Lak women: the history of Kurdish lion-ladies/knight-ladies throughout history

It was not uncommon for Lak women to join the men in battles. Freya Stark describes this tradition into the early twentieth century, along with the reputation these Kurdish ladies enjoyed in Iran:

From here we rode across country eastward over an easy but very stony shelf of Kebir Kuh, dipping into small combes and out again, but keeping more or less to the level of the Larti city, at about 4,500 feet. The great wall stretched out of sight before and behind us, as near and overwhelming as a wave about to break on the head of an insect swimming below.

Across the open lands beneath us on our left, we could see in its full outline the small tree-dotted range of Siah Pir, divided by clefts into separate hills. Blue enticing distances of Lakistan lay before us. Sa'id Ja'far, one of the pleasantest of companions, chatted about that country and its ways.

"The women there are more cruel than our men," said he.

"Last year, while they were at war with the government, one of them had a baby. When her husband asked to see it, she said: 'This is no time for children,' and took it by the feet and dashed it against the rocks. Many of them use a gun and ride like warriors with their tribes."

Language can offer valuable glimpses into the realities of a bygone age. Among the highest compliments in Kurdish for a woman are terms such as shera-jn ("lion-lady") and shora-jn ("knight-lady").

The association between women and warfare in Kurdish society was not limited to the Lak. Kurdish women from various regions and tribes participated in armed conflicts more frequently than is commonly assumed today. Yet this aspect of Kurdish history is only sparsely reflected in written sources. Instead, the memory of female warriors has been preserved largely through oral traditions, tribal histories, and folklore passed down across generations.

Kurdish in the hierarchy of languages

Shamʿī, a translator at the Kurdish court of Palu, wrote about the hierarchy of languages in the seventeenth century. Although his account simplifies a far more complex historical reality, it represents an important early stage in the elevation of Kurdish as a language of literary and cultural prestige among the world's languages.

Much of what Shamʿī writes is drawn directly from the literary tradition with which he was familiar. It was entirely conventional within that tradition to place Arabic in first place and Persian in second. What is noteworthy, however, is that Shamʿī composed this passage in Ottoman Turkish, addressing an Ottoman audience. Rather than assigning Ottoman Turkish the third position, he marshals respected Kurdish authorities and established literary conventions to secure that place for Kurdish itself.

This strategy captures a distinctive feature of the first phase in the elevation of Kurdish. At the time, two languages stood as major obstacles to the widespread use of Kurdish as a literary medium: Arabic and Persian. Their dominance would be challenged only gradually as more works were composed in Kurdish.

In the second phase, Kurdish authors increasingly sought to place Kurdish on an equal footing with Persian, and in some cases even above it. Persian posed the greater challenge, both symbolically and practically. Since the Iranian Intermezzo, it had served as the principal court language of Kurdish dynasties and remained the dominant literary language of much of the Kurdish learned elite. The effort to establish Kurdish as the equal of Persian persisted in many aspects into the early 20th-century.

Shamʿī writes: 

It shall be known that the variety of tongues refers to the various languages spoken among the creatures, some of which are Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Turkish and Greek, Hindi, Afghani and, in addition to these, many more strange tongues and wonderful languages that cannot be counted. However, the most eminent and elegant of these tongues is Arabic, in which the noble Qur'an was revealed, and after it, Persian, the sweetest of languages. Then, each people has considered their own language to be the highest, but Imam Muhammad Barqal'i, Mulla Jaziri, and many more great scholars and noble literati, have chosen the Kurdish language, making it the most agreeable. Furthermore, the bravest and most generous peoples of the aforementioned Islamic community are the Arabs, and then the Kurds.

Kurds in 18th-century Medina

Despite its significance, Al-Ansari's work has remained untranslated and overlooked in Kurdish studies. This translation is the first effort to demonstrate its relevance to the field while making some of its most noteworthy passages available to a broader readership.

In his 18th-century work, Al-Ansari documents the family histories of several Kurdish households in Medina and provides biographical details on their most distinguished members. His testimony is especially valuable because of his personal familiarity with many of these families. Among the first Kurdish families he discusses are the Barzanjis. Al Ansari's study of the Kurdish families who settled in Medina represents around a century of credible genealogy. The descendants of the founding fathers and some of their life tales are told. These details are typically absent from biographies of Kurdish migrants. 

