Kurds religion nationality. Who are the Kurds and where did they come from? Modern Kurds in Russia and Turkey. Kurds want their own state

Ethnogenesis

There are various hypotheses of the origin of the Kurds, in particular, the Scythian-Medes. The version about the origin of modern Kurds from the Kurtians who inhabited Northern Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau is also confirmed by ancient sources (ancient Greek. Κύρτιοι , lat. Cyrtii) . In particular, it is reported about the Kurti tribe, who lived in Persia since ancient times. The Kurtians inhabited the mountainous regions at the junction of Persia and Atropatena of the Media, as well as the Armenian Highlands and Kurdistan, in the Caspian regions and Iranian Azerbaijan, and were a pastoral and robber tribe. According to V. Minorsky, during the time of the ancient Persian monarchy, the Kurds, apparently, were part of the province of Armenia, where they lived in the region of Corduene.

The name of the Kurds (kwrt) is mentioned in (Karnamak-i Ardasher-i Papakan), but, as the researchers note, in the early Middle Ages it was primarily a socio-economic term that meant nomadic people living in the tents of the mountaineers in the west of the Iranian plateau and could be applied to any Iranian-speaking tribe that matched these characteristics. That is why, until the New Age, under the name of "Kurds" united the Iranian peoples, widely settled in the mountains of Zagros, Upper Mesopotamia and the Armenian Highlands, speaking heterogeneous languages ​​/ dialects: Kurmanji, Zazaks, Sorani, Laks, Kelkhuri, Gorani, Avromani.

On the contrary, the origin of such "Kurdish" languages ​​as Gurani and Zazaki, also belonging to the northwestern subgroup and distributed respectively in the middle Zagros and in the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates, is not connected with the Kurdish dialects proper. These languages ​​originate from the Caspian region and their distribution is associated with the migrations of the Daylemites to the west of the Iranian plateau, where they later entered into close interaction with the Kurds. Guranian and Zazai influences are noticeable in Northern (Kurmanji) and Central Kurdish (Sorani) respectively.

Ethnic structure and languages

Kurds are a collection of numerous and often heterogeneous tribes named after their eponyms. Tribal affiliation is still very important in social relations in traditional Kurdish society.

From a linguistic point of view, all languages/dialects now called "Kurdish" can be divided into the following groups:

• Kurdish languages:
  • sorani (southern kurmanji)
  • South Kurdish (Kelhuri, Feili, Laki)
• Daylemite languages:
  • gurani and avromani

Despite the fact that both in everyday use and in scientific literature often we are talking about the "Kurdish language" and its dialects, mutual understanding is already very difficult between the speakers of Kurmanji and Sorani - the closest Kurdish languages. Most Kurds are bilingual and speak the main language of the state of residence: Turkish, Arabic, Persian and others.

Kurds and Zaza

genetic research

Approximately Y-chromosomal haplogroup reaches 23.5%, haplogroup R1b 11%, haplogroup R1a 10.5%, 12% y and 12.5% ​​y, 6% y, 5% y, 5% haplogroup, 5.5% y, 2% at .

resettlement

There are currently at least 40 million Kurds [ ] . Most Kurds are settled in the Kurdistan region. Almost 2.5 million Kurds are scattered throughout Europe and America, where they have created powerful and organized communities.

In Turkey

The largest mass of Kurdish ethnic territory occupies the southeast and east of Turkey in the area of ​​Lake Van and the city of Diyarbakır. Separate Kurdish settlements are also scattered throughout Anatolia, large Kurdish diasporas are concentrated in large cities in the west of the country. Expert estimates speak of 20-23% of the country's population, which can be up to 16-20 million people. This number includes the northern Kurmanji Kurds - the main Kurdish population of Turkey and the Zaza people (speaking the Zazaki language) - about 1.5 million people, as well as a significant proportion of the Turkic-speaking Kurdish tribes who switched to Turkish - over 6 million people). Turkish Kurdistan has traditionally seen the most high level illiteracy in Turkey.

