Nochiya
The Nochiya Tribe or Nochiyayeh as they are commonly known, are an Assyrian Christian tribe that were based in and around the district of Shamizdin, modern day Semdinli in the province of Hakkari in Turkey. Keepers of the Nestorian Church, they now number some 18,000 and are dispersed throughout the Globe.
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The Nochiyayeh People
Collectively the ten clans of Nochiya that contained some 65 villages, eventually became known as the Nochiya Tribe in 1663, with the appointment of the first Metropolitan of Shamizdin, from the Matran family of the Gidda House. Their organizational set-up is pyramid like, they consist of leaders, geographical clans (Owjakheh) and sub-clans (Shodteh), all based on kinship. The Ottoman Empire did not integrate the Nochiyayeh as an official tribe within their own "millet" constitual social structure, nonetheless they were recognized as an independent tribe by their Assyrian and Kurdish neighbours.
Traditionally most Assyrian and Kurdish tribes were named after their spiritual leader's clan, in this case the Matran of the "Nochiya Clan". However, Nochiyayeh are also sometimes referred to as "B'Shashtu" (the name of a conical cap worn by its members) and more recently in the Kurdistan region as the Matran Hariri's Tribe (as the tribal religious chief Saint Mar Yosip Khnanishu X later settled in the village of Harir, Iraq).
The Assyrians of Urmia refer to them as Shapadtnayeh, the old name for the area before the Turkish-Persian border split the provence in half in 1513. Hence, the Persian Clans of Margawar and Targawar's eligance to the Nochiya Tribe, rather than the Urmia Tribe of Iran.
The Nochiyayeh were and still are most famous for their Nestorian faith and for being the guardians of the Assyrian Church of the East's cannon laws, which they have faithfully preserved. They are also known for their meek qualities and tribal solidarity.
Tribal affinity
Religious and civil leadership
An Assyrian tribe must have both religious and civil leaders to qualify as a tribe. This principle is called Gooraneh.
In the case of Nochiyayeh it was the Metropolitan (Matran) of Shamizdin who was the religious Chief and his brother was always the civil Chief who presided over the local Lords (Maliks) of Nochiya, such as Malik Tammu of Sararu, Malik Breemu of Badtemu, Malik Samu of Baigardeh and Malik Khamu of Balulan.
The Matran controlled the religious figures such as Mar Dinkha of Tees and Mar Youkhanan of Dariyan and various others, such as the archdeacons and priests within the tribe. He was primarily the Archbishop of the Assyrian Church of The East and was second in command only to the Patriarch, Mar Shimon.
Bond of Kinship
The Nochiya tribe is not a "tribal confederation", but is based on the "bond of kinship" (tukhma). This point is important and what it means is that the ten clans are not just unified by leadership or geographical factors alone but primarily by blood and so cannot be separated, they are shackled by the "bond of kinship", which defines their tribal affinity to outsiders.
To further illustrate this point, the Rawandiz Clan in the late 19th changed both religious and leadership loyalty to the Chaldean faith but did not change their tribal identity. In fact, they still proudly identify themselves as "Catholic Nochiyayeh".
Kinship is an essential ingredient and the basis of any tribe. By contrast, some European tribes are only paternally related, however Assyrian Tribes are both paternal and maternal. The Nochiyayeh are mostly paternal descendants of the Matran family of the Gidda House, the rest are mostly related maternally.
Geographical Clans
Tribes must have geographical unity and the Nochiyayeh are unique in this aspect as they are spread over three countries: Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The reason for this is that the Nochiya Tribe predates these international borders.
The Turkey-Iran border created in 1514 split the Targawar, Bagzadeh and Margawar Clans away from the Shamizdin district, this natural extention of the Zagros mountain range, overnight, became part of Iran. The Turkey-Iraq border cruelly cut away the Bradost and Sherwan Clans from Shamizdin in 1926, with the signing of the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
Clans are the basis of any tribe, they are essential pillars in the pyramid structure; Chief, Clan, Village, Family and finally the Individual. Geographical Clans represent the individual districts that contain villages, which in turn contain various families.
Unique Dialect
All Assyrian tribes speak the same language but differ in their dialects. The Nochiya tribe all speak with the same dialects, from the Targawar Clan in the North to the Rawandiz Clan in the South. It is practically impossible to differentiate between their speech.
This is one of the most bonding factors in Assyrian tribes and it’s interesting that the tribes adjacent to the Nochiyayeh; Urmijnayeh to the east, Gawarnayeh to the north, Jilwayeh to the west and Barwarnayeh to the south, all have completely different accents, to the point that some are almost unintelligible to the Nochiyayeh.