The Barzanjis of the Hijaz have been of particular interest to me because I myself come from the Barzanji lineage. Over the years, I have been in contact with some Barzanjis who still reside in Arabia, and I have found them to be deeply aware of and proud of their Kurdish heritage. What surprised me even more was noticing that some of them retain physical features that are commonly found with Kurdish populations. Despite centuries having passed since their ancestors left Kurdistan, certain traits seem to have endured, serving as subtle reminders of their origins: 

The Barzanji Family

The Barzanji family takes its name from Barzinja, a well-known town in the land of the Kurds. Its ancestor was the eminent scholar and researcher Sayyid Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rasūl, whose biography was recorded by several later authors, including our late father in his biographical compendium and Shaykh Muṣṭafā ibn Fatḥ Allāh al-Ḥamawī.

Sayyid Muḥammad was born in 1044 AH (1634–35 CE). He devoted himself to both the theoretical and practical sciences and authored numerous works. Around 1068 AH (1657–58 CE), he travelled to Medina, where he studied under Mullā Ibrāhīm al-Kurdī. He subsequently married the daughter of Khwāja Muḥammad al-Maghribī.

He later travelled to the Ottoman Empire, where he was warmly received and attained considerable favour. After a second journey there, he returned to Medina, only to die on the very day of his arrival, in 1103 AH (1691–92 CE). He endured various trials and hardships during his lifetime.

He left two sons, Sayyid Aḥmad and Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm, both born to the daughter of Khwāja Muḥammad al-Maghribī. His male descendants eventually died out, and his endowment passed to the descendants of his daughters.

The Descendants of Sayyid Aḥmad

Sayyid Aḥmad had a son named ʿUmar, who had a son, also named Sayyid Aḥmad, and a daughter, Sharīfa Khadīja. The latter was the mother of Sharīfa Ḥafṣa, daughter of Sayyid Jaʿfar. Sayyid Aḥmad himself had four daughters and one son, all of whom were still living at the time of writing.

The Descendants of Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm

Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm served as a preacher (khaṭīb) in 1111 AH. He was later executed in Jeddah by Bakīr Pasha under an imperial decree issued by the Ottoman government, following the disturbances that had taken place in Medina. A poet commemorated his death with the phrase:

“ʿAbd al-Karīm died a martyr” (1138 AH).

He left four children: Sayyid Ḥasan, a distinguished scholar; Sayyid Ḥusayn; Sayyid Muḥammad; and Sharīfa Umm al-Ḥusayn.

Sayyid Ḥasan ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm

Born in 1099 AH (1687–88 CE), Sayyid Ḥasan secretly left Medina during the disturbances and travelled to Cairo, where he remained in hiding at the house of Sayyid Muḥammad al-Naḥḥāl until his death in 1148 AH (1735–36 CE). He authored numerous books, treatises, sermons, and other works.

He had two sons, Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn and Jaʿfar, by Ḥafṣa, daughter of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Kāzarūnī al-Shāfiʿī al-Zubayrī. Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn died in Basra in 1169 AH and was buried beside the grave of his maternal ancestor, al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām. He left two sons, Ḥasan and Muḥammad, both born in Zabīd and still living at the time of writing.

Jaʿfar ibn Ḥasan, born in 1128 AH (1715–16 CE), distinguished himself in preaching and letter-writing. He served as a preacher, imam, and teacher before becoming chief Shāfiʿī mufti. He died in Shaʿbān 1177 AH (1764 CE). His daughter Ḥafṣa married her cousin, Sayyid Muḥammad, and bore him a son named Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn, born in 1176 AH. Both were still living at the time of writing.

Sayyid Ḥasan also had three other children. Sayyid Qāsim, born to a concubine, was living in India. Sayyid ʿAlī, whose mother belonged to the family of Mikāʾīl, was born in 1134 AH and distinguished himself in poetry and prose. His daughter, Sharīfa Ṣāliḥa, married Sayyid Abū al-Qāsim ibn Sayyid Ibrāhīm and gave birth to twin sons in Jumādā I, 1187 AH.

Sayyid Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm

Born in 1110 AH, Sayyid Ḥusayn became a preacher and died in 1178 AH. His son, Sayyid Muḥammad, died in 1189 AH, leaving a son named Sayyid Ḥasan, born in 1179 AH. The latter's mother was Sharīfa ʿĀʾisha, daughter of Sayyid Aḥmad ibn ʿUmar.

Sayyid Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm

Born in 1112 AH, Sayyid Muḥammad died in 1145 AH. He left a son, Sayyid Muḥammad Rasūl, who died in 1182 AH, as well as two daughters by Sharīfa Sāra, daughter of Sayyid Ḥasan and sister of Sayyid ʿAlī. Both daughters were still living at the time of writing.

