Between the sixth and ninth centuries of the Hegira, two states were founded in the southwest region of Iran which was occupied by the Lur tribes. Of these one was the “Great Lurlu,” also known as “Hezarespî” or “Fazlûye.” The other was the kingdom of “Lesser Luristan” or “Beni Hurshit” (translation: the sons of Hurshit). Since Bahriye Üçok’s work is concerned only with the latter, only Lesser Luristan will be discussed in this chapter about Devlet Hatun.
The rulers of the state of Lesser Luristan were descended from the Jangruî tribe. It was originally called “Hurshitoqullari” and continued to be known by this name until the sixteenth century, after Muhammed Hurshid who was a former vizier of the Lurlus and who was the first ruler from this family. The name of Lesser Luristan, which was the area where it was situated, was not given to the Hurshitoqullan state until after the sixteenth century.
Devlet Hatun, who came to the throne as the 14th of the Hurshitoqullari rulers, was unable to retain power for long. She was not, in any case, the ruler of a completely independent state, but was chief of a semi-independent country that owed allegiance to the powerful Ilhan Empire.