Hemavend

Hemavend is a Kurdish tribe living in the Ottoman-Iranian border region, primarily in the geography between Süleymaniye and Şehrizor. In late Ottoman sources, it stands out as one of the tribes closely concerning the region's public order due to its nomadic lifestyle and stance against the central administration.

In Border Travelogues

In his work titled Seyahatnâme-i Hudud, Mehmed Hurşid lists Hemavend alongside tribes such as Atmanî, Baban, Badikî, Bıradost, Caf, Celali, Hayderan, Lek, Milan, Rişvan, Sebkî, Şemsikî, Şemzînan, Şeyhbızın, Şeyh Hasenan, Şikakî, and Zîlan when enumerating the large Kurdish tribes in the region where the Ottoman, Iranian, and Russian borders intersect, and provides detailed information about the branches of these tribes (Volume 4, p. 78). Such border travelogues contain detailed records not found elsewhere regarding the branches of the tribes, their household numbers, beliefs (Islam or Yezidi), livelihoods, animal numbers, summer and winter pastures, and in which empire's territories they were located (Volume 4, p. 78).

Public Order in Ottoman Press

In Ottoman periodicals, Hemavend is reflected as a public order issue for the central administration. In a newspaper text, it is stated that despite the government's considerable severity, the Hemavend tribes, especially those on the Iranian border, occasionally violate the public order of this region "like a storm"; in the same article, the deprivation of Kurds from education is shown as the reason for the lack of public order, and opening schools, as in the example of Arnavutluk, is suggested as a solution (Volume 4, p. 163). In another record describing the transformation of the Musul province, it is stated that the Hemavend tribe living in Musul subsisted on theft and banditry, that the Ottoman government worked hard to prevent this situation, and that many of the tribes were brought under obedience (Volume 4, p. 179).

Mobility in the Press

The tribe's mobility can also be traced in the contemporary press. The Zevra newspaper, published in Bağdat, reported on the activities of the Hemavend tribe, which was in motion between Süleymaniye and Şehrizor, along with the activities of the Avraman (Hevraman) tribe living on the border of Iran's Senendec (Sine) government and the Süleymaniye Sancağı (Volume 4, p. 238).