Ermenistan

Ermenistan (Armenia) is a historical region, intertwined with the geography of Kürt history in ancient and medieval sources, extending between Kafkasya and Yukarı Mezopotamya. Both Armenian historiography and Islamic-era geographical literature address in detail the presence of Kürt people in this region and its surroundings, the political structures they established, and their relations with neighboring peoples.

Sources and Geography

The earliest information regarding the region's antiquity and late antique period comes from Armenian sources. Agathangelos, attributed to an anonymous author known by the epithet "the good messenger," is the first Armenian History written in Armenian; the work begins with the founding phase of the Sasani İmparatorluğu and primarily focuses on Armenia's transition to Christianity in the fourth century through the efforts of King Trdat (Volume 1, p. 73).

Islamic-era geographers defined Ermenistan (İrminye) within their classifications that divided the earth into climates and regions. Kalkaşendî, while dividing the northern section into twelve regions, lists Ermenistan as the first of these; it is followed by regions such as Azerbaycan, Ran, and Cibal (Volume 2, p. 54). The region's borders are drawn by stating that the İlekru Nehri separates Ermenistan from Ran (Volume 2, p. 59). el-Bağdâdî writes that İrminye extends between Berdaa and Bab el-Ebvab, up to the land of Rum and the Kafkas Dağları (Volume 2, p. 59). Among the important cities of Ermenistan are Erzen, Zencan, Bitlis, Ahlat, and Hirtbirt; settlements such as Şamşat, Kalikila, Erciş, and Bacunis are located in the sub-units of the region (Volume 2, p. 60). Ebü'l-Fidâ introduces Dubeyl as a town in Ermenistan, where the Mîrlik Konağı and Saltanat Merkezi are located, inhabited by numerous Christians, and through which the Aras Nehri flows (Volume 2, p. 94). Makdisî advocated the view that Bitlis belonged to the Ermenistan region, and geographical books continued to show Bitlis within Ermenistan until the Memlûk period (Volume 2, p. 97). It is recorded that cities like Meyyafarikin are located on the border between Cezîre and Ermenistan (Volume 2, p. 100).

Kürt Dynasties and Seljuks

This geography has been the stage for Kürt dynasties and states. The dynasty referred to as Şeddâdîler (Beni Şeddâd, Âl-i Şeddâd) in sources, is a Kürt state that ruled in the geography of Arrân and Ermenistan from the mid-10th century until the end of the 12th century; it emerged on the historical stage with Muhammed b. Şeddâd's settlement in Dvin in 951, and became an influential power centered in Gence by capturing it in 970-971 (Volume 1, p. 101). They functioned as an important "suğur" (frontier) state, forming a buffer between the Muslim world and Christian Georgian and Armenian states (Volume 1, p. 101).

The arrival of the Selçuklular in the region resonates in both Islamic and Armenian sources. Sultan Alp Arslan's campaigns towards Ermenistan and Gürcistan in the years 456/1064 and 460/1067-68 are recorded in connection with the Şeddâdîler; details regarding Alp Arslan's marital relations and Şeddâdî Emîri II. Fadl during these campaigns contain information not found in other sources (Volume 1, p. 107). Armenian historian Vardan is one of the primary sources providing information about the process of the Şeddâdîler' emergence on the historical stage and, by clarifying the name of Muhammed b. Şeddâd's wife, provides regular information until the Georgian commander-in-chief Zakaria put an end to the Şeddâdîler in Ani in 1199 (Volume 1, p. 112).

Kürt Presence in the Region

Islamic-era geography and travel books address the presence of Kürt people in the regions of Ermenistan, Azerbaycan, and Ran under a separate heading (Volume 2, p. 115). These works shed light on the relations of Kürt people with Arab, Fars, Türk, Ermeni, Süryani, and other peoples (Volume 2, p. 115). Sources reveal that Kürt people generally lived in vast and distant regions such as Ermenistan, Azerbaycan, Horasan, Huzistan, Fars, Kirman, Irak, Ran, Cezîre, Cibâl, and Şam; these regions are currently located within the borders of various states such as İran, Irak, Türkiye, Suriye, Ermenistan, and Azerbaycan (Volume 2, p. 114).