Historical origin

The Kurd people, of Indo-European origins, is one of the most ancient people of the Middle East. The historical testimonies around their existence trace back to 2000 B.C.. Senofonte was the first historian to give a lot of news about Kurds in its “Anabasis”. (401 B.C.). The Kurds are descendants of the Medes who in the VI century B.C. founded the great homonymous empire. In the VII century A.C. the Arab-Islamic expansion began. After numerous wars, the Kurds were subdued to the Arabs and Islam little by little became their religion. They contributed to develop the expansion and founded numerous autonomous Reigns as “Al-Shadadi” (950-1177) in the north Kurdistan, “Al-Husnawi” (950-1015) in the south, and “Al-Marwani” (990-1096) in the west. The Kurd dynasty of Ayubidi (whose most famous leader was Sala-adin Al-Ayubi, called Saladino) founded a great Muslim state (1169-1250). In the X-XV century, Kurdistan has undergone several invasions of strangers, of Turkish Selgiucidi (1051), of Mongols (1231), and Tamburlaine (1402); these invasions have obstructed further on the Kurds’ economic, social and urban development.

In the XVI century, the Kurds divided themselves in oreder to support the Ottoman and Persian Empires. In 1514, thanks to Cialdiran of Ottomans’ victory, the most of the tribes went over his part and in exchange they obtained the recognition of numerous independent states that were governed by leaders descendant from the most ancient families.

Then, several independent states, more or less great, rose on the only condition that they would pay some tributes to the sultan and they would provide troops in case of war. That period was studded with rebellions: the Kurd tribes tried to get the utmost political advantage from the hostility of both Empires. In 1639 a peace treaty between the two empires ratified the partition of Kurdistan into “zones of influence”.

Until the XIX century the situation seemed to be stable; a “buffer-state” without any harmony among the tribes rose between the authorities of the two empires and the other independent states.

The XIX century was studded with Kurd rebellions against the sultan’s power, due to “west” modernisations such as: compulsory military service, tribute system, substitution of the hereditary leaders with Turkish governors of the Ottoman Empire. These facts put in a crisis the Kurd medieval system.

The two most important rebellions were in 1853-1856 and in 1880. The first was able to involve the whole Kurd population under the leadership of Yazdansher. He, entering into alliance with Christians, formed an army of hundred-thousands persons, but the rebellion was put down by the English Army’s intervention. The second too, involved the whole Kurd people and numerous other religious and ethnic minorities. It was put down only by the alliance of the two empires that, on that occasion, overcame their hostilities.

In the early XX century, the Ottoman Empire’s policy towards the Kurds begins to change. Their feudal leaders were recognized and irregular regiments were joined under their control. These troupes had great importance in the control of the empire Caucasian territories and in putting down the Armenians, until 1908 when the revolution of young Turkish rose the enthusiasm of all the nationalist movements of the empire.

In the following years numerous political-cultural initiatives rose from the European and Turkish Intelligentsia, together with a marked nationalist feature, but they had not any influence in Kurdistan, which remained strongly feudal. The war broke down these activities and the publications of press in Kurd language.