Ancient
131-449: Medieval Modern Syrian Kurdistan or Rojava ( Kurdish : Rojavayê Kurdistanê , lit. 'Kurdistan where the sun sets') is a region in northern Syria where Kurds form the majority. It is surrounding three noncontiguous enclaves along the Turkish and Iraqi borders: Afrin in the northwest, Kobani in the north, and Jazira in the northeast. Syrian Kurdistan
262-682: A Kurdish identity, partially due to political repression by the Syrian government. Cooperation between Assad and the PKK ended in the late 1990s when Turkey moved its military to the Syrian border and demanded Öcalan's extradition. Öcalan was exiled from Syria, captured by the Turks in Kenya and imprisoned. In 2000, Hafez al-Assad was succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad . In 2003, the Democratic Union Party (PYD)
393-642: A firmly Syrian framework, and did not aspire to create a separate Syrian Kurdistan. In the 1920s, there were two separate demands for an autonomy of the areas with a Kurdish majority. One of Nouri Kandy, an influential Kurd from the Kurd Dagh, and another one of the Kurdish tribal leaders of the Barazi confederation. Both demands were not taken into consideration by the authorities of the French Mandate. According to Tejel, until
524-739: A result of the Assyrian genocide and mass migrations. Many Assyrians fled to Syria during the genocide and settled mainly in the Jazira area. Starting in 1926, the region saw another immigration of Kurds following the failure of the Sheikh Said rebellion against the Turkish authorities . Waves of Kurds fled their homes in Turkey and settled in Syrian Al-Jazira Province , where they were granted citizenship by
655-573: A significant impact on the Kurds. The victorious Allies partitioned the defeated Ottoman Empire, dividing its Kurdish-inhabited areas among new nation-states such as Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. In 1916, before the war had been won, Britain and France made a secret deal to divide the Middle East , known as the Sykes–Picot Agreement , which influenced Middle East borders for a century and came to symbolize
786-546: A territorially exaggerated version of the territory of Kurdistan, extending into areas with no majority Kurdish populations. Despite their production with political aims related to specific claims on the demographic and ethnographic structure of the region, and their questionable methodologies, they have become 'Kurdistan in the minds of Kurds' and the boundaries they indicate have been readily accepted." Syria gained independence in 1946. The first popular Kurdish national party in Syria
917-502: A variety that was an important literary language since the 14th century, but it was replaced by Central Kurdish in the 20th century. European scholars have maintained that Gorani is separate from Kurdish and that Kurdish is synonymous with the Northern Kurdish group, whereas ethnic Kurds maintain that Kurdish encompasses any of the unique languages or dialects spoken by Kurds that are not spoken by neighbouring ethnic groups. Gorani
1048-520: A varying altitude from 256 m (840 ft) in the vicinity of the Aras River to 2,896 m (9,501 ft) and covers an area of 78,560 hectares (194,100 acres; 303.3 sq mi). The biosphere is also home to some 23,500 nomads . Arasbaran is confined to Aras River in the north, Meshgin Shahr County and Moghan in the east, Sarab County in the south, and Tabriz and Marand counties in
1179-537: A very short-lived autonomous, Soviet-supported state from November 1945 to November 1946, which was dissolved after the reunification of Iranian Azerbaijan with Iran in November of the same year. The period roughly from the last major Russo-Persian War up to this date is so-called the period of high Russian influences in Iran. All of Northern Iran, including Iranian Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Qazvin, and many other places all
1310-562: Is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq and Turkey to the west and Armenia , Azerbaijan , and the Azerbaijani exclave of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the north. Iranian Azerbaijan includes three northwestern Iranian provinces: West Azerbaijan , East Azerbaijan and Ardabil . Some authors also include Zanjan in this list, some in a geographical sense, others only culturally (due to
1441-401: Is a matter of debate, but the differences between Laki and other Southern Kurdish dialects are minimal. The literary output in Kurdish was mostly confined to poetry until the early 20th century, when more general literature became developed. Today, the two principal written Kurdish dialects are Kurmanji and Sorani. Sorani is, along with Arabic , one of the two official languages of Iraq and
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#17328549498811572-510: Is also spoken in northeast Iran, as well as in certain areas of Armenia and Azerbaijan . Kurdish varieties constitute a dialect continuum , with some mutually unintelligible varieties, and collectively have 26 million native speakers. The main varieties of Kurdish are Kurmanji , Sorani , and Southern Kurdish ( Xwarîn ). The majority of the Kurds speak Kurmanji, and most Kurdish texts are written in Kurmanji and Sorani. Kurmanji
1703-610: Is an ethnically diverse region. Kurds constitute one of several groups which have lived in northern Syria since antiquity or the Middle Ages . The first Kurdish communities constituted a minority and mostly consisted of nomads or military colonists. During the Ottoman Empire (1516–1922), large Kurdish-speaking tribal groups both settled in and were deported to areas of northern Syria from Anatolia . The last years of Ottoman rule witnessed extensive demographic changes in northern Syria as
1834-547: Is an official language in Iraq. In Syria, on the other hand, publishing materials in Kurdish is forbidden, though this prohibition is not enforced any more due to the Syrian civil war . Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish, prohibiting the language in education and broadcast media. In March 2006, Turkey allowed private television channels to begin airing programming in Kurdish. However,
1965-850: Is bounded in the north by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and in the West by Lake Urmia and Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran, and in the East by Gilan . Most of the biggest rivers in Azerbaijan flow into either Urmia Lake or the Caspian Sea (both of which are endorheic ). Some of the major rivers are: Arasbārān , in the former Qaradagh , is a UNESCO registered biosphere reserve (since 1976) and an Iranian Dept. of Environment designated "Protected Area" in East Azarbaijan Province , Iran , with
