Simko Shikak

Simko Shikak (Ismail Agha) was born into the powerful Shikak tribe of north-western Iran and became one of the most formidable Kurdish warlords of his era. For two decades he commanded a vast Kurdish confederation of tribes across the borderlands of Iran, Turkey and Iraq, repeatedly defeating both Qajar and Ottoman armies in battle.

Motivated by the ideal of an independent Kurdistan, Simko launched a long revolt against the Iranian government and for a time made the city of Mahabad the centre of his authority. He was one of the first Kurdish leaders to appeal directly to the European powers for recognition of Kurdish independence, and his rebellion inspired generations of later Kurdish nationalists in Iran.

Simko's movement was ultimately crushed by the Iranian army, and in 1930 he was treacherously assassinated during negotiations. Though his was largely a tribal struggle, he is remembered as a pioneer of Kurdish nationalism whose armed resistance and calls for self-rule helped lay the groundwork for the Mahabad Republic that would follow in his own former capital.