Everything about Kurdistan totally explained
Kurdistan (
Kurdish:
Kurdistan/
كوردستان, literally meaning "the land of
Kurds", Ancient:
Corduene, formerly
Curdia,
Curdistan) is an extensive plateau and mountainous area in the
Middle East, inhabited mainly by
Kurds. It covers large parts of eastern
Turkey, northern
Iraq, northwestern
Iran and smaller parts of northern
Syria and
Armenia. It roughly includes
Zagros and eastern
Taurus mountain ranges.
From a political standpoint,
Iraqi Kurdistan is the only region which has gained official recognition internationally as an
autonomous federal entity.
History
Ancient period
The very first mention of the Kurds in history was about 3,000 BC, under the name Gutium, as they fought the
Sumerians (Spieser). Later around 800 BC, the Indo-European Median tribes settled in the
Zagros mountain region and coalesced with the Gutiums, and thus the modern Kurds speak an Aryan language (Morris). The Kurds are mentioned in the
Anabasis by
Xenophon, a Greek mercenary, as he retreated from Persia with ten thousand men in 401 BC, he says of the Kurds, "These people, lived in the mountains and were very war-like and not subject to the Persian king. Indeed once a royal army of 120,000 had once invaded their country, and not a man of them came back..(Morris)." (Jensen 1996)
The tract to this day known as Kurdistan, the high mountain region south and south-east of
Lake Van between Persia and Mesopotamia, was in the possession of
Kurds from before the time of
Xenophon, and was known as the country of the
Carduchi (
Greek:
Καρδούχοι), as
Cardyene or
Cordyene.
Kurds claim descent from various ancient groups; among them the
Guti,
Mannai (
Mannaeans),
Hurrian and
Medes. The original Mannaean homeland was situated east and south of the
Lake Urmia, roughly centered around modern-day
Mahabad. The Medes came under
Persian rule during the reign of
Cyrus the Great and Darius. Centuries later, Kurdish-inhabited areas in the Middle East witnessed the clash of the two competing super powers of those times, namely the
Sassanid Empire and the
Roman Empire. At their peak, the Romans ruled large Kurdish-inhabited areas, particularly the western and northern Kurdish areas in the Middle East. Kurdish Kingdoms like
Corduene were vassal states of the Roman Empire.
Much of Kurdistan corresponds roughly with the ancient Kingdom of
Gutium (Qurti), which is mentioned in
cuneiform records about 2400 BC, and had its capital at Arraphkha (modern
Kirkuk).
The tract to this day known as Kurdistan, the high mountain region south and south-east of
Lake Van between Persia and Mesopotamia, was in the possession of
Kurds from before the time of
Xenophon, and was known as the country of the
Carduchi, as
Cardyeneor
Cordyene.
At their peak, the
Romans ruled large Kurdish-inhabited areas, particularly the western and northern Kurdish areas in the Middle East. Kingdoms like
Corduene were vassal states of the Roman Empire. From 189 BC to AD 384, the ancient kingdom of
Corduene ruled northern Mesopotamia. It was situated to the east of
Tigranocerta (for example, to the east and south of present-day
Diyarbakır in south-eastern Turkey). It became a
vassal state of the
Roman Republic in 66 BC. It remained allied with the Romans until AD 384.
Some of the ancient districts of Kurdistan and their corresponding modern names are listed below.
- Corduene or Gordyene (Siirt, Bitlis and Şırnak)
- Sophene (Diyarbakır)
- Zabdicene or Bezabde (Gozarto d'Qardu or Jazirat Ibn or Cizre)
- Basenia (Bayazid)
- Moxoene (Muş)
- Nephercerta (Miyafarkin)
- Artemita (Van)
One of the earliest records of the phrase
land of the Kurds is found in a
Syriac Christian document of
late antiquity describing the stories of Christian saints of Middle East such as the holy
Abdisho. When the
Sassanid Marzban asked Mar Abdisho about his place of origin, he replied that according to his parents, they were originally from
Hazza, a village in
Assyria. However they were later driven out of Hazza by
pagans, and settled in
Tamanon, which according to holy Abdisho was in the
land of the Kurds. This village lies just north of the modern
Iraqi-
Turkey border. Also Hazza is located 12 km southwest of modern
Irbil. In another passage in the same document, the region of
Khabur is also identified as
land of the Kurds.
