KURDISH TRIBES. Kurdish tribes are found throughout Persia, eastern Anatolia and northern Iraq, but very few comprehensive lists of them have been published. The one most often cited is that of François Bernard Charmoy, which was based on the ˆaraf-na@ma by the 16th-century Kurdish historian ˆaraf-al-Din Bedlisi (q.v.; I, pp. 55-85). An attempt to present an up-to-day list of Kurdish tribes follows.

KURDISH TRIBES IN PERSIA

Western Azerbaijan. The most important Kurdish tribes in that region are Jala@li (q.v.; around Ma@ku), Mila@n (also around Ma@ku), H®aydara@nlu (on the Turkish border, southwest of Ma@ku), Donboli (q.v.; Turki-speaking, around K¨oy and Salma@s), Korahsunni (Kurdicized Turks, southwest of K¨oy), ˆekka@k (south of Salma@s), Herki (around Urmia), Begza@da (south of Urmia), Zerza@ (on the Iraqi border, west of Oænaviya), Pira@n (on the Iraqi border, southwest of Naqada), Ma@maæ (around Naqada), Mangur (southwest of Maha@ba@d), Mokri (around Maha@ba@d), Dehbokri (east of Maha@ba@d), Gowra@k (south of Maha@ba@d, around Sardaæt and northwest of Saqqez), Malka@ri (around Sardaæt), Suseni (west of Saqqez), Fayzµ-Alla@h-begi (northeast of Saqqez). (For details, see Afæa@r Sista@ni, pp. 137-95; Komisiun-e melli, pp. 117-29.)

Eastern Azerbaijan. In Qara@jada@g@ (today Arasba@ra@n), that is, the region between the Aras river and the Sabala@n mountain range, there are six Shi¿ite, Turki-speaking tribes of Kurdish origin: Ùalabia@nlu (q.v.), Moháammad K¨a@nlu, H®osayna@klu, H®a@ji ¿Alilu (q.v.), H®asan Beglu, and Qara@±orlu. In K¨alkòa@l, that is, the region between the Bozg@uæ mountains and the Qezel Uzen (owzan) river, there are seven Shi¿ite, Turki-speaking tribes of Kurdish origin: Delika@nlu, Kolukja@nlu (an offshoot of the ˆekka@k), ˆatára@nlu (also an offshoot of the ˆekka@k), Ahámadlu, ˆa@dlu, Raævand, and Ma@ma@nlu. Finally, there are Shi¿ite, Turki-speaking ˆekka@k occupying vast areas northeast and northwest of Miya@na. (See Afæa@r-Sista@ni, pp. 109-25; Oberling, 1964; idem, 1961, pp. 52-57, 80.)

Kurdistan. The most important Kurdish tribes in this region are: Saræiv (on the Iraqi border, south of Ba@na), Tilaku÷i (Kurdicized Turks, around Sonnata and Za@g@a), Bani Ardala@n (around Senna [Sanandaj]), Ja@f (southwest of Senna [Sanandaj]), Hulila@n (southeast of Kerma@næa@h), and the following tribes between Kerma@næa@h (present-day Ba@kòtara@n) and the Iraqi border: Gura@n, Kalhor, Sanja@bi, ˆarafbaya@ni, Kerindi, Ba@jala@n (q.v.), Na@nakuli, and Zangana. (See Afæa@r-Sista@ni, pp. 223-59; Komisiun-e melli, pp. 130-33; also multiple entries in Nikitine and Arfa.)

Hamada@n. According to Mardukò Kordesta@ni (I, pp. 86 and 98), the Kurdish tribes in this province are: Jamiri, Juzika@n, and ˆa@hja@n.

Luristan. According to Oskar Mann (p. XXIII), the Delfa@n and Selsela groups of tribes, the Arma@÷i tribe of the T®arha@n group of tribes, and the Bayra@nvand tribe in the Piæ-e Kuh speak Laki. According to Mardukò Kordesta@ni (I, pp. 78, 86), both the Itivand and the Judeki tribes in the Piæ-e Kuh are Kurdish. There is also a large tribe by the name of Kord in the Poæt-e Kuh (Rabino, 1916, pp. 40-45).

