Mir Khanzad was a military commander and ruler of the Soran Emirate in the late 16th or early 17th century.
This Kurdish Emirate was established by “Kalos Bag” in 1399. Mir Kalos Bag was from Selahaddin Ayubi’s family and his origins come from that family.
Xanzad was the sister of Mir Sulaiman, who ruled the Soran Emirate in the Ottoman Empire around 1620. After her brother was murdered by one of his military commanders, Lashkry, she took over from her brother. Some sources give a date of 1590 for when Xanzad became ruler of Soran Emirate.
Her full name was “Khanzad daughter of Shaquli Bag Suleiman Bag Mir Seyyed Bag” and she was Mir Ahmad’s sister. Before Mir Khanzad began her reign in Soran Emirate her brother Mir Ahmad was the Emir of this area. After Mir Ahmad, Mir Khanzad’s brother was poisoned in Baghdad by a man called “Lashkri”, his sister took charge of the Emirate and swore to rule the Emirate with a pure heart and justice.
Mir Khanzad went to Shangal (Sanjar) pretending to be gone for a marriage proposal ceremony but she killed Lashkri and all his men in this town to avenge her brother’s murder. Mir Khanzad, the brave and courageous lady, tried to keep peace and settlement in her Emirate during her reign. She served her Emirate greatly. She built several castles, mosques, and schools in 1597 and helped her Emirate to develop greatly.
Lady Khanzad was a skillful and wise woman who could rule during a time when no other woman in the history of this area could have done the same thing ever. Khanzad was the leader of a movement that would reject the idea that women could not lead a country and protect it. She proved that a woman could do her duties and confront all kinds of plots and plans that their enemy would design for them.
This wise lady not only helped her Emirate to develop economically but also helped to expand their territory and borders and liberate and take back several areas that had been occupied by the Ottomans and the Safavids.
In Kurdish history, Soran Khanzad was not the only brave lady but there have been other patriotic women who had helped their land greatly. Soran Khanzad was one of the beautiful examples of the great history of Kurds who have always been proud of her reign because she had ruled this land centuries ago without considering religious principles. She had taken a great responsibility and ruled an Emirate while back then and even now such women have faced some obscurantism ideas. However, Mir Khanzad took the responsibility and played a great role centuries ago for she had self-confidence and self-esteem and felt that her land needed her. She played her political, social, economic, and patriotic role greatly and her name has been mentioned as an honorable person in the history of her nation.
