Nochiya Tribe - People

People

The Assyrians of the Nochiya Region were simple farmers who owned cattle and grew food. They were particularly known for their fine tobacco which was their main source of income along with herding sheep. Prayer and fasting were strictly observed in the villages of belonging to the Nochiya Assyrians. An Englishman visiting the Nochiya Region in the late 19th century a noted that "there is perhaps no Assyrian district where simple piety and loyal devotion to the church of their fathers is more beautifully seen than Nochiya". Nochiyaye were and are still today most famous for their Eastern Rite faith and for being the guardians of the Assyrian Church of the East's canon laws, which they have faithfully preserved.

The Assyrians of the Nochiya Region were sometimes referred to as "B'Shashtu". They received this nickname because of the conical felt cap which at one time was worn by Nochiya Assyrians called a "Shashta".

Collectively the ten clan-districts of the Nochiya Region contained some 65 villages that eventually became known as the Nochiya Tribe in 1663, with the appointment of the first Metropolitan of Şemdinli, from the Matran family of the Gida House. The Ottoman Empire did not integrate the Nochiyaye as an official tribe within their "millet" social structure, nonetheless they were recognized as an independent tribe by their Assyrian and Kurdish neighbors.