A modern history of the kurds by gunter, michael m. An interesting discussion of the recent history of the kurds, generally speaking from the end of the 19th century on that charts the role they have played in the wider region and the space they filled in the states of iran prior to the first world war and the newly formed nation states of turkey and iraq after ww1. Oct 10, 2019 as a new round of fighting begins in syria, nprs ari shapiro speaks with bilal wahab of the washington institute about the history of the military alliance between the u. Kurds kurds, koords, a nonarab middle eastern minority population that inhabits the region known as kurdistan, an extensive plateau and mountain area, c.
Over the millennia, numerous ethnicities have migrated, settled or natively inhabited the area including turks, persians, arabs, kurds, armenians, assyrians, chechens, azeris and others. Though the kurds have long been one of the largest ethnic groups in the region and command some level of autonomy, they have never had a nationstate of their own. The forgotten years of kurdish nationalism in iran abbas vali. One womans journey through the islamic republic of iran provides a compelling glimpse of kurds and the difficulties they face with this blend of travelogue and history lesson. The making of kurdish identity and millions of other books are available. Today, there are about 30 million kurds living across the region, with about half of them in turkey. Rojhilate kurdistane, is an unofficial name for the parts of northwestern iran inhabited by kurds which borders iraq and turkey. Before we get to the books, can you introduce us to the people. Since the early 20th century, the region has been divided between turkey, iran, syria, and iraq, all of which have repressed, often. Evolving national identity in iraq, turkey, and iran, by denise natali. Like their stateless ethnic kin in iraq, syria and turkey, iranian kurds consider themselves inhabitants. What is the difference between the kurds and the turks. That kurds share much of their history with the rest of iran is seen as a reason why kurdish leaders in iran do not want a separate kurdish state 95 97 98 the government of iran has always been implacably opposed to any sign of freedom for the iranian kurds. See more ideas about history, kurdistan and the kurds.
Mar 05, 2019 at the outset of the iran iraq war 198088, saddam hussein tried to use the iranian kurds as a tool against the islamic republic, but the aid he gave them was meager and so was his success. However, kurds are an iranian people, and the first known indoiranians in the region were the mitanni, who established a kingdom in northern syria five centuries after the fall of gutium. Who are the kurds, and why is turkey attacking them. At the outset of the iraniraq war 198088, saddam hussein tried to use the iranian kurds as a tool against the islamic republic, but the aid he gave them was meager and so was his success. The kurds as an ethnicity within the northwestern iranian group enter the historical record at the end of the seventh century scholars have suggested different theories for the origin of the name kurd. Ethnic map of iran the long, sad history of the kurds in iran seemed to have entered a new and more hopeful period, when in 1978 the islamic revolution evicted the pahlevi regime and seemingly offered hope for kurdish autonomy aspirations. Its difficult to date the origin of kurdish literature.
As a new round of fighting begins in syria, nprs ari shapiro speaks with bilal wahab of the washington institute about the history of the military alliance between the u. Kurdish is a language of the northwestern iranian group which has likely separated from the other dialects of central iran during the early centuries ad the middle iranian period. Renowned photographer susan meiselas entered northern iraq after the 1991 gulf war to record the effects of saddam husseins campaigns against iraqs kurdish population. The kurds are an ethnicity in the near and middle east who number around 30 million today, they are generally known as the largest ethnic group without a state in the world. The kurds are an ethnic group of about 40 million people centered at the intersection of turkey, syria, iran, and iraq. The kurds in iran also rebelled during the 1920s, and at the end of world war ii a sovietbacked kurdish republic existed briefly.
We aim to show the cultural similarities and differences between kurds and other countries through personal stories, photo essays, interviews, videos, and art projects. That is southeast turkey, northwest iran, northeast iraq, and northeast syria. In this detailed history of the kurds from the 19th century to the present day, mcdowall examines the interplay of old and new aspects of the struggle, the importance of local rivalries within kurdish society, the enduring authority of certain forms of leadership and the failure of modern states to respond to the challenge of kurdish nationalism. In this narrative, the first comprehensive account of recent kurdish history, david mcdowall traces the roots of kurdish nationalism from the collapse of the kurdish emirates in the nineteenth century and the consequent crisis in tribal politics, through the post1918 peace settlement for which the kurds were wholly unprepared, to the slow emergence of an educated nontribal class during the. History of the kurds project gutenberg selfpublishing. The prince sharaf khan, sovereign of the kurdish principality of bitlis, also wrote his history of the kurdish nation, at the end of the xvith century, a brilliant medieval source on the history of the kurds, in persian. Nashville kurds launch a kurdishlanguage book drive. It includes the west azerbaijan province, kurdistan province, kermanshah province, ilam province and parts of lorestan province.
Almost all muslims belong to the two major sects or branches of islam. This book is over 500 pages and uses a very small type face so you get a lot of reading. Third edition david mcdowall the division of the kurdish people among four modern nation statesiraq, turkey, syria and iranand their struggle for national rights have been constant themes of recent middle east history. Although shortlived, the republic had a formative influence on the subsequent development of kurdish nationalist movements in iran and the wider region. With the overthrow of the iraqi monarchy in 1958, the kurds hoped for greater administration and development projects, which the new baathist government failed to grant. List of books and articles about kurds online research library. Kurdish has in turn emerged as a group within northwest iranian during the medieval period roughly 10th to 16th centuries. Sw asia, including parts of e turkey, ne iraq, and nw iran and smaller sections of ne.