Medieval period
In the second half of the 10th century, Kurdistan was shared amongst five big Kurdish principalities. In the North the
Shaddadid (951–1174) (in parts of
Armenia and
Arran) and the
Rawadid (955–1221) (in
Tabriz and
Maragheh), in the East the
Hasanwayhid (959–1015) and the
Annazid (990–1116) (in
Hulwan,
Kermanshah and
Khanaqin) and in the West the
Marwanid (990–1096) of
Diyarbakır.
Kurdistan in the
Middle Ages was referred to a collection of semi-independent or in some cases independent states called "
emirates". It was nominally under indirect political or religious influence of Khalifs or Shahs. A comprehensive history of these states and their relationship with their neighbors is given in the famous textbook of "Sharafnama" written by Prince
Sharaf al-Din Bitlisi in 1597. The best-known Kurdish Emirates included
Baban,
Soran,
Badinan and
Garmiyan in present-day
Iraq; Bakran, Botan (or
Bokhtan) and
Badlis in
Turkey, and Mukriyan and
Ardalan in
Iran.
Modern period
In the 16th century, the Kurdish-inhabited areas were split between
Safavid Iran and the
Ottoman Empire after prolonged wars. The first important division of Kurdistan occurred in the aftermath of the
Battle of Chaldiran in 1514. This division was formalized in the
Treaty of Zuhab in 1639. Before
World War I, most Kurds lived within the boundaries of the
Ottoman Empire in the
province of Kurdistan. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the
Allies agreed and planned to create several countries within its former boundaries. Originally Kurdistan, along with
Armenia, was to be one of them, according to the never-ratified
Treaty of Sèvres. However, the reconquest of these areas by
Kemal Atatürk and other pressing issues caused the Allies to accept the renegotiated
Treaty of Lausanne, accepting the border of the modern
Republic of Turkey and leaving the Kurds without a self-ruled region. Other Kurdish areas were assigned to the new British and French
mandated states of
Iraq and
Syria under both treaties.
The Kurdish delegation made a proposal at the
San Francisco Peace Conference in 1945, showing the geographical extent of Kurdistan as claimed by the Kurds. This proposal encompasses an area extending from the
Mediterranean shores near
Adana to the shores of the
Persian Gulf near
Bushehr, and it includes the
Lur inhabited areas of southern
Zagros.
Since
World War I, Kurdistan has been divided between several states, in each of which Kurds are minorities. At the end of the
First Gulf War, the Allies established a safe haven in northern Iraq. Amid the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from three northern provinces, Iraqi Kurdistan emerged as an autonomous entity inside Iraq, with its own local government and parliament in 1992.
People
Culturally and historically Kurdistan has been part of what is known as
Greater Iran (or historic Persia). In addition to Kurds who comprise the majority of the population of the region there are also communities of
Arab,
Armenian,
Assyrian,
Azeri,
Jewish,
Ossetian,
Persian, and
Turkic people traditionally scattered throughout the region. Most of its inhabitants are Muslim, but there are also significant numbers of other religious sects such as
Yazidi,
Zoroastrian,
Yarsan,
Alevi,
Christian,
Jewish,
Sarayi,
Bajwan,
Shabak, and
Sarli.
Geography
According to
Encyclopædia Britannica, Kurdistan covers about 190,000 km², and its chief towns are
Diyarbakır (Amed),
Bitlis (Bedlîs) and
Van (Wan) in Turkey,
Mosul (Mûsil),
Arbil (Hewlêr) and
Kirkuk (Kerkûk) in Iraq, and
Kermanshah (Kirmanşan),
Sanandaj (Sine) and
Mahabad (Mehabad) in
Iran. According to the
Encyclopaedia of Islam, Kurdistan covers around 190,000 km² in Turkey, 125,000 km² in Iran, 65,000 km² in Iraq, and 12,000 km² in Syria and the total area of Kurdistan is estimated at approximately 392,000 km². Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in Kurdistan, which covers an area as big as
France. The
Kurdistan Province in Iran and
Iraqi Kurdistan are both included in the usual definition of Kurdistan.