Special Attire
Again, there are subtle differences in the Nochiyaya dress code (lwishta).
Firstly, the famous cap worn by the Nochiyayeh is a ‘White Conical Cap’ made of wool-felt material, similar to that worn by the ancient Assyrian Kings and Bishops, known as a ‘Shashta’, hence; the tribal nickname B'Shashtu. The Shashta can be worn either with or without a turban, known as a "Shashikta".
Secondly, the cummerbund (Kharkhasa) tied around the waist is knotted, not looped.
Thirdly, the clothes although similar to other Assyrian and Kurdish tribes are not patterned or striped but made of plain ‘choice mohair wool’.
The men’s outfit consists of wide straight-legged trousers, buttoned shirt, a jacket tucked into the baggy trousers and a short pocketless waistcoat (Chokha), usually white in color. Of course, a cummerbund to tie everything together round the waist and finally a 'Shashta Cap' with an optional 'red turban'.
Identity issues
Clan Idenification
Nowadays, many clan members wrongly assume that the name of their clan, is the name of their tribe.
For instance, when asked what tribe the Clan of Targawar are? They might answer the Targawar Tribe, when the correct answer is actually the Nochiya Tribe. There has never been an organized tribe called the Targawar Tribe, it’s simply a geographical clan belonging to the Nochiyayeh.
A clan is not a tribe and the tribal name is always derived from where the tribal Chief dwells, in this case the district of Nochiya. To further illustrate this point, had the Matran family lived in the Gargan area, the tribe would now have been known as the Gargan Tribe, instead of the Nochiya Tribe.
Village Identification
Even some village members are guilty of elevating their villages into tribes.
Mar Bishu is a case in point, Mar Bishnayeh are individuals that belong to the village of Mar Bishu, which is part of the Dairaneh Clan that belongs to the Nochiya Tribe.
It cannot possibly be considered a tribe since it lacks all five tribal requisites mentioned in ‘Tribal Affinity’.
Sub-District Idenification
Sometimes, confusing exists between the name of a clan area and the name of its tribe.
A classic example is Gargan. The land that this Clan inhabited was called ‘Gargan’, commonly known as ‘the land of the Gargans’ (Atrit Garganayeh) but their loyalty lies to the Matran of Nochiya and so by leadership and Kinship ties are part of the greater Nochiya Tribe.
Mistakingly, they even occasionally refer to themselves as 'Gardi' (a kurdish tribe in Gargan), distancing themselves from both their Nochiya Tribe and indeed the Assyrian Christian nation.
Kurdish Tribes of Nochiya
The Nehri Tribes
The Nehri were the most powerful Kurdish tribe in the area, lead by the Sheikh Obaidulla family based in the village of Nehri, (which incidentally, means rivers in Assyrian) and was the old capital of the ancient Nairi Tribe 1,100 BC. Together with the Assyrian Nochiya Tribe they fought for independents way back in 1880 against the Persians, this was the first sign of military and political collaboration between the Kurds and the Assyrians of Nochiya, an alliance that has lasted to this day.
However, the Nehri Tribe were overcome by the Turks in 1918 and fled for safety in Northern Iraq were they settled in two main districts of Batas and Sedakan alongside there old Assyrian neighbours from Nochiya. A small number remained in Turkey but have been unable to retain their powerful position.
Also worth mentioning are the other Kurdish tribes, whom the Nochiyayeh shared their vast territory with, clockwise from Nochiya: The Nehri (central), The Khumara (north), The Shikak (north-east), The Bagzadeh (east), The Zar Zar (south-east), The Bradost (south), The Gardi (south-west), The Barzan (south-west), The Herki (west) and The Oramar (north-west).
Maybe, because the Matran family haven’t had a huge presence in the Arbil province since their expulsion from the area by the Iraqi Government in 1961, certain smaller tribes have misidentified themselves with their neighbouring Kurdish Tribes.
The Bradost Clan
The Bradost Clan are not part of the Kurdish ‘Bradosti Tribe’, if they were they would have remained with their Kurdish Chief in Lolan, instead of fleeing north to Urmia via Nochiya to join their temporal and religious leaders the Matran Family in 1915 at the outset of the Great War.
In fact, the Kurdish Bradosti Tribe are relative newcomers, they only arrived in the area around the mid 18th century from the Bradost area in Iran. The Assyrian Clan were there before even the area was named ‘Bradost’.
