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Simko Shikak

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Simko Shikak
سمکۆی شکاک
Simkoyê Şikak
A portrait of Simko Shikak
Nickname(s)"Father of Kurdish Nationalism"[1]
Born1887
Chahriq-e Olya, Iran
DiedJuly 30, 1930
Oshnavieh, Iran
Cause of deathAmbush
AllegianceKurdish tribes
Service / branchShekak tribe
Battles / wars
RelationsAmar Khan Shikak (uncle or cousin), Jafar Agha (older brother)
Signature
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Ismail Agha Shikak (Kurdish: ئیسماعیل ئاغا شکاک, Îsmaîl Axayê Şikak), also known as Simko (Kurdish: سمکۆ, Simko; 1887–1930), was a Kurdish chieftain of the Shekak tribe. He was a nationalist warlord who controlled significant land and led thousands of Kurdish rebels who defeated the Iranian army on several occasions. He also led ethnic conflicts against Assyrians and Azerbaijanis. He was later assassinated by the Iranian government in 1930.

Early life

Simko was born in 1887 in Chahriq-e Olya, Chahriq Rural District, Salmas County, to Mohammad Agha Shikak, the son of Ismail Agha, who was the leader of the Awdoyi clan of the Shikak tribe. Ismail Agha died in 1816.[2][3] The Shekak played a prominent role in local politics, occupying the districts of Somay, Baradost, Qotur, and Chahriq.[4] His brother, Jafar Agha, later became leader of the tribe. In 1904, Qajar official Nizam-ol-Saltaneh invited Jafar Agha to Tabriz for negotiations, and swore on the Quran that he would not be harmed. However, it had been a trap, and Jafar Agha was killed by Iranian authorities in Tabriz.[5][4] In 1907, his father, Mohammad Agha Shekak, went to personally ask Abdul Hamid II for revenge against Iran, although he was imprisoned in Istanbul and died in prison.[6]

Career

Simko became the leader of the Shekak tribe in 1905 after the death of his elder brother Jafar Agha.[7]

Simko was also in contact with Kurdish revolutionaries such as Seyyed Taha Gilani, the grandson of Sheikh Ubeydullah. Seyyed Taha was a Kurdish nationalist who was actively campaigning for the unification of Iranian Kurdistan and Turkish Kurdistan in an independent state.[8]

Kurdish nationalism was first introduced to Iranian Kurds during the reign of Abdul Hamid II, where the Ottoman Empire made several attempts to annex Iranian Kurdistan while encouraging nationalism to convince Iranian Kurds to the rest of the Kurds, who lived in the Ottoman Empire. The Young Turk Revolution did not change the policy. The Ottomans briefly controlled Iranian Kurdistan on two occasions, in 1906 and World War I.[9]

In 1906, the Ottomans captured Mahabad relatively easily due to the Kurds being Sunni. In 1908, a group of Kurdish nationalists approached the Russian consulate in Urmia and asked for assistance in expelling the Ottomans. Simko was the most prominent figure who approached the consulate. The presence of Ottoman troops in Iranian Kurdistan had challenged the powerful status of Simko, while the Kurds were divided into Pro-Ottoman and Anti-Ottoman factions. Simko visited the Russian consulate in Urmia again in 1911 and visited Russia in 1912.[10] Simko attacked the Ottomans and caused significant damage. Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov often gave Simko rank promotions, which the Ottomans protested to Sergey Sazonov, but achieved nothing as the Russian consul in Van stated that Simko "is someone that we need and we should support him, since his hatred toward the Turks is without limit. And that benefits us."[11] According to British travelogue C.J. Edmonds, who interviewed Simko in October 1922, Simko hated Turks more than he hated Persians.[12] Simko often emphasized his hatred of Persians, and would often cite an old Kurdish saying "the only Persian you can trust is a dead Persian."[13] In May 1914, he attended a meeting with Abdürrezzak Bedir Khan who at the time was a Kurdish politician supported by the Russians.[7] In World War I, the Russians were expelled from the region after the Ottomans captured Urmia and Tabriz in December 1914, after which Simko allied with the Ottomans. However, when the Ottomans requested help against the British, he refused. The Russians returned shortly after and imprisoned Simko in Tbilisi, after which he returned to Iran, still a Russian ally. When the Russians withdrew in 1917, Simko began working with the British and allied with the Assyrians against the Ottomans. However, Simko was often paranoid and believed that the Assyrians wanted to establish a state in Kurdish lands and ethnically cleanse the Kurds. He frequently changed sides as he was willing to ally with anyone who benefitted the Kurds. The alliance broke when Simko assassinated Shimun XIX Benyamin in March 1918 and sided with the Ottomans when they invaded Iran in summer 1918.[14][15]