In Iran

The integration processes that took place in monarchical Iran itself were reflected in the nature of interethnic relations in Iranian Kurdistan. Before the overthrow of the Shah's regime, a certain rapprochement of the nationalities inhabiting the country was guaranteed by the policy of Iranian nationalism. It was aimed at the destruction of traditional forms of social relations, at the formation of a social structure and economy characteristic of a capitalist society, the spread of common Iranian forms of culture, the introduction of the Persian language into all spheres of life, etc. At the same time, the national and cultural needs of the non-Persian peoples of the country were ignored. The socio-political and economic dissatisfaction of the Iranian Kurds, the infringement of their national-state status and other reasons gave rise to claims against the authorities, representatives of the dominant ethnic group (Persian-speaking Iranians), with whom the ethno-cultural consequences of integration processes were associated. Meanwhile, the use of military and repressive institutions allowed the Shah's regime as a whole to maintain a certain balance of interethnic relations.

in Iraq

The Iran-Iraq War, which could have given the Kurds the opportunity to take advantage of the conditions created by the two Gulf countries' absorption in fighting each other, has only exacerbated tensions between major Kurdish groups.

In Syria

In Russia and CIS countries

Religion

Kurdish National Movement

The geographic location of Kurdish areas in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq is an important factor in determining the "viability" and strength of Kurdish political organizations opposed to the central governments of these countries. The Kurdish problem of settlement demonstrates how the geographical factor negatively affects the ethnic movement in the area of ​​great rivalry for power and inter-regional conflicts. It can be assumed that a solution to the Kurdish problem is impossible in the near future, but some degree of Kurdish autonomy is possible within the framework of genuine federal systems these states.

The use of the Kurdish language in Turkish media has been banned. The Kurdish alphabet was formed by English, Russian and French scholars in the last century. However, under the pressure of world public opinion, the gradual democratization of the country and as a result of a decrease in the activity of the PKK, Turkey began to gradually soften the ban on the use of the Kurdish language. From January 2009, Turkey started regular 24-hour television broadcasts in Kurdish.

Currently, the Kurdish issue is one of the key issues in the discussion of Turkey's further European integration. Europe demands greater regionalization and autonomization of the Kurds, as well as respect for their rights in accordance with European standards.

History shows that Kurdish problems usually arose from an attempt to deprive this people, strongly attached to their own traditions, of their cultural and tribal autonomy. On the other hand, doubts arise that the creation of autonomy will be able to contribute to a practical solution to the problem of the Kurds.

Notes

1. Konda Poll
2. CIA World Factbook : 18% Kurds out of 81.6 million total population (2014 est.) - 14.7 million
3. Beverley Milton-Edwards, "Contemporary politics in the Middle East" Polity, 2006. pg 231: "They form a population in all four states, making 23 percent in Turkey, 23 percent in Iraq, 10 percent in Iran and 8 percent in Syria (Mcdowell, 2003, p 3-4)
4. Estimate based on 15% to 20% of 26,783,383: World Factbook
5. Volume 2. Dabbagh - Kuwait University. - Iran, pages 1111–1112. // Encyclopedia of Modern Middle East & North Africa. second edition. Volume 1 - 4. Editor in Chief: Philip Mattar. Associate Editors: Charles E. Butterworth, Neil Caplan, Michael R. Fischbach, Eric Hooglund, Laurie King-Irani, John Ruedy. Farmington Hills: Gale, 2004, 2936 pages. ISBN 9780028657691

   Original text (English)

   With an estimated population of 67 million in 2004, Iran is one of the most populous countries in the Middle East. ... Iran’s second largest ethnolinguistic minority, the Kurds, make up an estimated 5 percent of the country’s population and reside in the provinces of Kerman and Kurdistan as well as in parts of West Azerbaijan and Ilam. Kurds in Iran are divided along religious lines as Sunni, Shi "ite, or Ahl-e Haqq.

