 During the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Kurds attempted to establish an independent state.On at least one occasion they succeeded and formed the Kingdom of Kurdistan, which lasted from September 1922 until July 1924.The Shaykh of the Qadiriyyah order of Sufis, the most influential personality in Southern Kurdistan, was appointed governor of the former "sanjak" of Duhok, but rallied against the British and declared an independent Kurdistan in May 1919.