Celali

Celali is one of the large Kurdish tribes living in the region where the borders of Osmanlı, İran, and Rusya intersect (Cilt 4, s. 78).

Its Place in Sources

Mehmed Hurşid, in his work titled Seyahatnâme-i Hudud, counts Celali among the large Kurdish tribes of the region, along with Atmanî, Baban, Badikî, Bıradost, Caf, Hayderan, Hemavend, Lek, Milan, Rişvan, Sebkî, Şemsikî, Şemzînan, Şeyhbızın, Şeyh Hasenan, Şikakî, and Zîlan, and provides detailed information about these tribes and their branches (Cilt 4, s. 78). In these sources, it is possible to find detailed information such as the branches of the tribes, the number of households, their beliefs (Islam or Yezidi), their livelihoods, the number of their animals, their summer and winter pastures, and in which empire's territories they were located (Cilt 4, s. 78).

Its Position Along the Border

The Celali tribe is divided between two states due to its position along the border. In a document from the II. Abdülhamid period, it is stated that a part of the tribe was under the sovereignty of the İran state, and most of them were included in the Hamidiye Hafif Süvari Alayları thanks to the sultan (Cilt 3, s. 77). Celali, located on the Osmanlı-İran border and mentioned along with tribes such as Haydaranlu, Sebiki, Semsiki, Hemedanlu, Zilanlu, and Mifri, is seen to be at the center of issues such as which state the tribes in this border region were subject to, border violations, and the settlement of nomadic tribes (Cilt 4, s. 81). The fact that the same source draws attention to the tribe's rebellious attitudes against Osmanlı indicates that Celali held a prominent position in the conflicts along the border (Cilt 4, s. 81).

Celali Rebellions

In Osmanlı periodicals and works, information has also been provided about the Kurds who participated in the Celali İsyanları concerning an earlier period; in this context, it has been stated that although some brave Kurdish beys had rendered many services to Osmanlı, they later fell out of favor and joined the rebellion due to destitution and hunger (Cilt 4, s. 45).