6. The World Factbook - Iran (indefinite) . Retrieved April 21, 2008.
7. UNPO - Iranian Kurdistan
8. Syria
9. The Kurdish Diaspora
10. The Kurdish Diaspora
11. All-Russian population census 2010. Official results with extended lists by national composition of the population and by regions. : cm.
12. Census 2009(Kazakh). Archived from the original on April 23, 2015.

70 BC

By this time, the era of Hellenism had passed, the time had come for the domination of the Roman state and the Parthian state. By this time, the state of Greater Armenia had reached the peak of its power (but this was not for long, already in 65 BC after the war with Rome, Armenia lost part of its possessions) .. In connection with the expansion of the Armenian state, Armenian settlements appeared on the shores of the Caspian ) and the Mediterranean Sea (Syria, Cilicia). In connection with the capture of Mesopotamia by the Parthian state, the policy of supporting their religion, Zoroastrianism, continued in Mesopotamia, while curtailing the rights of all other religions. The number of temples that do not belong to the Zoroastrian religion is declining. The number of temples among the Yezidis is also decreasing. So far, Aramaic remains the spoken language in Mesopotamia, although the Persian language is increasingly being introduced. In connection with the subordination of Asia Minor to the Roman state, the Greek language, Latin used only by the Romans major cities M. Asia, Syria and Palestine.

225 AD

By this time, the era of domination of the Parthian kingdom ended (power in the region passed to the Persian state of the Sassanids). Over the past period there were frequent wars between Rome and Parthia for the possession of Armenia. Armenia was finally subordinated to Parthia. There were no major ethnic processes in Mesopotamia, but the Persian language was used more and more widely in Mesopotamia. More and more temples of other gods (including the temples of the Yezidis) were oppressed. New buildings were built for the Zoroastrians. The Yezidis still used the Aramaic language, but already some Yezidis began to switch to their own dialect of the Persian language (Kormanji). Kormanji is increasingly becoming the language of the Yezidis. The Yezidis themselves are increasingly moving to the north of Mesopotamia, where the bulk of the Yezidis still live. The Aysors (ancestors of the Assyrians) still retain Aramaic and also keep their religion. With the resettlement of a significant part of the Yezidis to the north (to the former lands of Assyria), there are more Yezidi temples. In the eastern part of the Roman Empire, the Greek language is spreading more and more widely (especially in Asia Minor and Syria). On the site of the Colchis state, the Laz kingdom appeared.

630 year

By this time, the era of the Sassanids is coming to an end. In Arabia, an Arab state (Arab Caliphate) appears. The Roman Empire has disappeared from the map of the world, in its place in the Middle East there is Byzantium. By this time, the Christian religion was spreading in many countries (in Armenia, Byzantium, Georgia). Even the Aisors (Assyrians) adopted Christianity (turning away from the faith of their ancestors). Throughout Asia Minor, Greek (Byzantine) became the spoken language. The Yezidis are still faithful to their faith, but most of the Yezidis already live in the north of modern Iraq and use their language, similar to the language of the Kurdish Kurmanji.

850

By this time, the Arab conquests swept through the territory of the Middle East (and Mesopotamia), and the Arabs brought their religion to all this territory - the silt, which they began to impose by force on all conquered peoples. Islamic religious books say: "There are no gods higher than Allah." That is, the Elamite religion does not recognize any gods other than Allah. And the destruction of the infidels (who do not recognize Islam) is considered the main policy of Islamic states. Under these conditions, all non-Muslim temples began to quickly disappear (destroy) in Mesopotamia. Most of the Yazidi temples in the Middle and Southern Mesopotamia were destroyed. The remnants of the Yezidis withdrew completely to the north of Iraq. There they preserved their ethnic community and their religion. It was from that time that (at first, small groups) the migration of Yezidis to other regions of the world (to Byzantium, to Armenia, to Georgia) began. The peoples who remained in the southern and middle parts of Mesopotamia, mostly knowing the Aramaic language (it is similar to Arabic) began to quickly switch to Arabic language and convert to Islam (renouncing the gods of their ancestors). The Arabs established their power in Armenia and Caucasian Albania. But large settlements of Arabs did not appear in these subordinate lands, there were no large settlements of Arabs in Iran either, but the Persians quickly began to accept Islam, abandoning their religion - Zoroastrianism.

