Introduction: Rethinking Kurdish Nobility in the Ottoman Empire

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Nilay Özok-Gündoğan

Published:

2022

Publisher:

Edinburgh University Press

The introduction begins with a violent encounter between Abdullah Beg, the ruler of the Palu nobility, and the inhabitants of Weşin village in 1848. This event triggers the Ottoman state's actions to abolish the hereditary privileges of the Palu nobility. The introduction highlights the significance of Kurdish emirates in Ottoman and Kurdish historical writings and situates the book within debates on Ottoman-Middle East history, Kurdish historiography, and comparative studies of nobilities. It presents the book's conceptual framework and main arguments, challenging the established assumption in Ottoman historiography that hereditary nobility lacked legal recognition within the Ottoman politico-administrative system. By drawing on recent comparative revisionist perspectives, the introduction views hereditary nobility as a historical phenomenon rather than a rigid category defined solely by legal and technical characteristics. Additionally, the introduction offers a fresh perspective on Kurdish autonomy, asserting that current discussions on the topic are influenced by a presentist agenda driven by the contemporary statelessness of the Kurdish population. It emphasizes the importance of understanding Kurdish autonomy within its historical and contextual context. Lastly, the introduction explores the historical geography of Palu, examining its population, environment, and historical memory. It concludes by providing summaries of the subsequent chapters.

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