| Chapter 13: | The End of the Kurdish Wars |
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The Turkish forces were superior to his own, which left him unable to defend either himself or his territory. When the Turkish army attacked his camp on the mountain of Arak Kaleh, he could not withstand the pressure for more than a few days, especially after almost all the Kurds deserted him, reducing his force to some three hundred fighters. His project for fleeing the country and taking asylum in Persia had also aborted, so he found no way to escape the circle tightening around him except through surrender. That was what he did when he went for Rai ve Aman (
).32
On 12 July 1847, Rassam reported to Ambassador Wellesley the long-awaited news of the end of the siege of Bedr Khan:
The fall of Bedr Khan Beg marked the end of the series of many Kurdish leaders: Khan Mahmud of Van was so discouraged by the outcome of the battle of the Sa’arat River that in despair he gave himself up to the Erzeroom division, while Rassam reported that Zenal Beg had either been captured by the Tiyari or else was lying badly wounded in the castle of Berwar. Omar Pasha, with his division, was marching to Mosul. This explains the message that Ross sent to Layard, in which he stated, ‘Thus we may say that the Koordish war has terminated’.34
After the elimination of Bedr Khan Beg, it was considered that the region would be more under the authority of the sultan if all hereditary rulers were eliminated, among whom were Zenal Beg, who had participated in the last slaughter of the Tekhoma and had persistently mistreated the Christians in his district.
26 July 1847
Rassam communicated the result of the contest to subdue Bedr Khan to Cowley as he had received it from his informant in Bedr Khan’s headquarters at al Jazirah, Shammas Anton, the treasurer.