Another Branch of the Family

Another branch descended from Sayyid Qāsim, son of Sayyid ʿAbd al-Rasūl, who arrived in Medina around 1098 AH. He lived an ascetic life and was known for his piety and righteousness. He married his cousin, Sharīfa Fāṭima, who bore him Sayyid Ibrāhīm and Sharīfa Āmina. Sayyid Qāsim died in 1144 AH. This branch also included Sayyid Qāsim and Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm, sons of Sayyid Ḥaydar, brother of Sayyid Muḥammad.

Sayyid Ibrāhīm and His Descendants

Sayyid Ibrāhīm was born in 1112 AH and died in 1182 AH. He left three children: Abū al-Qāsim, Ḥasan, who was blind, and Sharīfa ʿĀʾisha.

Abū al-Qāsim, born in 1158 AH, devoted himself to scholarship and was renowned for his intelligence, understanding, excellent character, and many virtues. He had a son, Sayyid ʿUmar, born in 1178 AH. His brother Ḥasan was born in 1160 AH. Both were still living at the time of writing.

Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Ḥaydar and His Descendants

Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Ḥaydar was blind in one eye. Following the disturbances in Medina in 1134 AH, he was arrested and sent to the Ottoman government, where he died in 1142 AH. He left a son named Zakī al-Dīn.

Zakī al-Dīn, in turn, had a son named Sayyid ʿAbd al-Karīm, who was still living at the time of writing. He was described as a man of upright conduct, devoted to the recitation of the Qurʾān and the Prophetic Sunnah, and diligent in attending congregational prayers. He had several children by the daughter of Sayyid Aḥmad, all of whom were still living at the time of writing.

Al Kurdi's house was another well-known family. According to al Ansari, many people in Medina had the Kurdi-attribution, which includes Muhammad b. Sulayman al Kurdi, the well-known Shafii mufti, as well as other prominent figures and wealthy individuals: 

The Kurdī Family

The Kurdī family takes its name from the Kurds, whose homeland is a vast mountainous region. Many people in Medina traced their ancestry to this land. Among them were several individuals renowned for their learning and piety, of whom the following were particularly prominent.

The most famous was Shaykh Yūsuf al-Kurdī, deputy to the Shāfiʿī imams in the Prophet’s Mosque. He arrived in Medina in 1120 AH and was known as a learned, virtuous, and devout man. He taught in the Prophet’s Mosque, devoting himself primarily to Shāfiʿī jurisprudence. He had four sons: Muḥammad, ʿUbayd, Ismāʿīl, and Sulaymān.

His son Muḥammad received a pious upbringing and later travelled to the Ottoman lands, where he obtained permission from the Ottoman government to construct a building on a platform near the eastern side of the Noble Prayer Mosque, adjacent to the Prophet’s Mosque. Construction began but was halted following an objection from the Shaykh of the Sanctuary. Muḥammad subsequently travelled repeatedly between the Ottoman lands and Medina to pursue the matter. Eventually, he returned, completed the building, and was residing there at the time of writing. He had several children, including a daughter.

His brother ʿUbayd set out for Egypt on his way to the Ottoman lands but died there, while Ismāʿīl travelled abroad and was residing in the Ottoman lands at the time of writing.

Another prominent member of the family was Shaykh Sulaymān al-Kurdī, who arrived in Medina in 1115 AH. A righteous and blessed man, he taught children the Qurʾān at the Ribāṭ al-Sabīl. He left three sons: Muḥammad, Aḥmad, and Ibrāhīm.

Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Kurdī

Born in 1126 AH, Muḥammad received an excellent upbringing, memorized the Noble Qurʾān, and devoted himself to the study of the religious sciences in all their branches. He became particularly accomplished in jurisprudence, and it was said that he had no equal in Shāfiʿī law.

He came to be regarded as one of the most distinguished scholars of his time. His reputation spread across many lands, eventually reaching the Shaykh al-Islām in the Ottoman Empire. As a result, he was appointed Mufti of the Shāfiʿīs in Medina.

His official letters of appointment arrived in 1189 AH. Before him, the office had been held by only one Shāfiʿī scholar from outside Medina, who had come from Mecca. Despite his elevated position, Muḥammad did not change his manner of life or his clothing.

He died in 1194 AH, leaving three sons: ʿAbd Allāh, Ḥamza, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, all of whom were still living at the time of writing.

Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān al-Kurdī

Unlike his father and brother, Aḥmad followed a different path. He was nicknamed al-Jinnī because of his constant activity and restless nature. A well-known and courageous man, he became a member of the nawbatjiyya, a military or guard corps. He died in 1175 AH.

Ibrāhīm ibn Sulaymān al-Kurdī

Ibrāhīm received a virtuous upbringing and had a son named Sulaymān, who took responsibility for managing his father's livelihood and affairs. Ibrāhīm died in 1192 AH.

His son Sulaymān became engaged in trade, conducting business through buying, selling, and other transactions. He was regarded as a man of considerable ability and distinction and had several children.

Shaykh Fayḍ Allāh al-Kurdī al-Madūs

Shaykh Fayḍ Allāh al-Kurdī al-Madūs arrived in Medina in 1170 AH. He was a learned, virtuous, and practising scholar, and (I) enjoyed a close friendship and mutual affection with him. Fayḍ Allāh mentioned that he had written a commentary on Jamʿ al-Jawāmiʿ, the work on legal theory by Imām al-Subkī.

He purchased a ruined house in the quarter known as Zuqāq Banī Ḥusayn, restored it magnificently, and settled there. According to his own account, he spent approximately 10,000 qurūsh (piastres) on its reconstruction.

Later, he withdrew from public religious life and ceased attending Friday and congregational prayers. He was still alive at the time of writing and had two sons, both of whom were also living.

Shaykh Ilyās al-Kurdī

Another prominent member of the family was Shaykh Ilyās al-Kurdī, deputy to the Shāfiʿī imams in the Noble Rawḍa of the Prophet’s Mosque. He arrived in Medina in 1172 AH.

He was an accomplished man: intelligent, learned, devout, and deeply devoted to the religious sciences. He taught in the Blessed Rawḍa and later travelled to the Ottoman lands before returning to Medina.

He married the daughter of Mullā Muḥammad al-Dāghistānī, with whom he had several children.

Also featured are the distinguished family of Mulla Ibrahim al-Kurdi and the house of Mulla Jami:

The Family of Mullā Ibrāhīm al-Kurdī

The family of Mullā Ibrāhīm al-Kurdī was distinguished for its learning and piety. Its ancestor was the celebrated scholar Mullā Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥasan Shihāb al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shahrazūrī al-Kūrānī, whose reputation as a scholar was widely known.

Born in 1025 AH, he arrived in Medina around 1063 AH and attached himself to Shaykh Aḥmad al-Qushāshī, under whom he studied. He later married the Shaykh’s daughter and succeeded him after his death. Mullā Ibrāhīm devoted the remainder of his life to scholarship, teaching, and authorship until his death in 1103 AH. He left two sons, Abū al-Ḥasan and Abū Ṭāhir.

The Descendants of Abū al-Ḥasan

Abū al-Ḥasan had a son named Abū al-Ṭayyib, a courageous man who became involved in the famous disturbances and was subsequently exiled by imperial decree from Medina to Damascus. He remained there for approximately twenty-two years, until another decree permitted his return in 1160 AH. He lived in Medina until his death in 1168 AH, leaving two sons, Abū al-Ḥasan and Abū al-Barakāt.

Abū al-Ḥasan inherited considerable wealth through his mother, a slave woman, but eventually lost most of it. It was said that his father had prayed against him and that the prayer had been answered. He travelled to the Ottoman lands and then to Egypt, where he died in poverty in 1173 AH.

His brother Abū al-Barakāt was known for his energy, ability, and excellent handwriting. He earned a living by copying scholarly books for others. He died in 1168 AH, leaving a son named Abū al-Suʿūd, who travelled to the Ottoman lands and died young in 1178 AH without descendants.

Muḥammad Saʿīd and His Descendants

Muḥammad Saʿīd was the son of Wahba, daughter of Shaykh Aḥmad al-Qushāshī. A courageous man, he was martyred on Mount Salʿ on 22 Shawwāl 1134 AH. He was buried near the gate of Ismāʿīl ibn Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, within the Ottoman city wall. His grave became well known and was visited by people.

He left two sons, Aḥmad Abū al-Faraj and Ḥasan.

Aḥmad Abū al-Faraj

Aḥmad was a learned and righteous man. 

Aḥmad travelled to India, where he gained favour, prospered, and accumulated considerable wealth. His two sons, Ḥusayn and Abū al-Ḥasan, accompanied him. They later returned to Medina, where Aḥmad died in 1167 AH.