K¨uzesta@n. There are three groups of Zangana and one of Jala@li in the Ja@nneki Garmsir, northeast of Ahva@z. They were brought there by Nadir Shah (Qa@÷em Maqa@mi). There was also a tribe by the name of AÚl bu Kord which occupied seven villages on the Ka@run river south of Ahva@z (Lorimer, II, pp. 121, 1042).

Gila@n. There have been two important Kurdish tribes in this province: Riævand (or Raævand) and ¿Ama@rlu (q.v.). According to Rabino, the Riævand formed part of the Ba@ba@n tribe of Solayma@niya and were moved to Gila@n by Shah ¿Abba@s I. Later, they were chased out of most of their choice pasturelands by the ¿Ama@rlu, who were moved to Gila@n from northwestern Persia by Na@der Shah (Rabino, 1916-17, pp. 260-61; tr., pp. 304-6). The Riævand now live mostly in Qazvin province. The ¿Ama@rlu occupy some fifty villages between Menjil and Pira@kuh in southeastern Gila@n. (See Fortescue, pp. 319-20; Mardukò Kordesta@ni, I, pp. 100-1; Afæa@r Sista@ni, pp. 132-34.)

Ma@zandara@n. There are three major Kurdish tribes in the province: Moda@nlu (north of Sa@ri), Jaha@nbeglu (north of Sa@ri), and K¨va@javand (south of Nowæahr). The K¨va@javand tribe, according to L. S. Fortescue (p. 317), "was originally brought from Garru´s (q.v.) and Kurdista´n by Na´der Sha´h." The Moda@nlu and Jaha@nbeglu tribes were probably also moved to Ma@zandera@n by Na@der Shah. According to Rabino (1913, p. 441).

Qazvin. The most important Kurdish tribes in this province are GÚia@t¯vand (q.v.), Ka@ka@vand, Riævand, and Ma¿a@fi. The GÚia@t¯vand tribe dwells along the Qezel Uzen and ˆa@hrud rivers. According to Parviz Varja@vand (pp. 456-57), it was transplanted from western Persia by AÚg@a@ Moháammad Khan Qa@ja@r. The Ka@ka@vand tribe lives northeast of Qerva, on the Sia@h Daha@n-Zanja@n road. The Reævand tribe occupies the districts of Ala@mut and Rudba@r. The Ma¿a@fi tribe dwells near the Qazvin-Tehran road (Fortescue, pp. 325-26). According to Varja@vand (pp. 459-60), there are also small groups of Ba@jala@n, Behtu÷i, Ùamiægazak, Jalilvand, and Kalhor in the province.

Tehran. The Pa@zuki tribe is the principal Kurdish group in the province. According to Albert Houtum-Schindler (p. 50), it was once a powerful tribe residing near Erzurum in Anatolia; but it was broken up in the late 16th century, a fragment settling down around Vara@min and GÚa@r. In the Tehran region are also fragments of the following tribes: Heda@vand, Burbur, Urya@d, Zerger, Kord Ba±a, Na@nakuli, and Qara@±orlu (Kayha@n, II, p. 111); and in Sa@va there are Kalhor Kurds (Afæa@r Sista@ni, p. 1115).

Isfahan. According to Mardukò Kordesta@ni (I, p. 79), there is a Kurdish tribe in this province by the name of Ba@zinja@n. Moreover, the name of the town ˆahr-e Kord southwest of Isfahan evidence the existence of Kurds in that region in the past (cf. Kord in Fa@rs mentioned below). This is reinforced by the remarks of early Muslim geographers (Mas¿udi, Tanbih, p. 88; EsÂtÂakòri, pp. 98-99, 115; Ebn H®awqal, p. 265; Moqaddasi, p. 447).