It covers the two main views of kurdish nationalism, then goes from the ottomans up to the modern times of turkey, iraq, syria and iran. Yet little has been written about them, their history, emergent nationalism, or enduring tribal rivalries. Apr, 2019 the kurds are an ethnicity in the near and middle east who number around 30 million today, they are generally known as the largest ethnic group without a state in the world. They are linguistically, ethnically and culturally totally different people. Nothing is known about the preislamic culture of the kurds. Mcdowall therefore fills a large gap with this straightforward history, providing a wealth of information about the kurdish. History of the kurds the kurdistan memory programme. A childhood in kurdistan by hiner saleem, a thousand sighs, a thousand revolts. With a population of more than twentyfive million, the kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state, but until recently their. Sep 30, 2011 in early1946, kurds declared an independent republic in northwest iran. Oct 14, 2019 but a later agreement instead divided them among turkey, iraq, syria and iran. The kurds will be an invaluable source of reference for students and specialists in. The mitanni are believed to have spoken an indoaryan language, 40 or perhaps a presplit indoiranian language. List of books and articles about kurds online research.
The mahabad republic, as it became known, was the first time that the kurds experienced selfrule in the modern era. Kevin mckiernan has reported on the kurds of iraq, iran, turkey, and syria since 1991, but he began his career as a journalist in the 1970s covering armed confrontations by native americans. Meanwhile, irans supreme national security councilthe entity in charge of crafting and communicating the countrys security strategyannounced that it. Pastoral nationalism 9780333731697 by koohikamali, f. The kurds a bitter history of betrayal this article is more than 6 months old donald trump has given the green light for a turkish invasion of kurdish territory. A short history of kurdish publishing and prospects for its. The kurds a bitter history of betrayal world news the.
On the eve of mondays referendum on the future of iraqi kurdistan, iranian armed forces conducted a significant military drill on the border between iran and iraq as tehran warned the kurds not to move forward with the plebiscite. Oct 10, 2019 trump says the kurds didn t help at normandy. The book s title comes from a kurdish poem about the kurds determination to be masters of their own lands, an effort that. Evolving national identity in iraq, turkey, and iran. The kurds have lived in a mountainous, roughly 74,000squaremile region known as kurdistan for the past two millennia. David mc dowall a modern history of the kurds third edition. Up to the overthrow of the baath regime in 2003, he never again turned to the iranian kurds. The kurds sharing much of their history with the rest of iran is seen as reason for why kurdish leaders in iran do not want a separate kurdish state the government of iran has never employed the same level of brutality against its own kurds like turkey or iraq, but it has always been implacably opposed to any suggestion of kurdish separatism.
Ethnicity turkish people are a turkic ethnic group. Youve written two books about the region and named five books about the kurds. Kurd, member of an ethnic group concentrated in a contiguous area including southeastern turkey, northeastern syria, northern iraq, and northwestern iran. Summary many kurdish principalities manage to maintain selfrule throughout the 17th century by switching allegiances between the ottoman and persian empires. With kurds, were very interested in storytelling, and that comes from our history and our background of being really good storytellers, yasin adds. Oct 07, 2019 the kurds are an ethnic group of about 40 million people centered at the intersection of turkey, syria, iran, and iraq. According to the english orientalist godfrey rolles driver, the term kurd is related to the sumerian karda which was found from sumerian clay tablets of the third millennium b.
This book provides an analysis of kurdish nationalism in iran and fills a. It is the definitive modern kurdish history book covering all of kudristan that is occupied by turkey, iraq, syria and iran. The kurds inhabit a region known as kurdistan which is split into 4. David mc dowall a modern history of the kurds third. Kurds in the middle east now number some 25 million and represent major political and security challenges to the governments of turkey and iraq.
The sample of kurds in this study came from northwest iran and northeast iraq, where kurds usually predominate. The authors provide an overview of the issues facing kurds within the country and the way they have been affected by geopolitical changes in iran s neighboring states. The modern nation of iraq in the middle east is home to twentysix million people. Kurds are minority in iran, a mere 10% of the population, according to unofficial figures. There is a lot of books about the kurds and turks and their history. Discover librarianselected research resources on kurds from the questia. Little has changed since this book was written a few decades ago and it is salutary to be reminded that over 26. Today the kurds, who live on land that straddles the borders of turkey, iran, iraq, and syria, are by far the largest ethnic group in the world without a state. In early1946, kurds declared an independent republic in northwest iran.
See more ideas about literature, the kurds and books. Of those, 97 percent are followers of the religion known as islam. Throughout their history they have remained under the thumb of various conquerors and nations. The best books on the kurds five books expert recommendations. David mcdowalls new work should prove very valuable for scholars, politicians and students alike. A modern history of the kurds 9781850436539 by mcdowall, david and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. A people in search of their homeland he draws parallelsusing examples of culture, language, and genocidebetween native american history and the experience of the kurds. Personal stories and insights we believe that one of the best ways to improve cross cultural understanding is by getting to know real people and hearing their personal stories. But a later agreement instead divided them among turkey, iraq, syria and iran. The book offers a historical overview of iran s development since world war i through the revolution of 1979, the war with iraq, and the emergent state policy toward its kurdish. Reviewed in the united states on may 7, 2007 in the kurds, journalist and filmmaker mckiernan offers a gripping tale of travel among the kurds of northern iraq, turkey, and, briefly, iran. The kurds are the original inhabitants of an area that is today divided by turkey, iran, iraq, and syria. Third edition david mcdowall the division of the kurdish people among four modern nation statesiraq, turkey, syria and iran and their struggle for national rights have been constant themes of recent middle east history. The kurds, a modern history is a very good overview of the kurdish community in the middle east.