Jump to content

Jwamer Aga

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jwamer Aga (Sorani Kurdish: جوامێر ئاغای هه‌مه‌وه‌ند), was the head of the Kurdish tribe of Hamawand during the late nineteenth century Ottoman era and was a Kurdish nobleman and aristocrat. Jwamer was made the ruler of Zuhab and the Qasr-e Shirin district after the overthrow of its hereditary ruling family the Bajalan.[1] Jwamer which means one who is descended from nobility or is noble.[2] He was born in 1815 in a Palace of his own family called Shirin Palace, which was located in the village of Ali Mansouri, a territory of Hamawand. He was executed by martyr in Qasr-e-Shirin in 1887 due to which he died at the age of 72.

Nobility and his cause of death

[edit]

His father was Prince Muhammad Chalavi, who were kings of the Afrasiyab Dynasty. His mother's identity remains uncertain; she was presumably a princess or a khanum. His Majesty Prince Muhammed was one of the most famous absolute nobles who had disarranged Rome in addition to the Gentiles. Jwamer received the title Khan from Massoud Mirza Zell-e Soltan, the son of Naser Al-Din Shah Qajar. In addition, he became Sarhang, the Guardian of the Frontier for the most critical routes. He was remunerated with 6,000 Nassirian coins for his role as the Guardian of the Frontier.

However, he was subsequently criticised by the British lieutenant Maunsell, who deemed the appointment an absurdity, citing the theory of surrounding a thief to draw back a thief. Nevertheless, he proved to be an effective and timely source of security. He was commended for his 'appropriate' behaviour after being reprimanded. He progressed from the rank of Colonel to that of Brigadier General. He constructed a palace in Qasr-e Shirin, where he resided with his sons Hama Khan, Hama Sherif and Hama Reshid. He also undertook the reconstruction of the city and the establishment of new markets. His palace was destroyed and his land was left behind when he was executed.

Faqe Qadri Hamawand, the ruler of Chamchamal and Baziani, was also a member of the nobility of Hamawand. It is evident that he had familial connections; he departed the country during a period of exile and left his estate behind. The value of his land was approximately 58,450 piastres. The government proceeded to sell the aforementioned land. Faqe was exiled to Libya in Benghazi, where he probably died in 1890. Jwamer Aga and his sons were exiled and beheaded by the Jaffs after the Ottomans and Qajars opposed him six years later. This occurred following his appointment as ruler of Zuhab and the Qasr-e Shirin district by the Shah of Iran in 1881. Prior to this, the Jaffs and Hamawands had been engaged in a long-standing conflict.[3] Jwamer held the Persian forces at Qasr-e Shirin for two months.[4]

George Nathaniel Curzon, notes that Jwamer was invited to a meeting with Tehran's emissary, where he was slain. He was reprimanded during the meeting for his 'rebellious' behaviour.[5]

Rivalties against the Ottoman Empire

[edit]

In his formative years, he assumed a position of leadership within his tribe. He proceeded to amass the majority of the tribe's courageous warriors and initiated hostilities against the Ottoman Empire. He spearheaded numerous offensives against the adversary in Kirkuk, Qara Hassan, Darbandi Bazian, Tasluja and Qliasan. In 1870, as a consequence of the assassination of Hama Pasha of Jaff, Jwamer Khan was compelled to withdraw his forces to Iran. As a result, the Qajars initiated an offensive against Hamawand's military forces, which were led by Malik Niaz Khan, with a substantial military contingent. In the course of the battle, the Iranian army sustained considerable losses, including the death of its commander, Malik Niaz Khan.

Subsequently, Jwamer Agha assumed control of the border areas without the consent of the Qajars, establishing his headquarters in Hurin village in the Sharaf region. In 1875, he was granted clemency by order of Naser Al-Din Shah Qajar. It might be argued that he was a suitable candidate for the role of governor of Qasr-e-Shirin and the Zahaw Gailani region of Rozhawa. Additionally, the Iranian government has taken the decision to reduce the salaries of Jwamer Agha's warriors, as well as those of 1,500 of his own fighters.