During the Ottoman withdrawal from the South Caucasus after World War I, many ethnic Kurdish soldiers and officers deserted from the Ottoman army and joined Simko, inspired by his nationalist goals. Despite deserting, they had brought the Ottoman equipment with them to Iran. They were paid generously by Simko and formed the bulk of the Kurdish rebels in Iran.[15]

In 1918, the Simko Shikak revolt began, aimed at establishing an independent Kurdish state. Nearing the 1920s, Simko grew increasingly nationalist. However, Simko was primarily considered a tribal leader, as he lived in a time where Kurds primarily gave their allegiance to their tribe and had no concept of unity for a national cause.[16] Simko lacked administration, which made him less successful than his contemporaries Mohammad Khiabani and Mirza Kuchik Khan. Simko was a pioneer of Kurdish nationalism and was among the first to attempt to unite Kurds of various tribal affiliation for a national cause. His failure was primarily due to the lack of nationalism among Kurds. However, Kurdish nationalism rapidly grew during the Pahlavi era in Iran, which also coincided with the Kemalist era in Turkey where Kurdish nationalism was also growing. Eventually, Qazi Muhammad successfully united various Kurdish tribes and established the Republic of Mahabad.[17][18] Qazi Muhammad's father was a close friend of Simko and accompanied him throughout the battles.[19]

During the Battle of Charah, after the murder of Mar Shimun, the Assyrians under the command of Malik Khoshaba and Petros Elia of Baz attacked the fortress in Charah in which Simko was decisively defeated and fled to Khoy.[20] The deputy governor of Azerbaijan, Mokarram-ol-Molk, devised a plan to assassinate Simko with a gift box that had a bomb inside. In May 1919, the bomb was assembled by an Armenian expert in Khoy and sent to Simko disguised as a package of confections. When the package reached Simko, his young son brought it inside, believing it was a gift. Simko immediately knew what it was and threw it far away as he tightly grabbed his son and got on the floor. They both survived, although the bombing killed Simko's younger brother, Ali Agha Shikak, as well as many Kurdish troops. Simko vowed revenge and began taxing non-Kurds living between Salmas and Khoy and intensifying the attacks on Assyrian and Azerbaijani communities. Simko demanded that whoever sent the package be handed over. Although Mokarram-ol-Molk was the one who planned it, he blamed it on three people who had no part in it but were disliked by both the Iranian government and Simko. One of the accused men was Jahangir Mirza, a Qajar prince who owned many schools in Khoy. One of the schools, named Cyrus, was captured by Simko after he killed Mar Shimun. Simko lived in the school for a period of time, and on one occasion, Jahangir Mirza attempted to evict Simko from the school but failed. Simko felt humiliated and continued to hold resentment. In June, the three men were escorted to Simko by thirteen Qaradaghi tribesmen. The three men and all the Qaradaghi tribesmen had their limbs cut off and were thrown from the roof of Simko's palace. He targeted the Qaradaghi tribesmen as revenge for his brother Jafar Agha, who was killed by a Qaradaghi chief in 1905.[21]

By summer 1918, Simko had established his authority in the region west of Lake Urmia.[22]

Map showing the main locations and zones controlled by Simko Shikak during his revolt (1918–1922).

