Article: A Kurdish Warlord on the Turkish-Persian Frontier in the Early Twentieth Century: Isma`il Agha Simko

"This article investigates the life and influence of Isma`il Agha Simko, a prominent Kurdish warlord during the turmoil of the early twentieth century on the Turkish-Persian frontier. Through an exploration of Kurdish tribal dynamics and state relations, the paper elucidates Simko's rise to power amidst the backdrop of World War I, examining the complex interplay between military conflict, ethnic relations, and political authority. It provides insights into the broader implications of Kurdish leadership in the context of state integrity and inter-ethnic violence."

Source: https://www.academia.edu/3555229/A_Kurdish_Warlord_on_the_Turkish_Persian_Frontier_in_the_Early_Twentieth_Century_Ismail_Agha_Simko

Article: A Shāfiʿī khat addict from Ṣanʿāʾ allegedly writing under the pseudonym of a Kurdish savant

"Among the great diversity of source material and multiple historio- and biographical works covering the history of the early Qāsimī state , Yaḥyā b. al-Ḥusayn b. al-Qāsim’s (d. after 1100/1687) Bahǧat al-zaman fī tārīḫ al-Yaman occupies a position of paramount importance. For the political, economic, social, cultural and intellectual history of Yemen in the five decades following the end of the first Ottoman occupation in 1046/1636, it amounts to an exceedingly rich mine of unique information. Even though it is referred to as ‘appendix’ (ḏayl) to the author’s overarching history of Yemen (Anbāʾ al-zaman fī tārīḫ al-Yaman) and its general introduction (al-ʿIbar fī aḫbār man maḍā wa-ghabar), it in many respects eclipses the Anbāʾ in importance, not least because it contains a substantial amount of data collected during the author’s lifetime from a wide range of sources and informants (travellers, tradesmen, students, men of learning, and commoners) from Yemen and all over the Islamic world. An equally amusing and intriguing section of Bahǧat al-zaman is the entry dedicated to ʿAbd al-Hādī al-Quwayʿī, a Ṣanʿāʾ based Šāfiʿī bibliophile. The article offers an annotated translation of passages extracted from that entry and are designed to prepare the ground for an in-depth study of K. al-Nibrās and a ramified network of related texts."

Source: https://www.academia.edu/37237904/Opposing_the_theological_doctrine_of_the_Q%C4%81sim%C4%AB_state_in_11th_17th_century_Yemen_a_Sh%C4%81fi%CA%BF%C4%AB_khat_addict_from_%E1%B9%A2an%CA%BF%C4%81%CA%BE_allegedly_writing_under_the_pseudonym_of_a_Kurdish_savant_from_Damascus

Article: Darwish Mahmud, an unknown sixteenth century Kurdish noteable

"The sixteenth century Kurds normally had no access to traditional accomplishments such as prose, poetry, historiography, calligraphy, and professional education. These accomplishments were the instruments of access to the rulers and the cause for higher appointments by the Ottoman and Safavid emperors. The first and most famous member of the Kurdish community to receive an influential bureaucratic position in Ottoman Empire was Idrīs of Bidlīs. In the days of Selim I (r.1512-1520), Idrīs’s fortune rose to such a degree that many Kurdish potentates could only with his assistance and political support. The main point of the present paper is to demonstrate that Idrīs was not the only educated Kurd who, in the sixteenth century, rendered services to the Ottoman emperor, thus coming into his favor and grace. Specifically, it is examines the case of Darwīsh Maḥmūd, a disciple of Idrīs of Bidlīs, who like his master, rose to prominence in service to the Ottomans."

Source: https://www.academia.edu/37604231/DARW%C4%AASH_MA%E1%B8%A4M%C5%AAD_AN_UNKNOWN_SIXTEENTH_CENTURY_KURDISH_NOTABLE

Article: The Reşwan Kurds, more than tribesmen

"The Reşwan were one of the most important tribal confederations in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth century. Yet their history remains almost completely ignored, while the few contemporary authors who refer them almost invariably fail to mention that they were Kurds. This article seeks to retrace the history of the Reşwan confederation and particularly their place in the Ottoman imperial tribal settlement (iskan) scheme of the eighteenth century. Drawing on both Ottoman chancery documents and local şeriat archives, it seeks to show that the Reşwan enjoyed relatively good relations with the Ottoman authorities and a high degree of integration with other groups in northern Syria and Mesopotamia, with individual members attaining high office in the region. While the Reswan name has virtually disappeared, members of the confederation in Turkey today still trace their origins to the Syrian settlement initiative."

https://www.jstor.org/stable/48572068

Article: translation of the history of Ardalans (1810)

"This article is a critical translation of the "History of the Ardalanids." In doing so, it hopes to make available to a wider academic audience this invaluable source on the study of Iranian Kurdistan during the early modern period. While a number of important texts pertaining to the Kurds during this era, most notably the writings of the Ottoman traveler Evliya Chalabi, focus primarily on Ottoman Kurdistan, this piece in contrast puts Iranian Kurdistan in general and the Ardalan dynasty in particular at the center of its historical narrative. Thus it will be of interest not only to scholars of Kurdish history but also to those seeking more generally to research life on the frontiers of empires."