His son Ḥusayn was described as virtuous, righteous, and blessed. His other son, Abū al-Ḥasan, was an accomplished and upright man, renowned for his generosity and honourable conduct. Among Abū al-Ḥasan’s children were Abū al-Faraj and Umm al-Ḥasan, who married the preacher and mufti ʿAbd Allāh al-Khalīfatī.

Another son, Abū al-Futūḥ, received a good education, memorized the Qurʾān, and led the congregation in the Ramadan tarāwīḥ prayers. He died in 1190 AH, during his father’s lifetime.

Ḥasan Abū al-Faḍl

Born in 1100 AH, Ḥasan Abū al-Faḍl received a thorough education and pursued scholarship until he attained the level he sought. He taught in the Prophet’s Mosque and travelled first to India and then to the Ottoman lands, where he was warmly received and accumulated substantial wealth. His son Aḥmad accompanied him.

A distinguished scholar, intellectual, and theologian, he eventually lost his sight towards the end of his life. He died in 1180 AH. It was said that he disliked being asked about his age.

He left a son named Muḥsin, who died young, leaving a son, Muḥyī al-Dīn, who was still living at the time of writing. He also had five children by Ruqayya, daughter of Shaykh ʿAlī al-Qushāshī: Aḥmad, Muḥammad Saʿīd, Ibrāhīm, ʿĀʾisha, and Fāṭima. Their mother was still living at the time of writing.

Aḥmad was a pleasant and refined man, distinguished by his charming manners. He died young in 1183 AH, leaving a son, Muḥammad Abū al-Faraj, who was still living. His mother was Rābiʿa al-Maraʿashiyya.

Muḥammad Saʿīd was likewise a distinguished man. He died young in 1185 AH, leaving a daughter named Khadīja, who was still living but bedridden. Her mother was Fāṭima, daughter of the Maghribi Fāsī pilgrim Abū Jayda.

Ibrāhīm was an accomplished and intelligent man who appreciated elegance and refinement. He was still living at the time of writing and had children.

Finally, ʿĀʾisha married Abū al-Ḥasan and became the mother of his daughter Umm al-Ḥasan, who later married al-Khalīfatī.

Muḥammad Abū Ṭāhir

Muḥammad Abū Ṭāhir was born in 1085 AH. He was a distinguished scholar and among the greatest teachers. He granted (the author) an ijāza (scholarly authorization) for the traditions and works he had received from his father and other teachers.

He devoted his life to scholarship and teaching until his death in 1145 AH. He also developed several properties, including a garden, residence, and reception hall in the district of al-ʿArīḍiyya, as well as a large house adjoining the outer cemetery.

He left a son, Ibrāhīm, and two daughters. Fāṭima married Sayyid ʿAbd Allāh ʿAbbās al-Bukhārī and became the mother of his children. Āmina married Abū al-Barakāt and was the mother of Abū al-Suʿūd, who later died in the Ottoman lands.

The Jāmī Family

The Jāmī family was of Kurdish origin. Its name was adopted in imitation of Mullā Jāmī, the celebrated commentator on al-Ḥājibiyya in Arabic grammar, as an auspicious and honourable designation.

The family’s prominent scholar, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Mullā Jāmī, arrived in Medina with his brother Mullā Maḥmūd. He became a deputy to the Shāfiʿī imams and one of the teachers in the Prophet’s Mosque. A righteous man devoted to the Sacred Sanctuary, he remained there until his death in 1162 AH.

He left two sons, Yaḥyā and Aḥmad, and a daughter, Umm Kulthūm, who married Shaykh Muḥammad Saʿīd Ṭāhir al-Kurdī and became the mother of his children.

Yaḥyā

Yaḥyā was a skilled tailor by profession. He travelled twice to the Ottoman lands but continued to reside in Medina, where he was still living at the time of writing. In 1190 AH, he married his daughter to Aḥmad Āghā, agent of the Murādiyya.

Aḥmad

Aḥmad was distinguished by his personal qualities and accomplishments. He obtained an imperial decree appointing him as a Shāfiʿī imam and served in that capacity in the Noble Rawḍa of the Prophet’s Mosque.

He was also a poet and scholar, composing fine poetry and elegant prose. After travelling to the Ottoman lands, where he achieved his ambitions, he returned to Medina and was still living there at the time of writing. He had several children.

