On the frontiers of empire: Culture and power in early modern “Iranian” Kurdistan

This article will provide a broad (although by no means comprehensive) overview of the development of modern scholarly historical writing pertaining the Middle East’s Kurdish community prior to the end of the First World War. It seeks to highlight some of the important pioneering scholars who shaped the field during its twentieth century as well as more recent flurry of academic activity that has, since the turn of the twenty-first century, resulted in a publication of a number of important works that have greatly expanded our knowledge of Kurdish history. However, it will also endeavour to highlight some of the deficits in the existing historiography, most notably relating to Kurdistan in the early modern period (the early sixteenth to early nineteenth century) and, more specifically, the relatively underdeveloped nature of the literature on “Iranian” Kurdistan during this era. In doing so, it hopes to provide context for the three articles published in this issue of Kurdish Studies, all of which examine issues relating to culture and power in early modern “Iranian” Kurdistan. ABSTRACT IN KURMANJI Li ser sinoren imperetoriye: “Hemana Irani” di diroka pes-modern ya Kurdistane de Ev gotar de nirxandineke berfireh (le ne gistgir) a nivisaren li ser diroka gele kurd e li Rojhilata Navin yen beri xelasiya Sere Cihani ye Yekem. Ew de deneke taybet bide ser cendin zanyaren serkes ku di sedsala bistan de meydana diroknivisiya kurdi ava kirine u herwiha bere xwe bide ser berbelavbuna ve dawiye ya calakiyen akademik –ji cerxa sedsala bist u yeke ve– ku cendin berhemen giring je dercune u bi ve yeke re zanyariya me ya li ser diroka kurdan gelek berfirehtir kirine. Le bele, gotar de herwiha hewl bide ku hindek valahiyen diroknivisiya heyi bercav bike, bi taybeti valahiya xebaten li ser Kurdistana di serdema pes-modern (ji sere sedsala sanzdehan heta sere sedsala hevdehan) de, u, bi rengeki hurbijertir, pasmayibuna nisbi ya lekolin u nivisaren li ser Kurdistana “Irani” ya di ve serdeme de. Bi vi awayi, gotar dil dike carcoveyeke dabin bike ji bo her se gotaren di ve hejmara Kurdish Studies de, ku hemu ji bere xwe didine we mijare ku em dikarin wek “Hemana Irani” di Kurdistana pes-modern de bi nav bikin. ABSTRACT IN SORANI Le ser sinorekani impiratori: “Hokari Erani” le Kurdistani pes-modern da Em wutare racawkirdineweke gistiye (bellam nek gistgire) le ser nusrawekani sebaret be mejuy kurdi le Rojhellati Nawerast ber le axiri Serri Cihani Yekem. Wutareke serinceki taybet debexsete ser cend zanyareki pesengi ke le sedey bist da biwari mejunusi kurdiyan durist kirduwe, bellam herwa caw le berfirawanbunewey em duwayiyey –seri sedey bist u yekewe– calakiye akadamikekan dekat ke cendin berhemi giringi le we dercuwe u bew peyes zanyariyekanman sebaret be mejuy kurd ziyadtiryan kirduwe. Wutareke hewlli ewes dedat ke hendek kemasiyeki mejunusiy hawcerxis destnisan bikat, be taybeti ewaney le merr Kurdistani seretakani serdemi modern (le eweli sedey sanzde ta eweli sedey hewde), herwa be rengeki deqiqtir caw le pasmanewey lekollinewe w nusrawekani le babet Kurdistani “Erani” lew serdeme da dekat. Bem seweye, wutareke carcowek dabin dekat bo her se le wutari em jimarey Kurdish Studies, ke hemuyan serinc dedene ew babetey ke detwanin weku “Hokari Erani” le Kurdistani pes-modern da be naw bikeyn.