Izz al-Din Shir was described historically as being "of the line of Senek'erim", referring to Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, the final ruler of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan.
Such intermarriages between Christian Armenian nobles and Kurdish Muslim ruling families were not uncommon due to the mutual political benefits they provided.
[11] By 1412, Izz al-Din Shir had begun surrendering his rule to his son, Malik Muhammad, on account of his advanced age.
However, he still appears to have been the Hakkari ruler de jure, with Armenian scribes continuing to refer to Malik Muhammad under his father's name.
[12] When Timur's successor Shah Rukh reconquered the region in 1421, Izz al-Din Shir was among the nobles and dignitaries who visited him in his winter quarters in Karabakh to offer their fealty.