Bohtan

Botan, also called Buhtan, Bohtan, Bokhan or Bokhti, is a historic landscape in Iraqi and Turkish Kurdistan. It is named after the river Botan / Bokhtan. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was a semi-autonomous Kurdish principality under Ottoman suzerainty. The Emirate of Cizre - Botan with the mainland in the Sirnak Cizre ranged from the capital in the west to Hakkari on the border with Persia in the east, from Van in the north to Mosul in the south. Today through this area runs the Iraqi- Turkish border. The emir was the Sultan tribute.

After William Francis Ainsworth, the country was bounded on the south by the Zakhu Valley and the district Badinan, to the east by the districts Berrawi and Hakkari and to the west of the Tigris.

Principality Botan

Since the battle of Chaldiran 1514 Botan enjoyed due to a contract between the Ottomans and Kurdish princes privileges. Capital was Cizre. The most famous ruler was Bedirxan Beg Botan was surrounded by some other principalities like that of Badinan and Hakkari.

The Prince of Botan saw themselves as descendants of the Umayyad general Khalid ibn al - Walid. But after Scherefhans tradition, the princes were initially Yazidis and therefore supporters of the "wrong" faith. Later, she went over to the Sunni direction of Islam. The descent from Khalid ibn al - Walid was therefore more of a postulated origin to enhance the reputation and prestige of the family. In addition, Khalid ibn al - Walid had no male offspring.

The first ruler and founder of the Principality was Sulayman bin Khalid. When he died, the principality was divided between his three sons: Mir Abd al- Aziz got Cizre, I Halid Beg Gurgil and Mir Abdal Finik. According to the book Scherefname was the principality of 14 districts. In some districts established Christian inhabitants of the majority.

At the court of Cizre a brisk literary activity emerged. So had Kurdish poets such as Ehmedê XANI, Feqiyê Teyran and Melaye Cezîrî. Ehmedê Xanîs plant Mem û Zin plays in Botan.

The Prince Bedirxan Beg ventured in 1843 an uprising against his Ottoman overlords and in 1847 defeated and sent into exile and his family. The Principality was dissolved and incorporated into the Ottoman provinces.