Fa@rs. According to Mardukò Kordesta@ni (I, pp. 75-117), there are more than thirty small Kurdish tribes in Fa@rs. Many of these are undoubtedly remnants of tribes that followed Karim Khan Zand to Fa@rs; after the fall of the Zand dynasty, they were absorbed as clans by the Qaæqa@÷i tribal confederacy. They include the Saqqez, Zangana (five separate groups, including one that today forms a clan of the Kaækuli Bozorg tribe of the Qaæqa@÷i), Kuruni, Ùegini (q.v.), Burbur and Urya@d (clans of the Qaæqa@÷i ¿Amala tribe), Lak and Vanda@ (clans of the Qaæqa@÷i Darraæuri tribe), Kordlu (a clan of the Qaæqa@÷i Qara@ Ùa@hilu tribe), and Kord-ˆuli. (See Oberling, 1960, pp. 76-84; idem, 1974, pp. 225-31.) References to Kurdish tribes in Fa@rs, as well as to a town called Kord in the Isfahan area, go back to the 10th century (Mas¿udi, Tanbih, pp. 88-89; Ebn K¨orda@dbeh, p. 47; EsátÂakòri, pp. 113 ff., 125; Ebn H®awqal, pp. 264-65, 269, 270-71; Moqaddasi, p. 446). According to Ebn al-Balkòi, the five major Kurdish tribes of Fa@rs had been annihilated during the Arab conquest, and the Kurds that were in Fa@rs in the 12th century, other than the ˆaba@nka@ra, had been brought there by the Buyid ¿Azµad-al-Dawla. There were many Kurds in Fa@rs in the 11th century, including as many as five tribes of ˆaba@nka@ra (Ebn al-Balkòi, tr. pp. 5-13). Although Ebn Balkòi distinguishes the ˆaba@nka@ra from the original Kurdish tribes of Fa@rs, the name of one of the ˆaba@nka@ra five clans, Ra@ma@ni (the other four are Esma@¿ili, Karzubi, Mas¿udi, ˆaka@ni), is identical with that of a Kurdish tribe of Fa@rs mentioned in early sources (EsátÂakòri, p. 114; Ebn H®awqal, p. 270; Moqaddasi, p. 446). The ˆaba@nka@ra seized power from the Buyids in Fa@rs in 1062 and founded a dynasty of tribal rulers there (Ebn Balkòi, pp. 164-67; Bosworth, p. 156). Some of the ˆaba@nka@ra settled down in the district of Simaka@n, between Shiraz and Jahrom (H®asan Fasa@÷i, II, p. 314). Today, there is still a district by the name of ˆaba@nka@ra near Buæehr.

Khorasan. There are many thousands of Kurds in Khorasan, and most of them are descendants of tribesmen who were moved into the province by Shah ¿Abba@s I around 1600. The most important Kurdish tribes in Khorasan are: ¿Ama@rlu (in the Marusk plain, northwest of Niæa@pur), ˆa@dlu (in the district of Bojnurd), Za¿fara@nlu (in the districts of ˆirva@n and Qu±a@n), Keyva@nlu (in the districts of Joveyn, Darragaz, and Radka@n), Tupka@nlu (around Joveyn and Niæa@pur), and Qara@±orlu (in the districts of Bojnurd, ˆirva@n, and Qu±a@n). (See: Afæa@r Sista@ni, pp. 984-1104; Ivanow, pp. 150-52.) The recent study of Moháammad-H®osayn Pa@poli Yazdi shows the extent to which the Kurds of Khorasan have become sedentary (pp. 23-37).

Kerma@n. According to Percy Sykes (p. 210), there was a small Kurdish tribe in the Sa@rdu (or Sa@rduya) region in 1900. Until recently, there was also a clan of the Afæa@r tribe of Kerma@n by the name of Mir Kord (Oberling, 1960, p. 115).

Baluchistan. There are Kurds in northeastern Persian Baluchistan, who might be the descendants of tribesmen who accompanied the luckless LotÂf-¿Ali Khan Zand on his desperate flight to Bam in 1794. Until the 1880s, they were dominant in K¨a@æ, and their leader was known as the Sarda@r of the Sarháad (Sykes, pp. 106, 107, 131; see also Bestor). Today, they are widely scattered, some of them living on the southern slopes of the Kuh-e Tafta@n, others dwelling around Magas (today, Za@bol); and still others are settled in Sista@n (Afæa@r Sista@ni, p. 918). Hosayn-¿Ali Razma@ra@ mentions eight villages in the district of Bampoæt that are inhabited by Baluchi-speaking Zand tribesmen (VIII, pp. 187, 248, 313, 315, 322, 372, 384). These probably moved to Baluchistan at the same time as the Kurds of K¨a@æ.

KURDISH TRIBES IN TURKEY

Most of the Kurds in Turkey have become sedentary and many have lost their tribal identity. According to Mardukò Kordesta@ni (I, pp. 75-117), at the beginning of the 20th century the principal Kurdish tribes of Turkey were the following. They are listed according to district (vela@yat). For more information on Kurdish tribes in Turkey, see Ott Blau (pp. 608-9), Mark Sykes (pp. 451-86), and Badile Nikitine (pp. 161-62).