In 1919, Simko sent a letter to the British civil commissioner of Iraq, demanding Kurdish independence.[23] Also in 1919, Yusuf Adl Mukarram ul-Molk, the governor of Iranian Azerbaijan, devised a plot to kill Simko by sending him a present with a bomb hidden in it.[24] At this time, government in Tehran tried to reach an agreement with Simko on the basis of limited Kurdish autonomy.[25] When Simko captured Mahabad in October 1921, some Kurds fell victim to the looting. Simko stated that he highly discouraged any violence against other Kurds, and claimed that he was not able to restrain his men who were used to pillaging after fighting. The Kurdish victims were robbed and left alive, although the Azerbaijani victims were all executed. The Azerbaijani towns of Miandoab, Binab, and Maragheh sent letters of submission to Simko. At this time, Simko grew more powerful while having permanent ties with many Kurdish tribes. While controlling a large part of Iranian Kurdistan, his influence reached Luristan, as well as Iraqi Kurdistan, and Turkish Kurdistan.[26][27] Simko specifically targeted Assyrian and Azerbaijani communities for pillaging.[11] Simko was known among Iranian Azerbaijanis as the "Butcher of Azerbaijan".[28][29]

In December 1919, the multi-ethnic parts of West Azerbaijan province were extremely dangerous and riddled with ethnic violence. The cities of Salmas, Urmia, and Khoy, all made up of Kurds, Azerbaijanis, and Assyrians, saw the worst of tensions. The Kurds had the advantage, and there were telegrams of pleas from Azerbaijanis and Assyrians who grew increasingly worried. Later, Simko Shikak announced his planned invasion of Lakestan, namely Soltan Ahmad and Qarah Qeshlaq, both of which were inhabited entirely by ethnic Azerbaijanis.[30] Lakestan is near Salmas, and its residents were either cattle breeders, farmers, or chiefs.[31][32] In Lakestan, around 8,700 Azerbaijani locals prepared to confront Simko, although over 340 did not have weapons.[30] Simko had nearly 4,000 Kurdish soldiers. On Friday, 19 December, the Kurds besieged the area, and the fighting lasted for two hours before the Kurds entered the city from all sides and began looting and pillaging.[33] In the telegram that survivors of Lakestan sent to Tabriz, they claimed that 3,500 Azerbaijanis had died, with 2,000 of them being directly killed by Simko and the other 1,500 of them being frozen to death while trying to escape. The events created a strong shock in Tabriz.[34][35][36] The Iranian Army later deployed to Lakestan and retook the region. In nearby settlements, during and after the Lakestan massacres, Kurds clashed with Azerbaijanis and Assyrians.[34] Iran later reached a deal with Simko to stop his attacks, although he began attacking again shortly after.[37] Immediately after, Simko led the invasion of Urmia, where the Kurds captured the city and massacred Assyrians and Azerbaijanis.[38]

Simko had organized a strong Kurdish army which was much stronger than Iranian government forces. Since the central government could not control his activities, he continued to expand the area under his control and by 1922, cities of Baneh and Sardasht were under his administration.[39] In the Battle of Sari Taj in 1922, Simko's forces could not resist the Iranian Army's onslaught in the region of Salmas and were finally defeated and the castle of Chari was occupied. The strength of the Iranian Army force dispatched against Simko was 10,000 soldiers.[40] In 1922, Turkey assisted the Iranian army against Simko.[12] After the defeat of Simko, Reza Shah began a repressive campaign toward non-Persian minorities.[41]

On January 8, 1923, Simko visited the Kingdom of Kurdistan and met with Mahmud Barzanji. Simko was welcomed with a military parade, and the day of his visit was made a national holiday.[42]

In 1924, Reza Khan pardoned Simko, who returned to Iran from exile. When Reza Khan became Reza Shah in 1925, Simko pledged eternal loyalty to him and the Iranian state.[43] However, in 1926, Simko allied with the Herki and Begzada tribes, regained leadership of the Shekak tribe, and began another revolt.[44][45] In October 1926, Salmas was besieged by a force of 1,500 men loyal to Simko.[46][44] Shortly after, Iranian forces were dispatched from Urmia, Sharafkhaneh and Khoy, and defeated Simko.[44] During the engagement, half of Simko's troops defected to the Shekak tribe's previous leader and Simko himself fled to Mandatory Iraq.[45]