Iranian Kurdistan encompasses
Kurdistan Province and greater parts of
West Azarbaijan,
Kermanshah,
Īlām provinces.
Iraqi Kurdistan is divided into six
governorates, three of which—and parts of others—are under the control of
Kurdistan Regional Government.
Syrian Kurdistan is mostly located in present-day northeastern
Syria. This region covers the greater part of the province of
Al Hasakah. The main cities in this region are
Al-Qamishli and
Al Hasakah . Another region with a significant Kurdish population is in the northern part of Syria. The Kurdish-inhabited northern and northeastern parts of Syria in Kurdish is called
Kurdistana Binxetê. (See
Demographics of Syria and
Syria in the CIA World Factbook
). A large area of south eastern
Turkey is also home to estimated 15 to 20 million
Kurds
Forests
Kurdistan is a mountainous region with a cold climate and it receives enough annual
precipitation to sustain temperate forests and
shrubs. Mountain chains are covered with pasture, and its valleys with forests. There are around 16 million hectares (160,000 km²) of forests in all parts of Kurdistan.
Firs, other
conifers, and
oaks can be found in those forests. Deciduous
Platanus,
willow, and
poplar trees are found near waters and river banks. The
Mount Judi is the most important mountain in Kurdish folklore and along with
Mount Ararat, as one of them is thought to be the final resting place of
Noah's Ark. Other important mountains of Kurdistan are
Zagros Shingar, Qendil, Shaho, Gabar, etc.
On January, 2008, light
snow fell in
Baghdad, first time in 100 years, and rare snowfalls were seen in the west and centre of
Iraq, and upon mountainous
Kurdish causing temperatures to fall zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Rivers
There are many rivers in Kurdistan that are at least as important, if not more important, than oil. The plateaus and mountains of Kurdistan, which are characterized by heavy rainfall and in winter a heavy coat of snow, are a water reservoir for the Near and Middle East. This is the source of the famous
Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers as well as numerous other smaller rivers like the Khabur, Tharthar, Ceyhan, Araxes, Kura, Sefidrud, Karkha, and Hezil, the major tributaries of which spring from the mountains of Kurdistan. Those rivers that are entirely or nearly entirely in Kurdistan are usually of historical importance to the Kurds. Among these are the Murat (Arasān) and Buhtān rivers in northern and western Kurdistan (in Turkey); the Peshkhābur, the Lesser and the Greater Zab, and the Sirwan/Diyala in central Kurdistan (in Iraq); and the Jaghatu (Zarrinarud), the Tātā'u (Siminarud), the Zohāb (Zahāb), and the Gāmāsiyāb in southern Kurdistan.
With their water, the Tigris and the Euphrates give life not only to the
Mesopotamian plain and the whole of Kurdistan but also to Iraq and Syria. These rivers, which flow down from heights of three to four thousand meters above sea level, are also very significant for the production of energy. Iraq and Syria have built numerous dams across these rivers and their tributaries. The most important ones are a series of dams that were built by Turkey as part of the GAP project (Southeast Anatolia Project). The
GAP project is still not complete, but it already supplies a significant proportion of Turkey's electrical-energy needs. Due to the extraordinary archæological richness of the land, almost any dam built in Kurdistan drowns a portion of Kurdish history.
Lakes
Kurdistan extends to
Lake Urmia in Iran on the east and to semi-contiguous Kurdish-inhabited regions to the west on the
Mediterranean shore. The region includes
Lake Van, the largest body of water in
Turkey; in the entire
Middle East, the only larger lake is Lake Urmia—but Lake Urmia isn't nearly as deep, so Lake Van contains a much larger volume of water. The
Zarivar Lake west of
Marivan, as well as
Lake Dukan near the city of
Sulaymaniyah, are significant tourist sites. Gas and associated gas reserves are in excess of 100
TCF. Other underground resources that exist in significant quantities in the region include
copper,
iron,
zinc and
limestone which is used to produce
cement. The world's largest deposit of rock sulphur is located just southwest of
Erbil (Hewlêr). Other important underground resources include
coal,
gold, and
marble.
