Like most Kurdish tribes, the people from the Balak tribe mainly live in mountains. Balak area ranges from Rawanduz district in the southwest, to the Haji Omaran sub-district in the northeast.
Choman is considered the capital of the Balak tribe nowadays. Rawanduz was the capital of the Emirate of Soran, which was based in the geographic region of Kurdistan, specifically in what is today known as Southern Kurdistan.
The emirate gained its full independence from the Ottoman Empire shortly after its capture from Safavid control in the 1530s. It was later reincorporated into the Ottoman Empire and served as a semi-autonomous vassal state for two centuries. The emirate slowly regained full independence for a second time during the late 18th century and early 19th century, but was once again eventually subdued by Ottoman troops in 1835. The city of Rawanduz served as the capital during most of its reign.[1]
During his travels across Kurdistan in October and November 1836, Major Rawlinson observes that the Mîr of Rawanduz, Muhammad Pasha, brought tribesmen under his sway and conscripted a male from each family into his service as was his usual custom, and that the Balak tribe contingent proved to of great service to him.[2]
Balakan means "Home of the Balaks". The Balaks are also mentioned by the OttomanSharif Pasha who writes in his report that some clans of the Balak reside in Zooka and Mashkan regions of Northern Kurdistan. The Balak Tribe are also mentioned in the Seyahatname by Evliya Çelebi.[3]
Notables and Tribe Rulers
Leaders and notables from Mala Sharafi Clan (Balak)
Mala Sharaf Landlord and Chief of Balak tribe. 17th Century.[3]
Mustafa Agha Nawpirdani, the most popular leader of the Balak Tribe, he came from a nationalist family and started off as a Peshmerga at the revolts in his area of Balakayati the Aylul Revolution in 1974 and continued on till 1983. Then he went undercover into the Iraqi Government and became Commander of the 33rd Regiment and the 48th special detachment of the Iraqi Army (estimated to be nearly 6,000 soldiers) all under his command working undercover for the Peshmerga, due to continuous support and aid for the KDP and PUKPeshmerga’s through weapons, equipment, money, and medical supplies. He was improvised, imprisoned, and was sentenced to death, but was luckily granted a presidential pardon and ended up serving three years in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. After being released, through his strong connections and relations with the KDP leadership, he rejoined the Peshmerga and regrouped his tribes forces and Peshmerga’s (estimated to be 3,000 soldiers) with which he planned and participated the uprisings against Saddam Hussein’s regime. On 11 March 1991, after fighting numerous heroic battles in Erbil, in which he captured Pirzin and Shaways from the Baathist forces. He died during an ambush on his convoy on the way to the Citadel of Erbil, becoming the first martyr of Erbils Raparin. His legacy still lives on in the Balak tribe, he's often named the charismatic irreplaceable leader and he still hasn't been replaced to this day.[5]
Shaikh Muhammad Agha (Died in 1952) Balak's most powerful Leader. Established good relations with both the British Government and the King of Iraq. He became a member of the Iraqi Parliament in 1938.[6]
Shemhamad Balak, prominent Peshmerga commander, former Politburo member of PASOK.[7]
