"A Modern History of the Kurds" - Summary

It's important to understand that defining the Kurds isn't a simple task - they're not a homogeneous ethnic group with a shared lineage. Instead, they've evolved from various Indo-European tribes that migrated into the region over many centuries. Their language reflects this diversity, with multiple dialects spoken. In terms of religion, the majority are Sunni Muslim, but there are also significant minorities who follow Alevism, the Ahl-i Haqq faith, Yazidism, and other beliefs, indicating a wide range of origins.

In terms of politics and social structure, Kurdish society has traditionally been governed by a tribal system and kinship ideology. Tribes are dynamic entities that can include sub-groups with different ancestries but common interests. Tribal chiefs play a crucial role in mediating relationships with the state and the outside world. This position often puts them in conflict with states that seek to exercise direct control over their territory and people. As a result, states have frequently attempted to integrate chiefs into their ruling systems as a means of managing tribes.

While the influence of tribalism has decreased as modern states have grown more powerful, the ideology of kinship remains a powerful force among Kurds, even those who have settled in cities. Other groups, such as Armenian Christians, Jews, and non-tribal Kurdish peasants, often lived in servitude alongside the tribes. Urban Kurds have historically looked down on tribal values.

For many centuries, Kurdish identity was defined more by shared geography, language, and customs than by ethnic nationalism. The first known depiction of the Kurds as a distinct people is found in a 17th-century poem, which portrays them as an oppressed group surrounded by rival powers. In the early 20th century, Kurdish intellectuals began to create nationalist histories and promote a sense of ethnic identity.

However, the concept of a Kurdish nation in the modern sense is an 'imagined community', with its shape and boundaries subject to differing interpretations. The borders of Kurdistan with Iran and Iraq have been in place for centuries, facilitating pastoral migrations and providing a haven for rebels. These borders haven't been entirely negative, but they now significantly restrict the cross-border ties that are crucial to Kurdish nationalists.

The presence of oil and water resources in Kurdish regions also makes states reluctant to relinquish control. As a result, the Kurdish struggle involves wresting authority from states to achieve self-rule in the lands they inhabit. It also involves shifting the diverse Kurdish groups from loyalties based on kin, religion, class, or locale to an overarching ethnic identity. While some nationalist perspectives view the Kurdish nation as eternal, others argue that Kurdish ethnic nationalism only fully emerged in the 20th century. In truth, the Kurds have been both a clearly identifiable group for centuries and a modern nation shaped by recent intellectual and political efforts.