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 |