Adéaman: Telya@.

Afyon: Jaha@nbegli.

Ag¡ri: Sa@derli, K¨a@lati, H®aydara@nli, H®amadika@n, Zila@nli, Ba@deli, AÚdama@nli, Baæma@nli, Jala@li, Ba@zikli.

Amasya: Aruk.

Ankara: ¿Amara@nli, Na@sáerli, Zirika@nli, Judika@nli, Tirika@n.

Bitlis: Mudeki, K¨a@zali, H®asana@nlu, AÚtama@nika@n, Jabbara@nli.

Dia@rbakér: Dia@rbakri, Musek, ˆayk¨duda@nli, Surkiæli, Dersimli, K¨a@za@li, Beæeri, Tirika@n, Pura@n, Bekira@n, Raækuta@nli.

Elazig¡: Gurus, Kulbaban, Sina@n, AÚæmiæa@rt, Behirma@z.

Erzurum: Herka÷i, Zirika@nli, H®asana@nli, Pizia@nli, Raæva@n.

Gaziantep: Delika@nli

Haka@ri: Keka@, ˆemsiki, Neri, H®aka@ri, H®asana@nlu, Balika@r, Dina@ri.

Kaysari: H®a@jiba@nli.

Kir¶ehir: ¿Amara@nli, T®a@burowg@li, Barakatli.

Konya: K¨alka@ni.

MalatÂya: Sina@minli

Mara¶ (Mar¿aæ): Gugariæa@nli, Kika@n, Va@lia@ni, Nederli, Na@æa@dira@, Dug@a@nli, Delika@nli, Jelika@nli, Balika@nli.

Mardin: Da@kòuri, Tur¿a@bedin.

Mu¶: Ma@maka@nli, Lula@nli, ˆekerli, Panjina@n, Siluka@n, Seliva@n, H®asana@nli, Azli, Panija@ri, Zerza@n, Balika@n.

Siirt (Se¿ert): Mira@n, Musek, Kavia@n, Dersimli, Da@kòuri, H®osayni, Jaziria@n, Panjina@n.

Siva@s: Ku±eri, AÚkò±eæmi.

Tokat (Toqat): Aruk.

Tunceli (Tunjeli): Milli, Dersimli.

Urfa: Givara@n, ¿Aluæ, Ùa@pkasa@n, Abu T®a@her, Emerza@n, Ba@ra@n.

Van: Mahámudi, Herka÷i, ¿Isa@÷i, Yazidi, Sepika@nli, Duderi, K¨a@ni, Jelika@nli, Ta@kuli, Ta@pia@n, Ba@reza@nli.

Yozgat: Ma@kòa@ni, K¨a@tunog@li, T®a@burog@li.

KURDISH TRIBES IN IRAQ

There are still many powerful Kurdish tribes in Iraq. According to Moháammad-Amin Zaki (pp. 399-410), the most important Kurdish tribes in Iraq in 1931 were the following. They are listed according to geographical region (urban center). For more information on the Kurdish tribes of Iraq, see Henry Field (1940), Cecil John Edmonds, and Hasan Arfa.

Arbil: AÚko, Diza@÷i, Sur±i, Gerdi, Herki, Ba@rza@n (q.v.), Buli, ˆirva@n wa Bara@dust (q.v.), Za@ra@ri, K¨ila@ni, Berva@ri Ba@la@, Berva@ri Ûiri, K¨oæna@v, Pira@n.

K¨a@neqin: Ba@jala@n, Zenda, Leyla@ni, Ka@ka÷i, ˆaykò-bazini, Biba@ni, Da@wuda, Ka@kòeva@r, Pa@la@ni, Ka@g@a@nlu.

Kerkuk: ˆarafbaya@ni, Barzenji, Dilo, T®a@leba@ni, Jabba@ri, ˆuha@n, Zangana, ¿Amarmel, S®a@lehái.

Mandali: Qara@ ¿Alus.

Mosul: ˆeqqa@q, Duski, Ziba@ri, Misuri, AÚrtuæ, Sendi.

Solayma@niya: Ja@f, Mariva@ni, Piædar, H®ama@vand, AÚvra@mi, and Esma@¿il ¿Azizi.

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(PIERRE OBERLING)

June 16, 2004