Mahmud Pasha Jaff

Mahmud Pasha Jaff was born in 1845 E.C. He had been the vessel in which his father Mohamed Pasha Jaff had fulfilled his lifetime quest, which was the destruction of the Baban clan and archrival to the throne of the Jaff clan, his cousin Aziz Bey Jaff, who was a puppet to the Baban. This alliance had kept his father a refugee in Persia for most of his life. Fortunately, at this time, the Ottoman Sultan was slowly beginning to turn against his former guardians of the Mesopotamian Northern border, the Babans. The Babans had begun to become insubordinate to the Ottoman Sultan's mandates, aiding in Persia's conquest of Shahrizor. The Babans would hand Shahrizor to the Persian General, Abbas Mirza Qajar, in his devastating war against the Ottoman Empire in 1921. The Babans were crushed in 1847 by the Sultan's armies in the battle of Koya in collaboration with the Jaf. The Baban Emirate would collapse as a whole in 1850. His father along with his tribe would then come under the protection of the Mamluk or Ottoman Military Dictator from the Ottoman Russian provinces, Sulaiman Pasha, who was the Vali of Baghdad. He would destroy all trace of the Baban in Shahrizor, and give Muhammed Pasha Jaff complete dominion over it. His father's army would then be proclaimed a part of the Ottoman Military by the Sultan, and they would crush all enemies who were opposed to his rule. His father would inherit a land full of many enemies. His father's cousin Aziz Bey Jaff's reign would come to a swift end. Gulambar would be the new capitol of the Jaff tribe and Shahrizor would be their new dominion.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II summoned Mahmud Pasha Jaff to be appointed the leader and Qaimaqqam by him of Shahrizor in 1873 upon the Tanzimat reforms, which had reorganized the Ottoman Empire's administrative divisions from Eyalet's into Vilayets. The newly acquired Ottoman territory of Shahrizor with Gulambar would be organized into the Mosul Vilayet, becoming an official Ottoman territory. Mahmud Pasha would then be an official governor in the Ottoman Empire. He is remembered for having played a prominent role in the maturation of the Kurdish national consciousness, which began appearing during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, and was also honored with medals and peerages by the Ottoman Empire.

He had all the characteristics of a leader; he was a strategist and his organizational skills were remarkable. Mahmud Pasha had to perform his duties in a very complicated geopolitical context and in a defining era for the future of the Kurdish people of the late nineteenth century. On the one hand, the stagnant Ottoman Empire was in a clear process of decline, the centrifugal forces within -demands of political participation, nationalist sentiments, economic interests - postponed its transformation.

On the other hand, the international dynamics journeyed toward the end of imperialism and the rise of nationalist claims of all social groups that made the Middle East and created insecurity and instability in their immediate environment, leading the leaders of the Jaff tribe to adopt a pragmatic stance that did not antagonize neither the Ottoman Empire nor the Qajari authorities in Iran, while maintaining an armed force of 4000 members organized for defense.

The Ottoman and Iranian states constantly cultivated friendship with the Jaff tribe, giving strategic importance to this area considered a "buffer zone" between the two empires, which helped ensure the integrity of their political boundaries. Mahmud Pasha was at the center of this strategy of demarcation; therefore, both the Iranian and Ottoman authorities, extended honorary degrees to recognize his invaluable position: the title of Khan, awarded by the Iranian state, and from the Ottomans, Pasha. Sultan Abdul Hamid II looked upon his alliance with the Jaff with a grand ambition, for the Kurds proved more reliable soldiers than his own Ottoman armies, wishing to model a Kurdish force after Tsarist Russia's Cossack units, which were trusted with the core securities of the state. The force would be named after him as the Hamidiye Cavalry.

Despite the importance for both countries, Mahmud Pasha Jaff embraced autonomist intentions and had his own plans for the region, so he decided to distance himself from both. This antagonized Istanbul, who did not look kindly on the rise of nationalism that could destabilize the Ottoman Empire from within. He would take advantage of Russia's devastating invasion of the Ottoman Empire to support the Armenian insurgencies in the Ottoman Caucasus in 1877-1878, which would deplete the Ottoman war machine and leave its administration of its Eastern provinces in disarray. This would create a perfect environment for Mahmud Pasha Jaff to distance himself from the Ottoman government. Segments of the Jaff along with the Hewreman would engage in brigandship and factional violence unhindered by Mahmud Pasha Jaff.

The Ottoman government was wary of the factitious sentiment that Mahmud Pasha Jaff had produced in Kurdistan, so they sent officials to prepare reports to give evidence to remove him from office in Halabja. The commander that was responsible for this was Namiq Pasha, the Qaimmaqam of Baghdad. Mahmud Pasha Jaff had knowledge that Namiq Pasha was sent by the Ottoman Government to spy on him, he did not give him any hospitality. The inhospitality was enough for Namiq Pasha to write a flawed report, accusing him of equating himself with the Sultan Abdul Hameed II, having bad intentions towards him and cooperating with his enemies; making it a threat to the security and stability in the region.

As a result of this report, a proclamation was made in 1888-1889 for which the Sultan Mahmud Pasha Jaff was dismissed as the Jaff tribe leader and replaced with his brother Osman Pasha Jaff. Also, to keep him away from this area, he was appointed governor of the province Orpah. However, Mahmud Pasha Jaff rejected this offer. Instead, he joined the Kurdish revolt in 1880 that sought space for autonomous Kurdish areas of the Ottoman Empire. Abdul Hamid's ambitions would continue on with Mahmud Pasha Jaff's brother Osman Pasha Jaff, and the formation of the Jaff tribe into Hamidiye regiments. This would ultimately undermine Sheikh Ubeydullah's rebellion, and the Hamidiye cavalry would become a potent force that would play a major role in the internal security of Ottoman Empire, killing off all the Armenian and Arab brigands, crushing their revolts. They would be feared by the Russian Army in their wars with Ottomans including World War I.

With the British occupation of Iraq, the outlook would change, but not the importance of the Jaff tribe as an invaluable asset in maintaining stability and security in the region. The British political bidded to ally with the tribal chiefs in the support for their plans. However, Mahmud Pasha Jaff was unwilling to cooperate with the British, who looked with suspicion upon his intentions with the Kurdish people. The following incident is a clear indication of both the British intentions as to the position of Mahmud Pasha Jaff. The commander Noel, political governor in Sulaimania went to visit Mahmud Pasha Jaff in Zalem to ensure his allegiance to the British forces. However, Mahmud Pasha Jaff dressed in his Ottoman uniform to receive him.

The following conversation took place: "Does Mahmud Pasha know the purpose of this visit?" "I have no knowledge and would like to hear directly from you," said Mahmud Pasha. Commander Noel: "the British Government intends for Kurdistan, to give joy to the Kurdish people and save them from the cruelties of the Ottomans. "The British Government wants to have the support of personalities and leaders like you in this task, what is your response?" Mahmud Pasha replied: "my answer is full rejection for the following reasons: firstly, I do not think your intentions towards the Kurdish people are sincere, if your goal is to serve the Kurds and save them from the cruelties as stated, you can be sure that, even without my support, there will be hundreds who will be willing to help you and certainly will succeed." The second reason is that I am a Muslim, my religion prevents me from cooperating against my brothers in religion. The third reason is my old age, disability, and inability to take action". After this meeting, the British began pressuring Mahmud Pasha Jaff, imposing heavy taxes on the Kurds, for his physical condition. Finally, he died in 1921 and was buried in the mosque of the city of Saedeia.