The Ottoman-Kurdish treaty

The contract between Idrisi Badlisi, the Ottoman court, and Kurdish rulers may be well known. The raw content of the treaty is rarely presented, though, so here it is. 

Ottoman documents: 

There are nine hükümets, which were given under administration and property of their holders in return for their service and obedience. They go-vern (their districts) by way of free-holding. More-over, their countries are set aside from the pen and cut off from the foot. All of their revenues were not included in the sultanic register. There is no one person from the Ottoman governors and servants of the Sultan within these areas. Everything belongs to them. And, in accordance with their charters (given by Ottoman sultans, regarding their rights and privileges) they are not subjected to dismissal and appointment. However, all of them are obedient to the orders of the Sultan. As other Ottoman district gover-nors, they attend to campaigns together with the province-governors of whichever province they are subjected to. They own people and tribes as well as other soldiers.

 

[Kanuni Sultan Süleyman] gives to the Kurdish beys who, in his father Yavuz Sultan Selim's times, took position against the Kızılbaş and who are currently serving the State with faith... both as a reward for their loyalty and courage, their applications and requests being taken into consideration, the provinces and fortresses that have been controlled by each of them as their yurtluk and ocaklık since past times... under the condition of inheritance from father to son... as their estate.... In case of a bey's death, his province shall be given, as a whole, to his son, if there is only one.... If the bey has no heir or relative, then his province shall not be given to anybody from outside. As a result of consultation with the Kurdistan beys, the region shall be given to either beys or beyzades suggested by the Kurdistan beys.

Ali Efendi, a 17th-century Ottoman in the court, elaborates on the various administrative groups of Kurdish leaders. Some districts were under Ottoman 'direct administration', while others, the governments, enjoyed independent administration.

Ali Efendi (17th-century): 

When their [yurtluk and ocaklık] governers die, these districts are given to their sons, not to out-siders. However, their revenues are registered like ordinary sanjaks; there are timar and zeamets within them... But the hükümets have not been surveyed. Their rulers keep and govern them through freeholding. They are "set aside from the pen and cut off from the foot" and all their revenues, whatever they might be, belong to them.