The size of the official army of Kurdish dynasties

How many soldiers did the Kurdish dynasty of Badlis have? Evliya Celebi, the Ottoman explorer, comes near to being realistic when he writes about the official army of the Badlis dynasty. He cites the figure of 2000 men in the formal army, which is reasonable. Despite being relatively realistic about the official army, Evliya returns to his normal self when discussing tribal soldiers. The lords of Badlis could not muster a force of 70k or anything close to that size. This is a tiny point of error. The main issue is a lack of adequate critical engagement on Evliya's travels to Kurdistan. Evliya and other Ottoman writers were in the business of making things up. Evliya is particularly well-known for this. This includes his comments on Kurdish customs, politics, and so on.

Evliya Celebi (17th-century): 

The government and administration of Bitlis. It is an independent gover-norship in the eyalet of Van. Instead of imperial domains granted by the Sultan, he has his own private resources, providing him a daily income of one kile-yi mevik of silver coins from his eyalet. In rank it is equivalent to the eyalet of Van. He governs with two thousand soldiers, and if a campaign comes up, or he is summoned to repair the fortress of Van, he rides on campaign along with the commander of Van. The market due on caravans that come into the town is fixed as his private income. But the cizye-tax, paid by the Jacobite Armenians and the Arabian subjects residing in the town, belongs to the Van garrison. At the beginning of each year an agha comes from Van, collects the kharāc tax from these Arabian subjects, and transmits it to the Van garrison as a stipend. The Khan has nothing to do with this kharac. But the kharac on the Mush plain is entirely the Khan's private estate and provides him 26,000 piasters annually. Sultan Murad, after conquering Revan, was a guest in the palace of this Khan of Bitlis and in return for the Khan's service granted him the kharac of Mush by imperial decree. The Khan pays the salaries of the castle warden of Bitlis and his two hundred soldiers out of that kharac or out of his private income and the market due. The castle is in his control, its keys are with the Khan day and night, it is wholly his autonomous governorship, "set aside from the pen and cut off from the foot," and he has a very large territory.

The borders of the eyalet of Bitlis. First of all on the east it borders a prefect of Van named Tatvan on the shore of Lake Van. Again on the east it shares a border with Vestan castle belonging to the ruler of Hakkari. To the south it marches on the territory of the emir of Shirvan; in the qibla direction, the emir of Hizan; and, one stage further, the emir of Zirki. Three stages to the west it marches on the territory of the emir of Hazzo in the eyalet of Diyarbekir. To the north it marches with the emir of Tercil at the third stage, and the emir of Chapakchur at the fourth; in the Pole star direction, with the emir of Mamruvan in the territory of Erzurum beyond Mush plain. Three days journey to the north it marches on the emir of Melazgird in the territory of Erzurum. To the northeast it marches with the emir of Akhlat, of Van sanjak, on the shore of Lake Van. But on the east its territory is completely Lake Van -- he has no authority beyond that.

The tribes and clans subject to the noble Khan, totalling seventy-seven in number. First and choicest of all is the clan of Mudiki Ali Beg, who controls an army of 7000 musketeers. Then. At the Khan's request, 70,000 soldiers belonging to these tribes in the eyalet recorded above will appear ready at arms, with their leggings and snowshoes, their mallets, trouser-and-jacket outfits, bow-and-arrow cases, and muskets -- very brave and daring and renowned warriors.

But within the town of Bitlis are 40,000 men belonging to the tribe of Rozhiki, i.e., roziki meaning "friend for one day." The townsmen's independent Rozhiki dialect will be noted below. They are not brave and warlike like the other Kurds, but sophisticates, men of learning and culture, with henna on their hands and beards and antimony on their eyes.

According to the Khan's register, there are 43,000 Armenian subjects in the eyalet of Bitlis, half in the Mush region subject to the tax collectors of the Van garrison, and half belonging to Abdal Khan. The eyalet comprises 13 zeʻāmets and 214 timariots, there are a cavalry commander, a troop commander, and a captain. According to statute, there are in total 3000 soldiers, along with their armed retainers, who march on campaign in the army of the Pasha of Van under the Khan's banner.