Anadolu

Anadolu, in western Asia, is a vast region that has been the domain of various empires throughout history, extending from antiquity to the Ottoman period, and is intertwined with the geographies where Kurds historically spread. It is frequently mentioned in the sources of Kurdish history, in both ancient/Islamic period texts and Ottoman archival documents.

Ancient and Islamic Period Sources

The variety of words mentioned in pre-Islamic period sources is considered one of the fundamental problems facing researchers who wish to write Kurdish history; the religious and folkloric information mentioned in these sources are also data that must be carefully considered for early Kurdish history. In this context, Armenian sources, which developed parallel to the Sasani period, are of great importance (Cilt 1, s. 22). Indeed, in Armenian texts, regions extending to the east of Van Gölü and the geography of Büyük Armenia, such as Korçeyk, Korduk, and Kordrik, are mentioned in detail; the area referred to as Kardukhia, Corduene/Gordyene in classical sources has been recorded with the Armenian versions of these texts (Cilt 1, s. 80).

The region was a scene of contention for great empires in antiquity. The Behistun (Bisotun) Inscription, which describes the ascension of Persian king I. Darius, the revolts against the Persians, and the conquests of the period in an epic language, is among the most important documents of the Persian Empire and reveals the political landscape of the period (Cilt 1, s. 63). Sasani ruler I. Şapur (240-271/2) continued the campaigns his father I. Ardeşir had started against the Roman İmparatorluğu; inflicting heavy defeats on Rome in three-stage campaigns between 244-260, he captured many regions from Mezopotamya and Suriye, and had these victories recorded on the Ka'be-i Zerdüşt inscription at Naqş-ı Rustem (Cilt 1, s. 67).

Medieval and Seljuk Period

In the Middle Ages, Anadolu became the scene of the Seljuk and subsequent periods. Sources recount the relationship between the Şeddâdîs, who ruled in Kafkasya, and the Seljuks, from Muhammed b. Şeddâd's settlement in Dvin to Seljuk Emîr Savtegin's capture of Gence (Cilt 1, s. 105). The information provided about the Seljuks' Kafkasya policy, centered in Gürcistan and Ermenistan, is valuable for clarifying Şeddâdî-Seljuk relations (Cilt 1, s. 110). Indeed, the geographer Yâkūt el-Hamevî was also born in Anadolu around 574/1178 as the child of a family of Rum origin, and later became one of the important figures of the Islamic geographical tradition (Cilt 2, s. 26).

Anadolu in the Ottoman Period

In the Ottoman period, Anadolu prominently appears in archival documents both as an administrative unit and as a vast area where the Kurdish population spread. Anadolu is also counted among the provinces where Ahkâm defters were kept; in the 18th century, the Ottoman Devleti attempted to settle large Kurdish tribes such as Zilan, Bisyan, Bociyan, Mili, Badıllı, Şeyh Bızıni, and Rişvan, while tribes unwilling to submit to central authority were in long-term conflict with the state (Cilt 3, s. 31). It is understood from documents that Kurdish tribes spread not only within the borders of Doğu and Güneydoğu Anadolu but also across a wide geography in İç Anadolu, including Konya, Kayseri, Kırşehir, Ankara, and Çorum (Cilt 3, s. 45). A report dated 1888 records that the Kurdish taifas located on the Anadolu continent extended from the Bayezid region of the Ottoman-İran border southward to the provinces of Van, Hakkâri, Bitlis, Musul, Diyarbekir, Mamuretülaziz, Erzurum, and Irak (Cilt 3, s. 78).

Anadolu also held a key position in the economic and military life of the period. While goods from İran were transported to Anadolu and Halep, the Diyarbekir Gümrük kapısı served as a strategic transit point, where merchants paid customs (tamga) tax (Cilt 3, s. 35). From a military perspective, it can be determined from documents that orders were sent to the beys of Anadolu and Ekrad during the Ottoman Devleti's campaign preparations, and that the state utilized Kurdish military units in almost every period (Cilt 3, s. 40).