Bohtan


Bohtan was a medieval Kurdish principality in the Ottoman Empire centered on the town of Jazirah ibn 'Omar in southeastern Anatolia. Bohtanis were an ancient and prominent branch of the Kurds that claimed descent from the Islamic General and Sahaba Khalid ibn al-Walid. Some minor branches followed Yazidism but Sunni Islam predominated in the 14th century.

History

In the early 8th century Bukhtis and Bajnawi Kurds ruled the area surrounding Sinjar and Jazira mountains known under name Zozan by Arab geographers. Yaqoot Hamawi describes their residing area to be from Ikhlat to Salmas which included many strongholds belonging to Bokhtis; he also mentioned town of Jardhakil as their capital. The principality ruled over an area extending from Diyarbakir to Van and from Rawanduz to Sinjar at its peak. In the 16th century, Bohtan was granted the status of a Hükümet, and it became a hereditary Kurdish principality within the Ottoman Empire.
An important governor of the Bohtan was Bedir Khan Bey, who succeeded Mir Sevdin. Bedir Khan Bey was Mîr of the principality in 1835 and again in 1847.
Bedir Khan Bey resigned after an unsuccessful uprising against the Ottoman Empire and following lost its independence

Sub-groups

The main branches of Bukhtis were Brasbi, Dasni and Sindi. According to Sharafkhan Bidlisi in his time few Bukhtis followed Yazidi faith, furthermore he states that previously Bukhtis were among the Kurdish groups who had a large Yazidi branch.