The Nochiya Area
History of the land
Nochiya is a historical area that lies in the heart of Shamizdin (modern day ‘Şemdinli’), a district of Hakkari Province in southeast Turkey. The name Nochiya is an Assyrian corruption of the original Bahdini Kurdish word Nav-Chiya which means ‘In - The Mountain’, today it is known as Dakh Ichinda the Turkish translation and it is historically important for three reasons:
Firstly, it was the capital of the Nairi Tribal Confederation that was defeated by the Assyrian King Tiglathpileser I in 1,100 BC and consequently absorbed into the Assyrian Empire. Incidentally, the Nairi are officially world’s oldest known tribe and are thought to be the ancestors of modern Armenians, so the village of Nehri in Central Nochiya might well have been the old capital of the ancient Armenians.
Secondly, it was the home of an important Kurdish family known as the Sheikh Obaidulla family who were descendants of the prophet Mohammad that lead the first Kurdistani National Revolution in 1880 against the Persians.
Thirdly, Nochiya was the home to a 20th century Assyrian Saint, namely Saint Mar Yosip Khnanishu X from the Matran family of the Gidda House.
Today, the area has declined in importance and is probably best known for its fine Tobacco and the Kurdish PKK resistance movement.
Geography
The Semdinli district to which Nochiya belongs, was named after the great Sheikh Shams Al Din Abbasi who was the religious chief of the Bagzadeh Tribe in Palgawar (Urmia, Iran), which before the border was set in 1514 was actually part of Shamizdin. Prior to that, it was known as Bet Bgash with its capital village being Biyyeh, in the Sherwan district of Barzan, Iraq.
The sub-district of Rustaqa was the geographical and tribal heartland of the Nochiyayeh, it included only five Assyrian villages: the Metropolitan's capital village of Mar Ishu and the villages of Sararu, Baikareh, Baidaiweh and Badtemu.
Nochiya itself was actually the central clan. To the north of it in Turkey were the Khumara and Dairaneh Clans. To the east, in Persia (modern-day Iran) were the Targawar, Bagzadeh and Margawar Clans. To the south, in what is now mostly Iraq were the Gargan, Bradost, Sherwan and Rawandiz Clans.
Semdinli (pronounced Shemdinli) has previously been known by various historical names including; Nairi, Neeri, Bet Bgash, Shapadt, Rustaqa, Shamsaldin, Shamizdin, Shamdinan and more recently as Shamzinan. Today, it is one of four districts in the modern Hakkari province, the other three being; Yukoskova (Gawar), Cukurca (Chal) and Hakkari (Julamerk) the provincial capital.
Central Nochiya is a mountainess area with possibly the most spectacular natural beauty in all of southern Turkey, it lies very close to the Iraq-Iran borders and at the time contained some 40 Assyrian and Kurdish villages.
The Assyrian Settlements
Shamizdin District of Hakkari, TURKEY
- See also Hakkari Province.
| Town / Village | Aramaic | Sub-District (Clan) | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar Ishu | ܡܪܝ ܥܫܘܼ | Rustaqa | Village of the Matran Family |
| Sararu | Rustaqa | ||
| Baikareh | Rustaqa | ||
| Baidaiweh | Rustaqa | ||
| Badtemu | Rustaqa | ||
| Daara | Central Nochiya | ||
| Sarunis | Central Nochiya | ||
| Baimtur | Central Nochiya | ||
| Baigardeh | Central Nochiya | ||
| Dureh | Central Nochiya | ||
| Dariyan | Central Nochiya | ||
| Sorasareh | Central Nochiya | ||
| Katuna | Central Nochiya | ||
| Baibabeh | Central Nochiya | ||
| Halana | Central Nochiya | ||
| Dtalana | Central Nochiya | ||
| Tees | ܬܝܼܣ | Khumara | Village of the Mar Dinkha Family |
| Sardasht | Khumara | ||
| Balqan | Khumara | ||
| Mar Dinkha | Khumara | ||
| Harunan | Khumara | ||
| Nardusha | Khumara | ||
| Nees | Khumara | ||
| Eyil | Dairaneh | ||
| Pageh | Dairaneh | ||
| Mar Bishu | Dairaneh | ||
| Izrun | Gargan | ||
| Shapadtan | Gargan | ||
| Paara | Gargan | ||
| Baidtuseh | Gargan | ||
| Balutyan | Gargan |
Bradost, Rawandiz and Sherwan Districs of Arbil, IRAQ
- - See also Arbil Governorate.
