Siverek

Siverek was an administrative unit affiliated with the Diyarbekir region during the Ottoman period, referred to in sources sometimes with the status of a sancak and sometimes a kaza. Its name appears in Ottoman archival documents spanning from the 16th century to the early 20th century, in a wide range from tahrir defters to provincial salnames and correspondence.

Records in Tahrir Defters

Siverek's administrative identity can be traced through tahrir defters in the earliest period. Within the Vilayet-i Diyar-i Bekr ve Arap ve Zü'l-Kadiriyye Defteri dated 937/1530, Siverek is also located among the sancaks of Amid, Mardin, Sincar, Musul, Arabgir, Ergani, Çermik, Kiğı, Çemişgezek, Harput, Ruha, Ana-Hit, and Deyr-Rahbe (Volume 3, p. 20). Siverek is also recorded in the icmal defters belonging to the Diyarbekir Eyalet; for example, in icmal defter number 251, Siverek kaza is mentioned along with Rakka liva, while in another icmal defter, Siverek, Ruha, and Habur livas are mentioned together (Volume 3, p. 21). In this context, Siverek is one of the administrative units recorded under the administrative division of Diyarbekir Vilayet, along with units such as Amid, Ruha, Ergani, and Tercil (Volume 3, p. 50).

Change in Administrative Status

Its administrative status in the documents has changed over time. In the Ruus Defteri Kalemi's register number 1452, it is listed among the sancaks under the heading "Elviye-i Tabi-i vilayeti Diyarbekir" with the phrase "Siverek Elhak" (Volume 3, p. 48). On the other hand, Siverek, along with Hasankeyf, Çemişgezek, Harput, Ergani, Nusaybin, Akçakale, and Sincar, was counted among the units considered to have the status of classical Ottoman sancaks (Volume 3, p. 51). In the 19th century, its administrative affiliation was reorganized, and most likely in connection with issues related to the settlement of tribes in the region, Siverek was annexed to the Kürdistan Eyalet in 1862 (Volume 3, p. 65). In late period administrative tables, Siverek appears as a kaza within the Diyarbekir Vilayet, and in these records, Siverek Kazası is shown with 487 villages and 7 nahiyes (Volume 4, p. 127); in the same period, Siverek, Çermik, and Palu were also mentioned together under the heading Ergani (Volume 4, p. 119).

Transportation and Security Records

Siverek appears not only in administrative structures but also in regional transportation and security records. At the beginning of the 20th century, documents concerning the state organization contain records related to the Siverek Prison, affiliated with the Diyarbekir vilayet (Volume 3, p. 81). Documents from 1913 include incident tables concerning Diyarbekir, Siverek, and Midyat (Volume 3, p. 137). In the post-World War I period, Siverek stands out as a transportation route; correspondence from 1919-1920 contains records of passage to Urfa via Siverek and from there to İstanbul (Volume 3, p. 119). Generally, Siverek is considered one of the settlement names that allows access to numerous archival documents concerning Kurdish and Kürdistan history when searches are conducted with place names such as Diyarbekir, Urfa, Mardin, and Siirt (Volume 3, p. 77).