Origins of the Kurds

The Kurds are one of the oldest nations inhabiting the Middle East area.
Their history dates back thousands of years and is closely linked to the history of Mesopotamia, as well as the fate of other peoples living in the region.

The ancient roots of the Kurds

The origins of the Kurds are still the subject of historical research, but many scholars agree that their roots go back to ancient Indo-European peoples who arrived in what is now Kurdistan around the third millennium BCE.

The ancestors of the Kurds may have been tribes such as the Medes, who in the seventh century BC created a powerful state in what is now Iran. The Medes played a key role in the history of the region, particularly by collaborating with the Babylonians to overthrow the Assyrian empire.

Some historians also point to a connection between the Kurds and the Hurrites and Mitannians – ancient peoples who inhabited Mesopotamia and the northern regions of present-day Iraq and Syria. These cultures were well developed, and their presence influenced later civilizations.

Ultimately, the exact connection between the Kurds and these ancient groups is difficult to establish, as the migration of peoples and cultural influences in this part of the world were extremely complex.

Period of domination by empires and assimilation

For centuries, the lands inhabited by the Kurds were under the control of successive empires, including Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Arab. In the seventh century, with the expansion of Islam, the Kurds were subjected to strong Arab influence and many embraced Islam, although they retained a separate cultural and linguistic identity. Despite being caught up in Islamic culture, they remained true to their distinctiveness and did not give up their dreams of autonomy for centuries.

During the Middle Ages, in the 12th century, a prominent Kurdish figure was Saladin (Salah ad-Din), the famous leader and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, who became a symbol of valor and honor in the fight against the Crusaders. His figure is still considered a national hero by the Kurds today, even though Saladin himself focused more on uniting Muslims than on the idea of Kurdish independence.

Kurds under the Ottoman Empire and the Safavids

Since the 16th century, the lands of Kurdistan have been on the border between two powerful rival empires – the Ottoman and Persian (Safavid). The Kurds were often located in areas of conflict between the two, which made it difficult for them to develop their own state structures.

Under Ottoman rule, the Kurds enjoyed a relatively high level of autonomy – the various Kurdish principalities had their own authorities and could conduct their own internal policies, provided they were loyal to the sultan.

In the 19th century, however, the situation began to change as the Ottoman Empire tried to centralize its territories, leading to numerous Kurdish rebellions and uprisings.

The 20th century: New frontiers, new challenges

After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurds had a chance to create their own state. The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres provided for the possibility of establishing a Kurdish state on the territory of the former Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, this treaty was not implemented, and was replaced by the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which established new borders in the Middle East without including a Kurdish state. As a result, the Kurds were divided between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, where they remain to this day.

For the Kurds, this period marked the beginning of a difficult struggle for recognition and preservation of their identity in four different countries. Attempts to win autonomy or independence were met with strong repression, especially in Turkey and Iran, where the authorities pursued a policy of assimilation and banned the use of the Kurdish language and the manifestation of cultural distinctiveness.

A nation without a state, but with a strong identity

The modern history of the Kurds is a continuation of efforts to gain autonomy and recognition, particularly in areas of Iraq and Syria. In Iraq, the Kurdish region gained autonomy after the Gulf War, and greater political freedom after 2003 and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. In Syria, as a result of the civil war, the Kurds gained control of the northern territory of the country, creating autonomous structures, which became a symbol of their determination to maintain their own identity.

Despite the absence of their own state, the Kurds retain a cohesive national identity, a rich culture and a language that has various dialects, including Kurmanji and Sorani. The Kurds’ drive to preserve and cherish their heritage and history is evidence of their perseverance and sense of unity, which allow them to survive as a nation.

The story of the Kurds is a complex tale of survival and the quest for self-determination that is still unfolding. Their fate is a reminder of how strong the will to preserve one’s identity can be, even in the face of difficult political and historical conditions.

Graphic sources:

Dans, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
By Enno Lenze – Kurdistan_khanke_DSC03013, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123860211