| Town / Village | Aramaic | Sub-District (Clan) | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidyal | Sherwan | ||
| Cairu | Bradost | ||
| Diyana | Rawandiz | Birthplace of Sarkis Aghajan Mamendo | |
| Rawandiz | Rawandiz | ||
| Zariwan | Bradost |
Bagzadeh, Margawar & Targawar Districts of West Azarbaijan, IRAN
- - See also West Azarbaijan.
| Town / Village | Aramaic | Sub-District (Clan) | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baikareh | Bagzadeh | ||
| Jarma | Bagzadeh | ||
| Tillun | Bagzadeh | ||
| Rizga | Margawar | ||
| Garana | Margawar | ||
| Heshmawa | Margawar | ||
| Soznawa | Margawar | ||
| Hbash Kobeh | Margawar | ||
| Dazgairi | Margawar | ||
| Nargeh | Margawar | ||
| Shaikhan | Margawar | ||
| Gundok Malaya | Margawar | ||
| Qaloqa | Targawar | ||
| Hakkeh | Targawar | ||
| Toleeqeh | Targawar | ||
| Shebaneh | Targawar | ||
| Shaluna | Targawar | ||
| Mawana | Targawar | ||
| Qurana | Targawar | ||
| Ambeh | Targawar | ||
| Dastalan | Targawar | ||
| Balulan | Targawar | ||
| Darband | Targawar | ||
| Zangelan | Targawar |
Villages not located
- Baituta
- Botur
- Eseera
- Kek Perzan
- Marta
- Shapudt
Religion in Nochiya
There was at least 6 monasteries and more than 40 churches within the tribal area. The Nochiyayeh were best known for their adherence to the Nestorian faith, religious events such as lent and prayer were strictly observed. The Mar Ishu Monestary in the village of Mar Ishu was a theological school for Priests and was run by the Metropolitans of Shamizdin, who would not tolerate any changes to the church's cannon laws.
There were other important religious figures in the tribe too, including 2 Bishops, 4 Archdeacons, 12 Priests and a large number of deacons distributed among the Clans. To this day, the majority of the priests and deacons within the Assyrian Church belong to the Nochiya tribe, including the Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV who still relentlessly clings on to the old faith.
Churches & Monasteries
- - The names of all the Churches & Monasteries within the Nochiya Tribe territory are yet to be determined, some date back to 400 AD, the following is a partial list:
| Church / Monastery | Aramaic | Town / Village | Sub-District (Clan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar Ishu | Mar Ishu | Rustaqa | |
| Mart Maryam | Sararu | Rustaqa | |
| Mar Shalidta | Baikareh | Rustaqa | |
| Mar Quryaqus & Yokhanan Mamdana | Baidaiweh | Rustaqa | |
| Mar Shmuni | Badtemu | Nochiya | |
| Mar Isqiyil | Dariyan | Nochiya | |
| Mar Shimon | Katuna | Nochiya | |
| Mar Gewargis | Halana | Nochiya | |
| Mart Maryam & Mar Christopher | Harunan | Khumara | |
| Mar Quryaqos | Tees | Khumara | |
| Mar Bishu | Mar Bishu | Dairaneh | |
| Mart Maryam | Paara | Gargan | |
| Mart Maryam | Qaloqa | Targawar | |
| Mart Maryam, Mar Tooma & Mar Yukhana | Balulan | Targawar | |
| Mar Yaqu | Darband | Targawar | |
| Mart Maryam & Mar Yaqu | Mawana | Targawar | |
| Mar Gewargis | Shebaneh | Targawar | |
| Mar Quryaqus | Rizga | Margawar | |
| Mar Gewargis & Rabban Hormiz | Dazgairi | Margawar | |
| Mar Gewargis | Hbash Kobeh | Margawar |
Result of Genocide
During the First World War the Assyrians of Shamezdin fled to Urmia. In 1918 Metropolitan Mar Yousip Khnanisho consecrated Mar Polus Shimon, as the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East after the murder of Mar Shimun XIX Benyamin, at the hands of the Kurdish leader Simko in Koni Shahar.
Following the Baquba Refugee Camps, most of the Assyrians from Nochiya settled in the village of Sumail near Dohuk in northern Iraq while a small group stayed in Gailani Camp in Baghdad. In 1928 they moved to Dashta D'Harir ("Harir Plaines") in the Arbil Province and established the following five villages: Harir, Batas, Darbandoki, Qalata and Hinari.
The first four villages named had the following churches and priests respectively: Mar Youkhana served by Qasha Youil, Mar Yonan served by qasha Akhiqar, Mar Qaryaqos served by Qasha Benyamin, Mar Youkhana served by Qasha Youil. A further three Nochiyayeh households lived in the village of Cubau, and half of the population of the village of Al-Mandan was Assyrian and the other half Kurdish.
