The weakness of the Persian government during World War I encouraged some Kurdish chiefs to take advantage of the chaotic situation.

Hundreds of Kurdish chiefs were deported and forced into exile.

Sons of the Kurdish chiefs seized the opportunity and escaped from their exile in Tehran.

The Turkish border is controlled not by the government but by Kurdish tribal chiefs.

Instead of Armenian autonomy in these regions, Kurds (Kurdish tribal chiefs) retained much of their autonomy and power.

In Erzerum Sachtleben learned that Lenz had somehow insulted a notorious Kurdish chief when passing through a small village.

Malik Khālil complained to the Ottoman government, later taking 400 strongmen from his tribe and 40 Turkish soldiers to attack the Kurdish chief of Oramar.

Sheikh Said was a wealthy Kurdish Tribal chief of a local Naqshbandi order.

The modernizing and centralizing efforts of Sultan Mahmud II antagonized Kurdish feudal chiefs.

During times of crisis the ones in the remote regions of mountainous eastern Anatolia were mistreated by local Kurdish chiefs and feudal lords.