Contents
List of Maps / ix
List of Tables / xi
List of Figures / jcii
Preface / xiii
Notes on Sources, Spelling and Other Observations / xv
Acknowledgtnen ts / xvii
Chapter 1: Geography
Boundaries & Political Geography / 1
Plotting the Geographical Distribution of Kurds / 3
Internal Subdivisions / 8
Chapter 2: Land & Environment
Terrain / 13
Geology / 14
Climate & Rainfall / 16
Environment & Ecology / 18
Flora & Fauna / 20
Chapter 3: History
Prehistory & Early Technological Development: 10,000-3000 BC / 23
Agricultural Technology and the Spread of the Indo-European Language / 27
Historical Periods
Ancient: 3000-400 BC / 28
Classical: 5th Century BC to 6th Century AD / 34
Medieval: 6th to 16th Century AD / 41
1 i Early Modern:1497-1918 / 49
Modem: 1919-1959 / 59
Recent: 1960-Present / 67
Chapter 4: Human Geography
Physical Anthropology / 73
Tribes / 74
Historical Migrations / 86
Emigrations & Diaspora / 99
Deportations & Forced Resettlements / 101
Integration & Assimilation / 108
Demography / 111
Future Trends / 118
Urbanization 8c Urban Centers / 120
Ethnic Minorities in Kurdistan / 126
Chapter 5: Religion
Overview / 131
Islam / 133
Cult of Angels
Yarsanism / 145
Alevism / 150
Yezidism / 153
Sufi Mystic Orders / 158
Judaism / 162
Christianity / 163
Bdbism & Bah a ism / 165
Chapter 6: Language, Literature, & Press
Language
Kurmanji / 172
Pahlawani / 173
Laki / 174
Literature / 175
Education / 179
Press & Electronic Mass Media / 181
Chapter 7: Society
National Identity / 183
National Character / 186
The Pahlawan / 187
The Mountains / 188
The Jash / 188
Social Organization / 191
Status of Women & Family Life / 193
Chapter 8: Political and Contemporary Issues
Nation-States and Kurdish Nationalism / 197
Geopolitics / 201
Political Culture 8c Leadership / 204
Current Political Elite / 205
Regionalism / 207
Political Parties / 209
Iran / 209
Iraq / 212
Turkey / 215
Syria / 218
Chapter 9: Economy
Natural Resources / 221
Oil / 221
Other Minerals / 223
Water / 224
Agriculture / 227
Nomadic Economy: A Postscript / 229
Industries / 231
Trade / 233
Employment / 234
Chapter 10: Culture and Arts
Popular Culture / 237
Folklore & Folk Tales / 239
Festivals, Ceremonies, & Calendar / 241
Dance / 245
Theater & Motion Pictures / 246
Decorative Designs & Motifs / 248
Rugs & Fabrics / 250
Costumes & Jewelry / 256
Sculpture & Painting / 261
Architecture & Urban Planning / 263
Music / 265
List of Maps
The Comparative Size of Western Europe, Eastern United States, and Contiguous Kurdistan / 2
Kurdistan in the Context of the Middle East / 4
Kurds and their Ethnic Neighbors / 5
Major Territorial Fluctuations of Kurdish Ethnic Domains in the Past 3000 Years / 6
Administrative Units of Contemporary Kurdistan / 7
The Seven Major Internal Subdivisions of Kurdistan / 9
Native Kurdish Provincial Subdivisions / 10
Mountain Systems of Southwest Asia / 14
Land Elevation / 15
Mean Annual Temperatures / 16
Mean Annual Rainfall in Contiguous Kurdistan / 17
Extent of the Halaf Culture of Kurdistan, Circa 6000-5400 BC / 26
Early Kingdoms and City-States in Kurdistan to the Formation of the Median Empire / 29
Empire of the Qutils, Circa 2100 BC / 30
Median Empire at Its Greatest Extent, 549 BC / 33
Kurdish Kingdoms of Parthian/Roman Era / 36
Pontian Kurdish Empire under King Mithradates VI, Circa 86 BC / 37
The Buwêyhid Daylamite Dynasties, 932-1062 AD / 43
The Ayyubid Kurdish Empire, 1169-15th Century / 44
The Domain of the Kurdish Dynasties of the Medieval Period (excluding the Buwayhids) / 47
Kurdish Principalities of Early Modern Times / 53
Kingdom of the Zands in 1779 AD / 55
Provisions of the Treaty of Sêvres for an Independent Kurdistan, 1921 / 58
Kurdistan and Armenia Immediately following World War I / 60
Kurdish Uprisings and Nationalist Movements, 1880-1939 / 63
Kurdish Political Enclaves, 1920-75 / 66
Tribes and Tribal Confederacies / 75
Kurdish Migrations 15th to 6th Century BC: Coming of the Aryans and Other Indo-European Tribes / 89
Kurdish Migrations, 5th Century BC to 4th Century AD: The Ethnic Homogenization of Late Classical Period / 90
Kurdish Migrations, 5th to 12th Century AD: Population Surplus and Outflow / 93
Kurdish Migrations: 12th Century AD to Present: Detail of Expansion Pulses of Kurm&nji-Speaking, Sunni Muslim Kurdish Nomads / 97
Major Deportation Episode of the Kurds in the Course of the 16th-17th Centuries (Northern and Western Kurdistan) and 18th Century (Central, Eastern, and Southern Kurdistan) / 105
33 Major Kurdish Deportations of the 20th Century: Approximate Extent of the Affected Areas / 106
34 Impact of WWI on the Kurdish Population: Death Ratio at Provincial Levels / 116
35 Cities and Towns in Southern, Central, and Eastern Kurdistan / 123
36 Urban Centers of Western and Northern Kurdistan / 124
37 Ethnic Minorities in Kurdistan / 127
38 Religious Composition of Kurdistan / 134
39 Linguistic Composition of Kurdistan / 171
40 Major Kurdish Political Parties and the Approximate Limit of their Main Area of Operation at Present / 211
41 Petroleum Deposits and Facilities in Kurdistan / 222
42 River Systems of Contiguous Kurdistan / 225 | 
