obliged to serve in the field; but if they do not, the ziamet or timar may be transferred to a son or relation, but not to a stranger. The hakumets have neither ziamets nor timars. Their governors exercise full authority, and receive not only the land revenues, but also all the other taxes which in the sanjaks are paid to the possessor of the ziamet or timar, such as the taxes for pasturage, marriages, horses, vineyards, and orchards. .. The officers of the

divan A divan or diwan (, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan''). Etymology The word, recorded in English since 1586, meaning "Oriental cou ...

of Diarbeker are the defterdar of the treasury with a ruz-namji (journal writer); a defterdar of the feudal forces an inspector ( emin), and a lieutenant kehiya of the defter, and another for the chavushes; a secretary (

katib A katib (, ''kātib'') is a writer, scribe, or secretary in the Arabic-speaking world, Persian World, and other Islamic areas as far as the Indian subcontinent. In North Africa, the local pronunciation of the term also causes it to be written ke ...

), a colonel, and a lieutenant colonel of the militia". By

, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall

History

After Reşid Mehmet Pasha assumed as

Wāli ''Wāli'', ''Wā'lī'' or ''vali'' (from ''Wālī'') is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim world (including the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates and the Ottoman Empire) to designate governors of administrative divis ...

in 1834, he led military campaigns against the local Kurdish tribes of the Garzan, Bedir Khan and Milli as well as the Yazidi Kurds in

Sinjar Sinjar (; , ) is a town in the Sinjar District of the Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. It is located about five kilometers south of the Sinjar Mountains. Its population in 2013 was estimated at 88,023, and is predominantly Yazidi. History ...

. In 1835 he also subdued the Milli tribe in

Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...

and in 1836, he defeated the ruler from the Emirate of Soran. After his death in 1836, his successor was Hafiz Mehmet Pasha who continued to subdue the Kurdish tribes and the Yazidi Kurds in Sincar. In the 1840s, the Eyalet ceded the Sanjak of

Cizre Cizre () is a city in the Cizre District of Şırnak Province in Turkey. It is located on the river Tigris by the Syria–Turkey border and close to the Iraq–Turkey border. Cizre is in the historical region of Upper Mesopotamia and the cultura ...

, which before was part of the Emirate of Bohtan in the Diyarbekır Eyalet, to the Mosul Eyalet, which led to a Kurdish revolt led by Bedir Khan Beg.

Administrative divisions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diyarbekir, Eyalet of Eyalets of the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia History of Batman Province History of Diyarbakır Province History of Elazığ Province History of Malatya Province History of Mardin Province History of Siirt Province History of Şanlıurfa Province History of Tunceli Province 1515 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 1867 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire

Government

History

Administrative divisions

See also

References