1071

By this time, most of the territory of the Middle East (including Asia Minor) had been conquered by the Seljuks (Oguz tribes from Central Asia). These conquests did not have a strong influence on the ethnic map of the region, but in Asia Minor the number of the Greek (Byzantine population) was greatly reduced, and the number of Turkic tribes grew. Caucasian Oghuz tribes, the Azerbaijani people began to form.

Related material

At this time, the religion of the Yezidis (sharaf-ad-din). was partially reformed, but the basis of religion remained. This happened because some Yezidis began to change their faith (faith of the fathers) to Islam. And at the same time, the apostates still considered themselves Yezidis. After the reform, the Yezidis ceased to consider the apostates as their people. Muslims (former Yezidis) turned into ordinary Kurds, especially since the language of the Yezidis in those days (and now too) is similar to the Kurdish language by 60-70%.

1258

By this time, the Mongol state of the Khulagudids had conquered most of the explored region. The invasion of the Mongols did not lead to significant changes in the population of the study area. During the period under study, the Cilician Armenian Kingdom existed in the southeast of Asia Minor. All of Transcaucasia, including Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, was subject to the Mongols. By this time, the Azerbaijani people had formed on the territory of Azerbaijan. During this period there was a collapse Byzantine Empire and a new restoration. In the territories subject to the Mongols, there were no persecutions and oppressions of other religions, since the Mongols themselves had not yet converted to Islam and respected all religions. For this reason, a significant number of Yezidi temples have survived in northern Iraq. And a significant number of the Yezidi people lived there.

In the 11-13 centuries, nomadic tribes - the Turks and Mongols - invaded the territory of Kurdistan from Central Asia. The independent Kurdish principalities of Shahrezur and the Mervanids were defeated by the Mongols and the Seljuk Turks.

In the 13th century Kurdistan became part of the Seljuk Empire. In Asia Minor and the Caspian region, close Kurdish-Turkic contacts took place, as a result of which some Kurdish clans became Turkicized, and, conversely, individual Turkic tribes joined the ranks of the Kurdish clans.

1400

By this time, a new strong state appeared in Asia Minor - the Ottoman Empire, and appeared new people- Ottoman Turks, he appeared on the basis of the Turkic tribes who came to Asia Minor along with the Seljuks. By this time, almost all of Asia Minor was already under the rule of the Turks. Byzantium as a state survived last days. By the same time, power in Mesopotamia and Transcaucasia was subordinated to a new empire - the empire of Timur.

In the Middle Ages, historians divided the Kurds into 4 taif (groups), whose customs and languages ​​differed: Kurmanji, Lur, Kalhor and Bani Ardelan, Gorani. Kalhor called themselves "Kurd", and their neighbors - the Baba tribe - were called "Kurmanji". In the scientific literature, the Baba dialect belongs to the Sorani group, like the dialect of the Ardelan Kurds. The Sorani confront the Kurmanjis. In the history of the Kurds, there are cases when tribes switched from one dialect to another. In the 18th century in Western Iran in Senenjen, where the Gorani lived, speakers of the Kurmanji dialect (Gorge, Sheikh Ismaili, Baylavand, Jafs) settled, and part of the Gorani switched to the Kurmanji dialect. In the Bivanish region in the center of the Zagros, there was a transition of the Bivanish tribe to the Sorani dialect. The Mukri call themselves "Kurmanji", but their dialect is Sorani. Thus, the ethnonyms Kurmanji, Kurd, Sorani, etc. are very relative.

Historians often attribute the Yezidis to the Kurds of the Kurmanji dialect, but in fact the Yezidis only use this language, in fact, they consider themselves an independent people. The Yezidis themselves refer to the Kurmanji Kurds as those former Yezidis who converted to the Islamic faith, breaking completely with the faith of their fathers, and there were many of them. I suspect that a significant part of the modern Kurmanji Kurds were once Yezidis, descendants of the ancient people of the Sumerians, the Adabi.

