Shahrizor Eyalet

Shahrizor Eyalet (إيالة شهرزور, ایالت شهر زور) was a semi-independent eyalet of the Ottoman Empire covering the area of present-day Iraqi Kurdistan.

History
When the Ottomans conquered the region in 1554, they decided to leave the government of the region to Kurdish leaders, so it was not incorporated directly into the Ottoman administrative system. The governors were members of Kurdish clans, and only rarely were there Ottoman garrisons in the province.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the eyalet came to be dominated by the Baban clan. The members of this clan were able to maintain their rule by guaranteeing the security of the Ottoman Empire's volatile border with Iran in exchange of almost full autonomy. The sanjak of Baban, which included the town of Kirkuk, was named after the family.

The Baban considered the Kurdish princes of Ardalan, who controlled the Iranian portions of Kurdistan, to be their natural rivals, and in 1694 Sulayman Beg Baban invaded Iran and defeated the mir of Ardalan. After 1784, the Babans moved their capital to the new town of Sulaymaniya, which was named after the dynasty's founder.

In 1850 the rule of the Babans was finally brought to an end, and the region was placed under the direct control of the governor of Baghdad in 1862. However, the fall of the Babans led to a deterioration of the relations between the clans, and the resulting anarchy was only ended with the rise of another Kurdish clan, the Barzinji, in the early 20th century.

Administrative divisions
Sanjaks of Sharazor Eyalet in the 17th century:


 * 1) Sarujek
 * 2) Erbil
 * 3) Kesnan
 * 4) Sheher-bazar
 * 5) Jenguleh
 * 6) Jebel-hamrin
 * 7) Hazar-mardud
 * 8) Alhuran
 * 9) Merkareh
 * 10) Hazir
 * 11) Rudin
 * 12) Tiltari
 * 13) Sebeh
 * 14) Zenjir
 * 15) Ajub
 * 16) Abrumaz
 * 17) Pak
 * 18) Perteli
 * 19) Bilkas
 * 20) Aushni
 * 21) Kala-Ghazi
 * 22) Sheherzul