When part of the Assyrian nation migrated to Syria following the tragic Assyrian events of 1933, a group from Nochiya established the village of Tel Faitha on the banks of the Khabur River. The group of Nochiyayeh built the church of Mar Qaryaqos which was served by Qasha Oraham.
In nearby Rawanduz, the people of Nochiya established a further three villages, namely, Diyana, Hawdiyan and Seerishmi. This group was the Diocese of Bishop Mar Philipos Youkhana, who was ordained in Baghdad on April 19, 1953 by Metropolitan Mar Yousip Khnanisho. The latter lived in the village of Harir. Bishop Mar Youkhana served in the church of Mar Gewargis in Diyana and the church of Mar Awrahim in Hawdiyan.
Changes did not come to the Assyrians of Nochiya until the Kurds started their rebellion in northern Iraq agianst the Arab government in the 1960’s. Many Assyrians then moved to the big cities and later on they became part of the great migration to the west.
Timeline
Urmia, Iran (1915 – 1918)
At the end of the Assyrian Genocide, in a matter of just a few years the population of the Nochiya Tribe was drastically reduced from around 12,000 to 4,000 as a result of the war, they found themselves in Urmia where they spent 3 years. Then in 1918, they made the long trek to the Baquba and Mandan safe camps in Iraq.
Baquba (1918 – 1920)
The 4,000 Nochiyayeh stayed in the camps for 2 years under the care of the British Army.
Sumail (1920 – 1928)
In 1920, they relocated again this time to Sumail and the villages around it (such as Graipan) for a period of 8 years until 1928, before they eventually settled in the Arbil province, distributed amongst various villages.
Arbil Province (1928 – 1963)
The majority of the Targawar and Margawar Clans headed for Habanya and others to Baghdad and Karkuk, some other tribal members fled to Syria, where they established the village of Tell Faitha. The Matran family however, along with their tribal members settled in 12 villages in the province of Arbil, those villages being Harir, Batas, Qaladteh, Hinareh, Darbandokeh, Almandana, Qoba, Alaneh, Sareshmeh, Hawdiyan, Diyana and Bidyal. Two villages in the Dohuk province were also partly inhabited by Nochiyayeh namely, Graipan and Hazarjoot.
There were three main reasons why they chose these areas, firstly it was geographically closer to Nochiya than say Dohuk, in fact it was close to existing Clan areas anyway such as Rawandiz, Bradost and Sherwan that were part of the Iraqi province of Arbil.
Secondly, there was some friction with other tribes namely the Lower Tyari Tribe, who chose the Dohuk province since it too was closer to their former country, the British might have sensed this tribal agitation.
Thirdly, it was at the suggestion of Ismail Beg of Rawandiz and Said Taha of Nehri (who, by then had been appointed Governor of the Rawandiz District) that had settled in Batas and invited the Matran to be their new neighbours again. Since they shared clan territories pre-1915, they were old mates and Ismail Beg owned a huge chunk of northern Arbil province and was looking for people to work his lands, who better to strike a deal with than his trusted Nochiya border neighbours.
The Nochiyayeh stayed in these villages for 35 years until July 1963 when they were defeated, fighting for an independent Kurdistan Region against the Iraqi army. After this upheaval, the Nochiyayeh fled their villages to Arbil, Kirkuk and Baghdad. The residents of Diyana, Hawdiyan and Bidyal however were not uprooted by the War and remained for the main part in their respective villages.
During the 1970’s and 80’s the majority of the tribe immigrated to Europe and America where the vast majority now live. Some 3,500 members are left in Iraq with half living in Baghdad and the other half in Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Renewed efforts are being made to re-establish their old villages including Harir and 2 other old villages Cairu and Zariwan high up in the Bradost Clan area. Diyana, Hawdiyan and Bidyal are also being re-built.
Today’s Villages
- Harir
- Diyana
- Hawdiyan
- Bidyal
- Cairu
- Zariwan
See also
- Assyrian people
- Assyrian Tribes
- List of Assyrian settlements
- List of Assyrians
- List of Nochiyayeh
- Matran Family
References
- Assyrian Church of the East
- Assyrian Church News
- Assyrians of Shamizdin - By Solomon (Sawa) Solomon – Nineveh Magazine, 1st ~ 2nd quarter 1997, vol. 20, no. 1& 2.
- Qeenatha - Pure Assyrian Music
- Zinda Magazine