In the 14th century, a literary form of the Kurmanji language developed.

1550

By this time, Turkey had subjugated the entire Middle East, including all of Mesopotamia, Georgia, Armenia, and even Yemen (in Arabia). The Safavid state existed in Iran. Yezidis no longer live on the territory of southern Iraq, all of them by this time had moved to the north of Iraq (in the mountainous regions), small Yezidi temples and the main center of the Yezidis, Lalesh, are preserved there. Many other peoples live there - Aisors, Kurds different origin. The language of the Yezidis by this time was 60% similar to Kurdish, the Yezidis began to use this language, because the surrounding population mainly spoke Kurdish languages ​​and for a long time these territories were part of the Persian states (including the state of the Safavids).

In 1514, after the Battle of Chaldiran, Kurdistan was divided between Turkey and Iran. From this time begins new stage struggle of the Kurdish people for independence - against Turkey and Iran.

1799

Over the past period, nothing has changed territorially - the western part of the Middle East remained under the rule of Turkey (including Iraq and the western Caucasus), and to the east were the possessions of Iran. There were no significant ethnic changes in the territory under consideration.

In the 16th century a struggle began between Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire for the right to possess Kurdistan. According to the Zohab peace of 1639, northern Kurdistan went to Ottomania, and southern to Iran. This division marked the beginning of the formation of two large Kurdish dialect groups: Kurmanji (north) and Sorani (south).

In the 18th century the literary form of the Sorani language developed.

1900

Over the past period, the following changes have occurred - the territory of modern Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire. Mesopotamia and the western part of the Middle East remained under the rule of Turkey, and the modern territory of Iran - under the rule of Iran.

In 1827, as a result of a powerful uprising of the Kurds under the leadership of Mahmed Pasha Revanduzi, the independence of the country was proclaimed. This uprising greatly facilitated the victory of Russian troops over the Turks. This uprising was put down.

At the end of the 19th century Kurdistan was divided between Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. At the same time, for the first time, the ethnonym “Kurd” (from the Persian “Gurjistan” - “Country of Wolves”) sounded, which in the Middle East began to designate tribes speaking the north-west. Iranian languages ​​derived from Median (according to another version, the ethnonym "kur-manj" is translated as "son of Media".). These tribes were heterogeneous in anthropological and religious terms. Among them were representatives of the Western Asian, Khorasan and Caspian types. They were united only by a relatively common self-consciousness, and also by the fact that they lived in a hostile foreign language environment.

1939

Over the past period, Iraq became an independent state (became independent from Turkey), Syria also became independent from Turkey and came under the control of France. There were no other territorial changes.

During the Turkish massacre of 1915, the first case occurred when the division of Kurds into Yezidis and other Kurds became noticeable. The Unni Kurds, together with the Turks, carried out "cleansing" of the Yezidis and Armenians, and subsequently they themselves were subjected to repression.

1970

By this time, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan became independent states. By this time, many Kurds had left Turkey and Iraq due to the oppression of the authorities. So did many Yezidis. Many Kurds and Yezidis were sheltered in the countries of the former Soviet Union (Armenia, Georgia, Russia).

year 2012

By this time, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan became independent states.

Yezidis mainly live in the province of Mosul (Southern Kurdistan) in the Sheykhan region, where the center of the pagan faith Lalesh is located. But a significant part of the Yezidis is forced to live outside of Kurdistan (in other countries) due to harassment from both the Arabs of Iraq, the Turkish authorities, and the Kurds. Moreover, in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurds have become absolute masters.

Kurdistan is distinguished by the diversity of existing religions. The vast majority of Kurds - 75% - profess Sunni Islam, a significant part are Shiite and Alawite Muslims, there are also Christians. But, regardless of religion, the Kurds consider Zoroastrianism (the religion of the Medes and ancient Persians) to be their original religion of their ancestors. And the Yezidis, who live in Kurdistan and speak the Yezidi language, which is very similar to the language of the Kurdish Kurmanji, still have their ancient religion - Yezidism (the religion of their ancestors - the Sumerians-Adabi). Although many historians are trying in every possible way to recognize this people as part of the Kurdish people - their attempts are groundless - the history of the Yezidis and the history of the Kurds are completely different stories, and these are completely different peoples. One thing is certain - both these peoples have much in common in their development. Both peoples have one goal - independence from Turkey and Iraq, the preservation of their culture.

