The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-12-06
kurd Coolies in Irak.

do, and are also comparatively unpro-
tected and averse to war. All these
factors combine to make the Kurds q
race of plunderers. NO race" says
the famous geographer Reclus, meth
er Baluch. Bedouih. nor Apache, has
developed the marauding instinct to a
higher degree than have the warlike
Kurd tribes"
Hate Their Neiehbors-
In the northern portion Of Kurd
istan, Kurds, Armenians and Turks
are tumbled together In the same re-
gion. These three peoples have little
love for one another.
The Kurd hates the Turks because
they have often worsted him In bat
tie, because they tax him heavily
whenever they are able, and because
they curtail his opportunities for
fighting and plundering. He despises
the Arnsnians because they are Chris
tians, and because they can be robbed
and ill-treated almost with impunity
when the Turks give permission Yet
in spite of this he has Ia sort of SYM
patty for them, because they, too, are
oppressed.
The Armenian hates and fears Doth
the Kurds, who plumber him, and the
Turks. who Cypress and prosecute
cause they are not so clever as he
II is only by exerting his superior
wits in business or liz fattery Of his
rulers that he can manage to maintain
his position. 1t is not strange that his
character reflects the conditions IN
der which he lives.
The Turk, in turn. despises the
Kurds because many of them are only
half-hearted or heretical Mohamme-
dams. and because they are simple. nm
sophisticated folk. He fears them, al
so, because they are wild. lawless peo-
pie, who make the lif. of the tax
gatherer a burden ana who rob
Turkish official with great glee if they
find the opportunity. The Turk de
spises the Armenians. because as he
would somewhat unfairly put it. they
are cowardly Christian dogs" He
hates them because he knows that
they are far quicker and keener than
he. far better business men, and far
better educated.
In the edge of Persia. again. the
Kurds are racially distinct from their
neighborS. and have rarely been sub
missive to the central government
The chief caravan route from Irak
through central Persia lies through
their region. and often they have com
pletely dominated his highway. TAX
ing toll as they chose from the cara
vans.
Picturesque Costumes
They are in reality semi-barharic
nomadic tribes that live on their
flocks and by hunting in these wild
mountain valleys. They have their
own national costume. which Is per
haps the most picturesque in ali
Persia.
Almost always armed to the teeth
these tribesmen look particularly ru
mantle when dashing down a boulder
strewn hillside on their ure-footed
ponies; the CLEAN of rifle slune
over shoulder: flowing purple tur-
ban loosely bound around huge
black felt hat: broad, colorful scarf
about the waist. half hiding two or
even three bandoliers and above
which projects hits of a knife and
locally-made revolver or perhaps
German automatic Mauser. bagg,
trousers, gaily tasseled and EN-
bro:dered saddle-cioths, and a certain
air OF bravado withal that wildly re
calls an Oriental. more brilliant
Velasquez. or those calamity attired
heroes so naively shown in old Per.
sian miniatures.
The Kurdish women are general,
somber in dress but do not hide the
beauty of their faces under wells as
strictly as the Persian women.
Credulous, fierce. and intractahle as
the KurdS are, they are nevertheless
people Of true strength OF character
They have been menace to the de
velopment of constitutional govern
ment in the countries in which the,
live. They themselves are ruled part.
ly by the patr;archal system, partly by
the clan system. AMI partly by tn.
fcudal system. and all have had the
bitter experience OF the hated rule OF
despotiN monafchleS. For three thou
SAND yeays they have lived the same
wild, simISe life, remote from all men
and at strfe with all men, Now mod,
ern ideas re coming to them.