BARZINJI, MAHMUD SHEIKH

(1878-1956)

   Sheikh Mahmud Barzinji descended from an old and respected family of Qadiri sheikhs dating back several centuries. Great Britain appointed him their governor of the territory around Sulaymaniya in 1918. He promptly revolted and declared himself king of Kurdistan. His support proved limited, and using air warfare, the British put down several of the sheikh's uprisings. After his final revolt in 1931, the sheikh lived out his long life under house arrest in the south of Iraq. Subsequently, his rebellions came to be seen as an early symbol of Kurdish nationalism.