Later life and death

Simko was residing in the village of Barzan, Iraq. In 1930, the Iranian government invited him for negotiations at the house of a governor in the town of Oshnaviyeh. On June 30, 1930, Simko headed to Oshnavieh on horseback, accompanied by a group of Kurdish tribesmen. Throughout the trip, Simko was suspicious and had thought about canceling the meeting several times. As Simko was riding his horse, he had even shouted "the only Persian you can trust is a dead Persian." However, he suppressed the thoughts and believed that the meeting would meet his demands and improve the situation of Kurds in Iran. When Simko arrived to the Oshnavieh, he saw the house surrounded by ten armed Iranian guards. The governor, along with two unarmed associates, went out to welcome Simko. Seven armed Kurds stayed outside the house, while two unarmed Kurds went in with Simko. When Simko and his two assistants entered, there were six Iranian officials drinking tea on the floor. While they were discussing the situation of Kurds in Iran as well as the demands of both sides, one of the Iranian officials stood up, claiming that he was stretching his legs. The whole room was silent except for the sounds of spoons stirring tea. Simko became overwhelmed with paranoia and believed that he fell into a trap. After realizing that the Iranian official was taking too long to stretch his legs, Simko looked in his direction and was immediately shot in the forehead. One of his assistants was killed, while the other one tackled the Iranian official but was shot dead by the other Iranian officials. The Kurdish guards outside the house were also killed.[47]

A Persian Cossack Brigade soldier with the corpse of Simko Shikak

See also

References

  1. ^ Manafy, A. (2005). The Kurdish political struggles in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey : a critical analysis. Internet Archive. Lanham : University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-7618-3003-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  2. ^ Houtsma, M. Th.; et al. (1993). "Shakāk". E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. Vol. 4 (Reprint ed.). E.J. Brill. p. 290. ISBN 90-04-09796-1.
  3. ^ Houtsma, M. Th.; et al. (1993). "Salmas". E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. Vol. 4 (Reprint ed.). E.J. Brill. p. 118. ISBN 90-04-09796-1.
  4. ^ a b M. Th. Houtsma, E. van Donzel, E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936, 1993, ISBN 90-04-08265-4, p. 290
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  22. ^ W. G. Elphinston, The Kurdish Question, International Affairs, Vol.22, No.1, pp. 91–103, 1946. p. 97
  23. ^ Kurdish Awakening: Nation Building in a Fragmented Homeland, 2014, pp. 72, ISBN 9780292763012
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  38. ^ کسروی، احمد، «تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان: بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران»، ص 831.
  39. ^ F. Koohi-Kamali, "Nationalism in Iranian Kurdistan" in The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview, ed. P.G. Kreyenbroek, and S. Sperl, 252 pp., Routledge, 1992, ISBN 0-415-07265-4 pp. 175, 176
  40. ^ S. Cronin, "Riza Shah and the disintegration of Bakhtiyari power in Iran, 1921-1934", Iranian Studies, Vol. 33, No. 3-4, pp. 349-376, Summer-Fall 2000 p. 353
  41. ^ See:
  42. ^ The Kurdish National Movement: Its Origins and Development, Wadie Jwaideh, 2006, pp. 142, ISBN 9780815630937
  43. ^ Bruinessen, Martin (2006). "Chapter 5: A Kurdish warlord on the Turkish-Persian frontier in the early Twentieth century: Isma'il Aqa Simko". In Atabaki, Touraj (ed.). Iran and the First World War: Battleground of the Great Powers. Library of modern Middle East studies, 43. London; New York: I.B. Tauris. p. 21. ISBN 9781860649646. OCLC 56455579.
  44. ^ a b c See:
  45. ^ a b Smith, Benjamin (2009). "Land and Rebellion: Kurdish Separatism in Comparative Perspective" (PDF). Working Paper: 11.
  46. ^ McDowall, David (2004-05-14). A Modern History of the Kurds. I.B.Tauris. p. 221. ISBN 9781850434160.
  47. ^ The Passion and Death of Rahman the Kurd: Dreaming Kurdistan, Carol Prunhuber, 2010, pp. 281–284, ISBN 9781440178153
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