Principles of Social Organization in Southern Kurdistan
Fredrik Barth
Brødrene Jørgensen A/S - Boktrykkeri
Scattered over the South Kurdish countryside are a great number of small, compact villages, essentially similar in their physical aspects, yet highly variegated with respect to their composition and organization, ranging from extended lineage organizations to fully developed feudal organization. Thus, on the village level, there is a great diversity of forms of social organization. Yet the culture of the area seems essentially uniform, and these alternative principles of organization are universally known. In the recent history of some villages, there has been a rapid, fundamental change from one type of social organization to another. In the following, an attempt will be made to discuss these various types of organization as they express themselves in the actual power hierarchy of individuals in the village. The discussion will thus be directed towards discovering what types of social categories exist, what actual powers each category entails, and which of these categories are found in harmoneous conjunction — since some of the categories that belong in different basic frameworks of social organization are, as might be expected, mutually exclusive in any local community.
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Contents
Introduction. Area and problem defined / 9
Chapter I. Subsistence and kinship.
Subsistence — land tenure — economic classes —- households — marriage — kinship / 18
Chapter II. Formal political organization.
Jaf — Hamawand — tenant villages — general features — composite communities — Baban organization — charisma of the leader / 34
Chapter III. A. Kinship composition and organization of local groups. B. The blood feud / 67
Chapter IV. Non-political hierarchical organizations.
Economic classes — religious categories: derwish, Shaikh, Sayyid, mullah, Hadji — scales of prestige / 78“
Chapter V. The village scene.
Physical aspects — informal groups: smokefilled room, rooftop society, women’s groups — ritual unity — raiding and warfare / 101
Chapter VI. Integration of part-statuses.
Impediments and qualifications to leadership — imcompatibility of part- statuses — precedence in loyalties / 118
Chapter VII. The detribalization process / 131
Chapter VIII. Conclusion / 136
Appendıx I: Land use / 141
Appendıx II: A conflict involving revenge / 142
Appendıx III: The education of a mullah / 143
EDITOR’S PREFACE
The publishing activity of the Universitetets Etnografiske Museum, Oslo, had gradually become chiefly concerned with the editing of old historical sources concerning Same (Lapp) culture. There is no doubt that the museum under the directorship of the late Prof. O. Solberg satisfied an urgent need by publishing this material in its series «Nordnorske Samlinger», and we are greatly indebted to the late Prof. Solberg for his having made these extremely important contributions to the understanding of old Same (Lapp) culture. On the invitation of this museum, however, its Same (Lapp) collections have been transferred to the Norsk Folkemuseum, Bygdpy; consequently this museum has also taken over the publication of the series «Nordnorske Samlinger» under the new title «Samiske Samlinger».
Of the two series in quarto, «Skrifter» and «Bulletins», published by the XJniversitetets Etnografiske Museum, the latter from now on will be published in octavo and contain both monographs and shorter papers, in English, French, or German. The range of subjects will be very wide, including both descriptive and theoretical studies from different parts of the world and in most various fields of anthropology. I welcome Fredrik Barth’s study which will prove to be an important contribution to the scanty literature on Kurdish social structure.
XJniversitetets Etnografiske Museum (Oslo) —April 1953.
Gutorm Gjessing.
Acknowledgments
The material on which the following study is based was collected in Kirkuk and Suleimani Liwas, Iraq, in the period February— August 1951. Part of this time was spent with an Oriental Institute, University of Chicago archaeological expedition under the direction of Dr. Robert J. Braidwood, part in doing independent work with a grant from Nansenfondet, Oslo. For further financial assistance, in the form of a liberal reduction in the air fare from Oslo to Abadan, I am indebted to Director Braathen of Braathen’s S.A.F.E. Residence permit and other official assistance was kindly arranged for by His Excellency, Dr. Naji al-Asil, the Director General of Antiquities, Iraq Museum.
My thanks are most of all due to my kind host, Baba Ali Shaikh Mahmud, who offered me assistance of every kind during my fieldwork and graciously extended the most classical Kurdish hospitality. Khalid Said, a young Kurdish artist, was invaluable as interpreter and assistant; I am also idebted to Mr. Fuad, the School Inspector in Suleimani, for recommending Khalid Said to me, as well as for several illuminating conversations. Sayyid Sabri Shukri, now of the Mosul Museum, kindly endeavored to teach me some of the fundamentals of Kurdish language and culture; Linda and Robert Braidwood, through their experience and knowlegde of the area were able to help me and orient me in the problems, and also kindly lent me some necessary equipment. Finally, the spontaneous friendliness and hospitality that I received from everyone I met in Iraq, from the
wandering harvestman to the most prominent Beg, will remain one of my fondest memories.
In the analysis of the material and preparation of the manuscript I have benefited greatly from the kind and stimulating advice of Dr. E. R. Leach, Reader in anthropology at the London School of Economics. I am further thankful to Miss Elizabeth Bott of the Tavistock Institute, London, for reading and criticising several drafts. The present manuscript is published through the courtesy of Prof. Gutorm Gjessing, aided by a grant from Norges Almenviten- skapelige Forskningsrad.
Oslo, February 2, 1953.
INTRODUCTION
Scattered over the South Kurdish countryside are a great number of small, compact villages, essentially similar in their physical aspects, yet highly variegated with respect to their composition and organization, ranging from extended lineage organizations to fully developed feudal organization. Thus, on the village level, there is a great diversity of forms of social organization. Yet the culture of the area seems essentially uniform, and these alternative principles of organization are universally known. In the recent history of some villages, there has been a rapid, fundamental change from one type of social organization to another. In the following, an attempt will be made to discuss these various types of organization as they express themselves in the actual power hierarchy of individuals in the village. The discussion will thus be directed towards discovering what types of social categories exist, what actual powers each category entails, and which of these categories are found in harmoneous conjunction — since some of the categories that belong in different basic frameworks of social organization are, as might be expected, mutually exclusive in any local community.
Fredrik Barth
Principles of Social Organization in Southern Kurdistan
Brødrene Jørgensen A/S - Boktrykkeri
Principles of Social Organization in Southern Kurdistan
By Fredrik Barth
Oslo 1953
Brødrene Jørgensen A/S - Boktrykkeri
The publication of this volume has been
aided by a grant from
Norges Almenvitenskapelige
Forskningsrad
