Zirqan Principality was founded in
Mardin at the beginning of the 13th century. The founders of this principality claimed Sheikh Hassan Zerraki as their ancestor. It is estimated that
Mardin Artuqids lived in the period of Salih Şems al-Din, who ruled between 1312-1364. In 1335, the Zirqan Principality was established after the conquest of Boğat Castle in
Silvan by Zeydo, a descendant of Sheikh Hassan Zerraki.
Aq Qoyunlu period Zirqan Principality experienced its strongest period during the
Aq Qoyunlu period. The Beylik region includes
Mardin,
Diyarbakir and
Bitlis regions.
Aq Qoyunlu ruler
Uzun Hasan married the daughter of Omer, one of the emirs of Zirqan, in 1483 and the
Principality of Bitlis was given to the Principality of Zirqan by
Aq Qoyunlu.
Selim I made a pact with Kurdish tribal leaders, allowing them to continue to rule over their homelands in exchange for their support in defending the Ottoman borders from the Safavid Empire. After the
Battle of Caldiran in 1514, the Zirqan Beylik began to rule the region with other Kurdish principalities within the Ottoman Empire. ==References==