DIMDIM - GOLDENHAND KHAN

They say, that in the times of shah Ismail, which was the governor of Iran, in a province Maraga lived one ajam - godless Ђsker-khan. In a province Xerari, boundary with Iran, there was a unassailable and very reinforces rock which called a Dimdim fortress. The prince, which holded it wore a name Abdal-khan. He was young and handsome, therefore he was named Goldenhand. The godless Asker-khan felt great hate to Abdal-khan and inhabitants of Dimdim. The godless Asker-khan gathered in Maraga an army in eleven thousand horsemen and infantrymen. He took guns, army and went to Dimdim to war with khan Abdal. He stayed near the Dimdim fortress and encircled it, that nobody could neither enter, nor to leave it.
In fortress Dimdim there was only seven hundred men, young and aged. Every day khan Abdal with one hundred soldiers attacked the enemy soldiers of Ђsker-khan and he came back with small losses - thus he led war with the Iranian army. The khan Abdal sent a message to pasha of Van about suege and has asked him for a help.
The army of Ђsker-khan enlarged daily. In a besieged fortress of khan Abdal the people died, and his forces rapidly decreased. Thus the army of Ђsker-khan, firing fortress from guns the Dimdim fortress during three months and repeating the attacks, reduces number of the warriors of Abdal-khan from seven hundred up to seventy the person. There was few ammunition and foodstuffs, many families and children died from hunger. The besieged have no place to wait for the help, they were not able to continue straggle with an enemy more longer.
So khan Abdal, not finding any exit out of the situation has called the council of the people, which one still have remained alive. "That shall we do, - he has asked, - what we shall undertake? Neither turks, nor Xekari, nor other Islam people till now have not sent the help to us; from seven hundred warriors, which we had, the majority was died in the battle; now we have only seventy the person alive, ammunition and the foodstuffs finished, the peoples are dying from hunger, so what shall we do? Do we have to surrender the fortress or to make the last attack?" Everybody on this council has said his opinion.
The mother of Abdal-khan, Goar-khanum, which also took part in the council, has exclaimed: "No! It is impossible to appeal for mercy and to surrender the fortress. It is impossible to believe to the words these kizilbashes, they will not keep their promises and agreements. Even if they will sign up the agreement, only in order to tear up it at once and to act with us as with enemies. We combated with such courage within three months, we have sacrificed so much soldiers, which one appeal to vengeance. Better we shall make the following: the men will open the gate of fortress, will leave it and will attack the enemy; we, the woman, who have forces to hold the weapon on the hand shall beat enemy near to you. That concerns to the girl and young wives, what couldn't to battle, let they will make a poison, and when all of you will die, they will drink it not to fall in the hands of godlessnesses. We will collect in one place all the last powder, and when the fortress will be filled by enemies, one of us will fire to it. We shall be blowed up, and the godlessnesses will die too".
Everybody approved opinion of Goar-khanum and have made the conforming alignment of forces. Each was ready to die. On Friday about midday khan Abdal with seventy men and twenty seven woman opened the gate of fortress and, saying goodbye one to another, with small and aged, with the wives and husbands, with battle call run out.
All girls and brides, which have remained inside, were accumulated by a poison and arose onto turrets to see a course of battle, and at this time wife of Abdal-khan, Asima-khanum, began to collect all powder and to pour it in a store-room below under the fortress and then pushed up on turret too to be see the battle. Then Abdal-khan has left the fortress with all his people, kizilbashes decided, that they are escaping, and they seized their sabres and have run to them. The khan Abdal and his daredevils have began bitter straggle at the foot of a fortress.
Last Dimdim heroes bravely shadowed against great number of godlessnesses. The women and girls, looked from the height of turret with the fool of attention, cried and prayed; children cried up to an exhaustion. Have died everybody up to the last person, but the losses kizilbashed were twice and even three times more. As soon as khan Abdal has died together with the soldiers and women, which one were with him in the battle, and then godlessnesses have run in the Dimdim fortress and their crowds have filled it. Many young wives and bride have taken in the poison. Asima-khanum fired a powder and blowed a part of a fortress with all the Persians in it; many families and children of Dimdim was died too, and there are very few people were salvaged.
The women and children who have stayed in alive, were then took out in servitude, the old men and elderly women was died, the fortress was burned. But the losses kizilbashes was incalculable. After that the Dimdim fortress has remained desert and empty. The place, where was the battle, is famous and sacred in Kurdistan, and Molla Bati Mim-Xey has composed a poem about this events. On the meetings kurds like to read it, they sigh, cry and say prays in the memory of Dimdim heroes.