Moreover, the Shah of Iran has conferred upon Jwamer Agha the rank of brigadier general. It is documented that Sultan ibn Nasreddin Shah, the governor of Isfahan, visited the residence of Jwamer Agha in Qasr-e-Shirin on several occasions until the untimely demise of the latter in 1887. This event is purported to have been part of a larger political plan involving the Ottoman and Iranian governments.

His military Career

[edit]

He was one of the few courageous Kurdish leaders, an exemplar of valour and heroism. Both the Ottoman and Qajar states were united in their objective of destroying it. The responsibility of ensuring the security of the Baban Emirate's borders was entrusted to Hamawand. Jwamer Agha was born into a family with a documented history of revolutionary action. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the Hamawand army in response to the Ottoman invasion of the Baban Emirate. During his tenure as president, he led 27 military campaigns against the Ottoman and Qajar states. These conflicts were characterised by significant disparities in size and scope, yet he emerged victorious in all of them. A considerable number of the courageous and distinguished men of Kurdistan served as advisers, advocates, and guardians of Jwamer Agha during the period when the Ottoman and Qajar empires formed an alliance with the objective of subduing the Hamawand tribe.

The governor of Baghdad, Adam Pasha, initiated an offensive with an army comprising seven battalions, a flag, half a cavalry, a mountain artillery battalion, and the military forces of the region. The opposing army was ultimately vanquished, resulting in the capture of Adam Pasha. Meanwhile, the Qajar army, comprising a force of 15,000 soldiers and a number of tribes, launched an offensive against them until they were ultimately defeated and their army captured, along with hundreds of horses. Upon the dissolution of their alliance with the Ottomans, they proceeded to Zahaw, where Nasreddin Shah Qajar extended a cordial reception, bestowed upon him regional governance within the confines of Shirin Palace, and undertook the construction of a substantial fortress within the Palace grounds. Approximately fifteen castles, battlefields, and caves in Kurdistan were owned by Jwamer Agha, marking wealth far beyond its time.

He subsequently assumed leadership of the tribes of Qasr-e Shirin. An agreement was reached between the Ottomans and the Qajars, which was detrimental to his interests. The Qajars extended an invitation to him and pledged their oath to him. On 10 March 1887, the governor of the region, Hassam al-Muluk, entered into a conspiracy to attack Jwamer Agha during a conversation. This resulted in the deaths of three of Agha's friends, who were killed and beheaded. Subsequently, a significant assault was initiated against the fortress of Jwamer Agha. Men and women engaged in a combative confrontation with the Qajars, after which Hamawand returned to the Ottoman border. The majority of them were expelled from Adana to Libya. Subsequently, Nasruddin Shah bestowed two daughters from his own family upon Hama Khan, the eldest son of Jwamer Agha. However, upon Hamawand's return after a decade, he managed to evade capture and subsequently returned, leading to the establishment of an royal lineage within Jwamer's family.

Legacy

[edit]

Former KDP Secretary General Ibrahim Ahmad named the main character in his famed nationalistic novel Jani Gal in reference to Jwamer.[6] A village was also named in his honour in the northernmost part of the Kifri district in the Diyala Province. Jwamer is considered an early Kurdish nationalist figure by the citizens of the Kurdistan Region. In 1958, his family was considered by the French to belong to the noblesse, the nobility of a foreign country.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Edmonds, Cecil John (1957). Kurds, Turks, and Arabs: politics ... - Cecil John Edmonds - Google Books. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  2. ^ Sabar, Yona (2002). A Jewish Neo-Aramaic dictionary ... - Yona Sabar - Google Books. ISBN 9783447045575. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  3. ^ Edmonds, Cecil John (1957). Kurds, Turks, and Arabs: politics ... - Cecil John Edmonds - Google Books. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  4. ^ The anthropology of Iraq - Henry Field, Richard Arthur Mmartin - Google Books. Field useum. 1940. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  5. ^ Yar-Shater, Ehsan (2009-09-01). Encyclopaedia Iranica - Ehsan Yar-Shater - Google Books. ISBN 9780933273719. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  6. ^ Bengio, Ofra (2014). Kurdish Awakening: Nation Building in a Fragmented Homeland. U.S.A: University of Texas Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0292763012.

References

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jwamer_Aga&oldid=1256436680"