Subdivisions (Upper and Lower Kurdistan)
In
A Dictionary of Scripture Geography (published 1846), John Miles describes Upper and Lower Kurdistan as following:
» Modern Curdistan is of much greater extent than the ancient Assyria, and is composed of two parts the Upper and Lower. In the former is the province of Ardelan, the ancient Arropachatis, now nominally a part of Irak Ajami, and belonging to the north west division called Al Jobal. It contains five others namely, Betlis, the ancient Carduchia, lying to the south and south west of the lake Van. East and south east of Betlis is the principality of Julamerick, south west of it's the principality of Amadia. the fourth is Jeezera ul Omar, a city on an island in the Tigris, and corresponding to the ancient Bezabde. the fifth and largest is Kara Djiolan, with a capital of the same name. The pashalics of Kirkook and Solimania also comprise part of Upper Curdistan. Lower Curdistan comprises all the level tract to the east of the Tigris, and the minor ranges immediately bounding the plains and reaching thence to the foot of the great range, which may justly be denominated the Alps of western Asia.
The northern, northwestern and northeastern parts of Kurdistan are called upper Kurdistan. It includes the areas from west of Amed to lake Urmia.
The lowlands of southern Kurdistan are called lower Kurdistan. the main cities in this area are Kirkuk, Arbil and Khanaqin. The city of Kirkuk was often called the capital or the largest city of lower Kurdistan.
Conflict and controversy
The incorporation into Turkey of the Kurdish-inhabited regions of eastern
Anatolia was opposed by many Kurds, and has resulted in a long-running separatist conflict in which thousands of lives have been lost. The region saw several major Kurdish rebellions including; the
Koçkiri Rebellion of 1920, the
Sheikh Said Rebellion in 1924, the
Republic of Ararat in 1927, and the
Dersim Rebellion in 1937. These were forcefully put down by the Turkish authorities and the region was declared a closed military area from which foreigners were banned between 1925 and 1965.
In 1983, the Kurdish provinces were placed under
martial law in response to the activities of the militant separarist
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). An extremely violent
guerrilla war took place through the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s, in which much of the countryside was evacuated, thousands of Kurdish-populated villages were destroyed and numerous extrajudicial summary executions were carried out by both sides. The situation in the region has since eased following the capture of the PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan in 1999 and the introduction of a greater degree of official tolerance for Kurdish cultural activities, encouraged by the
European Union. However, some political violence is still ongoing and the Turkish-Iraqi border region remains tense.
Climate
The region has an extreme
continental climate—hot in the summer, bitterly cold in the winter. Despite this, much of the region is fertile and has traditionally exported grain and livestock to the cities in the plains. The local economy is dominated by
animal husbandry and small-scale
agriculture, with cross-border trading (especially of
petroleum) providing a major source of income in the border areas. Larger-scale agriculture and industrial activities dominate the economic life of the lower-lying region around
Diyarbakır, the largest Kurdish-populated city in the region. Elsewhere, however, decades of conflict and high unemployment has led to extensive migration from the region to other parts of Turkey and abroad.
There are many rivers flowing and running through mountains of Kurdistan making it distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water, and picturesque nature. The mountainous nature of Kurdistan, the difference of temperatures in its various parts, and its wealth of waters, make Kurdistan a land of agriculture and tourism. Because of its high altitude, the climate of Kurdistan is harsh. There is a lot of snowfall in the high mountains. Precipitation varies between 200 and 400 mm a year in the plains, and between 700 and 3,000 mm a year on the high plateaux between mountain chains.
Education
Education in Kurdistan has a long history from Tekiye to Universities throuhout the region.
Kurdish literature is a proof of Kurd's description of love in words.
See also:
List of univeristies in KurdistanFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kurdistan'.
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