Maḥmūd

Maḥmūd was a pious man and student of knowledge, recognised for his considerable merit. He travelled to the Ottoman lands and later returned to Medina, where he died in 1188 AH.

He had a talented son named ʿAbd al-Raḥīm, who travelled to India and died there in 1185 AH.

The Amedi House was named after its founder, a wealthy Kurd from Amedi. The male line did not outlast the founding father, hence the house's legacy was rather short. This is one of the causes for notable houses' low long-term success rates:

The ʿImādī Family

The ʿImādī family takes its name from al-ʿImādiyya, a well-known city in the land of the Kurds.

The first member of the family to arrive in Medina was al-Ḥājj Yāsīn ibn Muḥammad al-ʿImādī al-Kurdī. An accomplished and intelligent man of considerable wealth, he died in 1138 AH without leaving any children.

He did, however, leave behind several freedmen (mawālī), the most prominent of whom was al-Ḥājj ʿUthmān al-ʿImādī. A capable and prudent man, ʿUthmān engaged in trade through his own shop and gradually amassed considerable wealth. He built the two houses adjoining the inner bathhouse and became a member of the Sipahi corps.

He died in 1162 AH, leaving a son, ʿUmar, and a daughter, Ṣafiyya, who married the author’s companion, ʿUbayd Efendi Kadak, and became the mother of his children.

ʿUmar al-ʿImādī

ʿUmar received a good upbringing and was regarded as one of the finest and most accomplished men of his time. He succeeded his father among the Sipahis.

During the famous Citadel Affair, he was among those arrested by Sharīf Surūr and taken prisoner to Mecca, where he died in 1196 AH. He left behind one son and two daughters, all still young at the time of his death.

Ali Kurdi was part of yet another Kurdish family that had settled in Medina. Alongside the nisba al-kurdi, he carried the designation al-Baghdadi. Taken together, the examples from the work seem sufficient to support several broader conclusions about the Kurdish presence in the city:

The Hijrī Family

The Hijrī family derives its name from Dār al-Hijra (“the Abode of Migration”).

The first member of the family known by this nisba was our companion, the learned ʿAlī al-Kurdī al-Baghdādī al-Hijrī. He arrived in Medina in 1170 AH and taught at the Prophet’s Mosque. He later travelled to the Ottoman lands and, while returning to Medina, died at Maʿān along the Syrian route in 1194 AH.

He married a daughter of Sayyid Marnaqiyya, with whom he had children.

ʿAlī was hunchbacked, earning him the nickname Abū Qunbūr (“Father of the Hump”) among the people of Medina. Despite this, he was a pleasant and charming man, known for his agreeable disposition. He also had a playful side and was fond of entertaining others with jokes and humorous antics.

Al-Ansari's catalogue of notable families in Medina includes roughly 300 families. Of these, approximately 3 percent can be identified as Kurdish families. This should be regarded as a conservative estimate, as I have not undertaken a systematic investigation of families whose ethnic origins remain uncertain but may also have been Kurdish.

In one sense, 3 percent represents a considerable overrepresentation relative to the size of the Kurdish population in the broader Islamicate world. Yet it also raises a legitimate question: why was Kurdish representation in the Hijaz not even greater? Al-Ansari's work itself provides the answer. Compared to other major urban centers of the Islamicate world, Kurdish migration to the Hijaz was remarkably limited. The region was generally not regarded as an attractive destination for permanent settlement.

The biographies of Medina's migrant families paint a revealing picture. Many maintained connections with the great political and economic centers of the age, particularly the Ottoman capital and the Mughal Empire. Al-Ansari leaves little doubt as to the motives behind such journeys. More often than not, they were undertaken in pursuit of wealth, patronage and office.

The experiences of Kurdish families provide concrete examples. The founder of the Barzanji family in Medina travelled to the Ottoman capital in search of what he ultimately desired: greater prosperity and standing back home in Medina. Likewise, Ali Kurdi died while returning from a journey to the Ottoman center. This is often the practical meaning behind biographical notices stating that an individual "went to Rum." Such travel was frequently tied to the pursuit of material advancement, patronage networks, or political opportunities.

Indeed, Al-Ansari openly mocks those Medinans who journeyed to Rum only to return empty-handed, without gifts, appointments, promises of advancement, or support in local power struggles. Understanding these ambitions helps explain both the migration of Kurdish families to Medina and their continued presence there. For many, the Hijaz was not the endpoint of a migration story but one node within a much wider network that connected Medina to the imperial capitals of the Ottoman and Mughal worlds.