Bashnawiyya
medieval Kurdish tribe
Bashnawiyya (Standard Arabic: البشنوية; Kurdish: بەژنەوی) were a medieval Kurdish tribe inhabiting the region of Al-Jazira in Upper Mesopotamia, particularly around Jazirat Ibn Umar, Bohtan, and the fortress of Fanak. They are first attested in the late 10th century as allies of the Marwanid dynasty, and they remained an important Kurdish tribal group until the 13th century.
Etymology and Origins
According to the Sharafnama, the tribe derived its name from an ancestor named Bajno (or Bazhnu), who settled at Fanak after separating from the rulers of Bohtan. Another Kurdish tradition traces the tribe to one of the legendary ancestral branches of the Kurds. Boris James notes that the Kurdish pronunciation was likely "Bejnawî", while Muslim historians Arabized the name as "al-Bashnawiyya".
History
The Bashnawiyya first appear in historical sources during the rise of the Kurdish leader Badh ibn Dustak, founder of the Marwanid dynasty. They became his allies in 373 AH (983 AD) and supported his unsuccessful campaign against Mosul.
Following Badh's death, the alliance continued under the Marwanid rulers. Marriages took place between Bashnawiyya chiefs and Marwanid princesses, while Bashnawiyya contingents remained closely associated with the dynasty. Vladimir Minorsky notes that the Bashnawiyya of Fanak later assisted the Marwanid ruler Sulayman ibn Nasr al-Dawla in capturing Qal'at Mansur.
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