Ardalan

   Ardalan was an old Kurdish emirate, which by the 14th century ruled over large amounts of territory on either side of the central Zagros Mountains. According to the Sharafnama, Baba Ardalan was a descendant of the earlier Marwanid Kurdish dynasty.

   In more recent times, along with the rival Babans, Ardalan dominated the territory on either side of what is today the Iraqi-Iranian border. In the 19th century, Ardalan corresponded roughly with the present Iranian province of Kordestan. The walis (governors) of Ar-dalan, with their capital at Sinna (now known as Sanandaj), were hereditary rulers known for their loyalty to the Persian Empire. They epitomized the decentralized system of rule the later Safavids and their Qajar successors employed. The literary language of Ardalan was Haurami, a Gurani dialect. Under the patronage of the Ardalan court, a large body of Kurdish literature was produced in Gurani.