The Ordway new era., 1922-10-13
kurd Coolies IN Irak.

do, and are also comparatively unprO-
tected and averse to war. All these
factors combine to make the Kurds a
race of plunderers. mo race" says
the famous geographer Reclus, "neith-
er Baluch, Bedouin. nor Apache, has
developed the marauding instinct to
higher degree than have the warlike
Kurd tribes"
Hate Their Neighbors.
In the northern portion of Kurd-
istan, Kurds Armenians and Turks
are jumbled 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 Armenians 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 i, sort of sym
pathy for them, because they, too, are
oppressed.
The Armenian hates and fears both
the Kurds, who plunder him, and the
Turks, who oppress and persecute
him. He also despises both races be-
cause they are not so clever as he.
1t is only by eXerting his superior
wits in business or in flattery Of his
rulers that he can manage to maintain
| his position. 1t is not strange that his
| cha ri rnHnptS tho conditions
| 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, un-
sophisticated folk. He fears them, al
so, because they are Wild lawless peo-
pie, who make the lif. of the tax
gatherer burden ana who rob a.
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 this highway. TAX
ing toll as they chose from the cara
vans.
Picturesque Costumes.
They are in reality semi-barbaric,
nomadic tribes that live on their
focks and by hunting in these wild
mountain valleys They have their
own national costume, which is per-
haps the most picturesque in all
Persia.
Almost always armed to the teeth,
these tribesmen look particularly ro-
mantle when dashing down boulder
strewn hillside on their sure-footed
ponies; the CLEAN of rifle slung
over shoulder; flowing purple tur-
ban loosely bound around a huge
black felt hat; broad, colorful scarf
about the waist, half hiding two or
even three bandOliers and above
which projects hilts of knife and
lOcally-made revolver or perhaps
German automatic Mauser; baggy
trousers. gaily tasseled and en-
brodered saddle-cloths. and certain
air of bravado withal that wildly re-
calls an Oriental, more brilliant
velasquez, or those gallantly.attired
heroes SO naively shown in old Per-
sian miniatures.
The Kurdish women are generally
somber In dress, but do not hide the
beauty of their faces under wells as
strictly as the Persian women.
Credulous, fierce, and intractable as
the Kurds are, they are nevertheless
people of true strength of character.
They have been a menace to the de-
velopment Of constitutional govern
ment In the countries in which they
live. They themselves are ruled part
ly by the patriarchal system, partly by
the clan system. and partly by the
feudal system, and all have had the
bitter experience of the hated rule of
despotic monarchies. For three thou
sand years they have lived the same
wild, simple life, remote from all men
and at strife with all men. Now mod.
orn iflpos nro coming tn thn,n