Source: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1543&context=articles-chpa

Article: A nineteenth-century Ottoman Kurdish scholar in South Africa, Abu Bakr Efendi

 

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27703371_A_nineteenth-century_Ottoman_Kurdish_scholar_in_South_Africa_Abu_Bakr_Efendi

An outstanding documentary (in Kurdish) about Abu Bakr and his decadents, who are still residing in South Africa, can be found on Rudaw. The poignant documentary reveals Turkey's efforts to change history in order to label him as a Turk. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGPxqGtqKE

An astrolobe from 19th-century Kurdistan

 

Source: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6025845

Article: Kurds as spies: 16th-century

"Examining 16th-century Kurdish politics, particularly in the frontier districts between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, aptly serves as a starting point for understanding Kurdish regional semi-autonomy. This paper, dedicated to the activities of Kurdish individuals involved in information-gathering on behalf of both the Ottoman and the Safavid Empires, is the first of its kind. The findings presented here are the result of close exploration in the Ottoman archives as well as detailed reading of a number of materials from Ottoman and Safavid chronicles. The paper discusses three main subjects. The introductory section briefly explains the methods and potentials of Kurdish spying as well as some of the particulars of Ottoman– Safavid espionage. The second section provides an overview of two famous Kurdish intellectual historians and the role each played in information-gathering. The third section discusses cases of espionage throughout the political careers of several Kurdish frontier emirs."

Source:https://www.academia.edu/36781540/KURDS_AS_SPIES_INFORMATION_GATHERING_ON_THE_16TH_CENTURY_OTTOMAN_SAFAVID_FRONTIER

Article: Shah Tahmasp's Communication with Zaynal Bayg of Hakkari

 

Source: https://www.academia.edu/44557661/In_Search_of_Allegiance_Shah_Tahm%C4%81sps_Communication_with_Zaynal_Bayg_of_Hakk%C4%81r%C4%AB

Article: Did Saladin Destroy the Fatimids' Books?

There are a dozen or so bogus historical narratives and interpretations created to portray Saladin as a Pan-Islamic (Sunni) monarch, highly motivated by "Islamic/Sunni aims" in his behavior. One frequently repeated story to support the narrative is that he destroyed the Fatimids' books.   

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271934556_Did_Salah_al-Din_Destroy_the_Fatimids'_Books_An_Historiographical_Enquiry

Article: Elî Teremaxî and the vernacularization of madrasa learning in Kurdistan

"Eli Teremaxi's Serfa Kurmancî has not yet received the critical attention it deserves. It was dismissed by Auguste Jaba as a text of “minor interest,” but in fact it is of paramount importance both for the study of the Kurdish language and for the history of Kurdish learning. Not only does it contain the oldest extant detailed remarks on Kurdish grammar, in all likelihood preceding even Garzoni's 1787 Grammatica; it is also among the first examples of Kurdish-language prose writing. The rise of prose texts of learning in Kurdish in the eighteenth century is an aspect of so-called “vernacularization,” i.e. the use of a vernacular language for new purposes of written literature and learning. Vernacularization is, this article argues, a crucial prerequisite for the rise of a national language. The article also briefly discusses traces of a similar development in some of Teremaxî's near-contemporaries."

https://www.academia.edu/42686199/El%C3%AE_Teremax%C3%AE_and_the_vernacularization_of_madrasa_learning_in_Kurdistan

Article: The revolt of Yazdanşêr

The Ottoman province of "Kurdistan" received its name in the nineteenth century. The province's naming and formation are tied to a specific historical setting. The naming commemorated the disintegration of the Kurdish emirates. Yazdanşêr's revolt exemplifies the region's subsequent instability. What may be more intriguing is how powerful persons were dealt with. It may appear unusual for a rebel leader to be handed positions of power in the aftermath, yet this is a long-standing pattern.

Source: https://www.academia.edu/52668547/Origins_of_the_Kurdish_question_The_Revolt_of_Yezdan%C5%9F%C3%AAr_1854_1855_

Mahmud the Kurd: Kurdish craftsman in the 15th century

The name Mahmud the Kurd has been found on artistic pieces; the inscriptions refers to a prominent craftsman who worked in the 15th century. The findings shed fascinating light on the exchanges between East and West. So far, over ten artifacts have been discovered bearing Mahmud the Kurd's inscription. The inscription reads: "Made by the master, Mahmud al Kurdi, who hopes for God's forgiveness"

Further reading and references: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmud_the_Kurd