Simko Shikak

Common card · No. 351466

Ismail Agha Shikak (Kurdish: ئیسماعیل ئاغا شکاک, Îsmaîl Axayê Şikak), also known as Simko (Kurdish: سمکۆ, Simko; 1887–1930), was a Kurdish chieftain of the Shekak tribe. He was a warlord who controlled significant land and led thousands of Kurdish rebels who defeated the Qajar and Pahlavi armies on several occasions. He had also fought against the Ottomans and other foreign troops in Iran. He also led ethnic conflicts of Assyrians and Azerbaijanis. In 1930, he was assassinated by the government of Pahlavi Iran. Opinions on Simko are divided. Some authors consider him a Kurdish nationalist, while others argue that he acted out of tribalism. Today, some Kurdish authors and commentators consider him the movement's founder and portray him as a nationalist hero. However, Kurdish sources from his time were hostile toward him for his violent suppression of Kurdish settlements.

Read on Wikipedia · Image NA, Public domain