The history of the development of civilization on our planet continues its movement in a spiral erasing times and entire epochs from memory. But humanity in each historical period tries to reproduce as deeply and accurately as possible certain past events, many of which are riddles and tasks for enlightened thinkers.

In the material of our article, we will try to reveal some historical events about the most ancient people settled in the vast territory of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran and other countries. The people numbering, according to various estimates, almost forty million people. But at the same time not having its own state. We are talking about the Kurds and Kurdistan.

Let us make a reservation right away that the materials of this article do not claim historical and scientific truth, leave this important work learned historians. Our goal is to introduce you to an amazing and proud people, to tell plain language about its history and modern life, based on material taken from open public sources

The title of our article has two questions, let's start with the first

Origin of the Kurdish people

The question of the origin of the Kurdish people is still did not receive a definitive and affirmative answer. Apparently, all existing versions will remain with the right to scientific recognition for our time.

Version one

The ancestral home of the Kurds was the ancient state of Media (V, VI centuries BC). It occupied a fairly vast territory of the northwestern part of Iran.

Some scholarly ethnographers consider the ancestors of the ancient Medes, to whom they include several compactly living Iranian-speaking tribes and possibly pastoralists from Eastern Europe, who crossed the Caucasus and eventually settled across the territory of Central Asia.

Iranian tribes began to establish these territories starting from the 12th century BC and continued until the 5th century BC. After the conquest of Media by the Achaemenid Persians, the Kurds - Medes already failed to restore their statehood. Later, approximately (5th to 9th centuries), Kurdistan will be absorbed by the Arab caliphate.

Second version

This is a variant of the possible history of the origin of Kurdistan, refers us to the period of existence Sumerian civilization, and this is no less, but the end of the IV millennium BC. era. The Kurdish tribes were supposedly part of the Hurrian people.

But there is an important detail here, ancient sources indicate that the Hurrian language is related to the ancient languages ​​of the peoples of the Caucasus. And the modern language of the Kurds has Persian roots. Assimilation of the language could occur due to the long cohabitation of Kurdish tribes under the administrative control of the Persians.

Third variant version

There are also such scientific hypotheses about the ancient origin of the Kurdish tribes. What's in the composition Indo-European group numerous settlers at the end of the first millennium settled part of the Asian territory.

The same group included the Palais. Researchers insist that the Palais formed the basis of the origin of the Armenian people. And after they conquered the territory, the ancient empires of Urartu significantly expanded the boundaries of their statehood.

This is one of the main alleged historical knots of possible interweaving. two ancient cultures Armenian and Kurdish. This theory arose in the same period of the same events in the same territory.

The "Peoples of the Three Seas" had a powerful influence on all the historical events of that time. It suffices to mention just a few of them.

First of all, of course, this was their conquest of the Hittite state, which, in addition to the Hittites, also included the Palayan tribes. As a result, most of the territory of the conquered state joined the Phrygian camp.

This is the historical period of the unification of the Hurrians - Kurds into the Urartian statehood. In the future, it will be a very powerful multinational state of Urartu.

It so pleased history that on a significant coastal and Asian territory, in the geographical proximity of their borders, three powerful state formations of the Phrygians, Urartians and Assyrians arose. The tribes of the progenitors of the Kurds played a significant part in the history of development Urartian statehood.

It is simply impossible to squeeze many historical layers of the emergence and development of the ancient Kurdish people into the framework of this article.

Even those grains of material available to the public in our time speak of the Kurds as brave and courageous warriors, hard working and kind people. Let our modern history will become more favorable to them and they will finally receive their full-fledged state of Kurdistan.