2096-569: Is classified as part of the Zaza–Gorani branch of Indo-Iranian languages. The Zaza language , spoken mainly in Turkey, differs both grammatically and in vocabulary and is generally not understandable by Gorani speakers but it is considered related to Gorani. Almost all Zaza-speaking communities, as well as speakers of the closely related Shabaki dialect spoken in parts of Iraqi Kurdistan , identify themselves as ethnic Kurds. Geoffrey Haig and Ergin Öpengin in their recent study suggest grouping
2227-665: Is derived from Atropates , the Persian Satrap (governor) of Medea in the Achaemenid Empire , who ruled a region found in modern Iranian Azerbaijan called Atropatene . Atropates's name is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning "protected by fire." The name is also mentioned in the Avestan Frawardin Yasht: âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to: "We worship
2358-402: Is economically important to the state. Syrian Kurdistan is rich in natural resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, potential hydro-electric river power, and minerals including phosphates, lignite, copper, iron, and chrome. Lying between Orontes , Euphrates and Tigris rivers, the area contains productive arable farmland, giving the region the appellation of the " granary " of Syria. Similarly,
2489-533: Is in political documents simply referred to as "Kurdish". The Kurdish varieties belong to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European family . They are generally classified as Northwestern Iranian languages, or by some scholars as intermediate between Northwestern and Southwestern Iranian. Martin van Bruinessen notes that "Kurdish has a strong South-Western Iranian element", whereas "Zaza and Gurani [...] do belong to
2620-458: Is not a unified language, its many dialects are interrelated and at the same time distinguishable from other Western Iranian languages . The same source classifies different Kurdish dialects as two main groups, northern and central. The average Kurmanji speaker does not find it easy to communicate with the inhabitants of Sulaymaniyah or Halabja . Some linguistic scholars assert that the term "Kurdish" has been applied extrinsically in describing
2751-405: Is not recognized in Turkey, and prior to 2013 the use of Kurdish names containing the letters X , W , and Q , which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet , was not allowed. In 2012, Kurdish-language lessons became an elective subject in public schools. Previously, Kurdish education had only been possible in private institutions. In Iran, though it is used in some local media and newspapers, it
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#17328549498812882-772: Is not used in public schools. In 2005, 80 Syrian and Iranian Kurds took part in an experiment and gained scholarships to study in Kurdistan Region , Iraq, in their native tongue. In Kyrgyzstan , 96.21% of the Kurdish population speak Kurdish as their native language. In Kazakhstan, the corresponding percentage is 88.7%. Azerbaijan (Iran) 37°36′N 47°00′E / 37.6°N 47.0°E / 37.6; 47.0 Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan ( Persian / Azerbaijani : آذربایجان , romanized : Āzarbāyjān , Persian pronunciation: [ɒːzæɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn] , Azerbaijani pronunciation: [ɑːzæɾbɑjˈdʒɑn] ), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan ,
3013-556: Is one of the four Lesser Kurdistans that comprise Greater Kurdistan , alongside Iranian Kurdistan , Turkish Kurdistan , and Iraqi Kurdistan . Kurds , widely considered to be the largest stateless ethnic group, are an Iranic ethnic group inhabiting a mountainous region known as Kurdistan that spans parts of several sovereign states in Western Asia , primarily southeastern Turkey, parts of northern Syria, northern Iraq, and western Iran. Although Kurdish origins and migration remain
3144-550: Is partly the product of Azerbaijani intellectuals. Azerbaijani provinces have played a major in the cultural and economic life of Iran in both the Pahlavi era as well as the Iranian Constitutional and Islamic revolution. The Iranian provinces of Azerbaijan, both West and East, possess a large number of monuments from all periods of history. Iranian Azerbaijan is generally considered the north-west portion of Iran comprising
3275-640: Is relatively better than many other parts of the country because of comparatively higher precipitation. Handicrafts are mostly a seasonal industry mostly in rural areas during wintertime when the agriculture season is finished. There are 500 important production and industrial unit in this area. in October 2016, 500 Regional economic giant was introduced in 5 areas and 19 groups. Industries include machine tools, vehicle factories, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, food processing, cement, textiles, electric equipment, and sugar milling. Oil and gas pipelines run through
3406-456: Is translated to simply mean Kurdish. The Mokriani variety of Sorani is widely spoken in Mokrian. Piranshahr and Mahabad are two principal cities of the Mokrian area. Zaza–Gorani languages , which are spoken by communities in the wider area who identify as ethnic Kurds, are not linguistically classified as Kurdish. Zaza-Gorani is classified as adjunct to Kurdish, although authorities differ in
3537-648: Is written in the Hawar alphabet , a derivation of the Latin script , and Sorani is written in the Sorani alphabet , a derivation of the Arabic script . A separate group of non-Kurdish Northwestern Iranian languages, the Zaza–Gorani languages , are also spoken by several million ethnic Kurds. The classification of Laki as a dialect of Southern Kurdish or as a fourth language under Kurdish
3668-655: The Avarayr Plain , at what is modern-day Churs (modern-day West Azerbaijan Province ), the Armenian Army under Vardan Mamikonian clashed with Sassanid Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield itself, the battle proved to be a major strategic victory for Armenians, as Avarayr paved the way to the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely. Heraclius ,
3799-681: The Byzantine emperor , briefly held the region in the 7th century until peace was made with the Sassanids. After the Islamic Conquest of Iran , Arab invaders converted most of its people to Islam and made it part of the caliphate . During the Arab invasion of Iran , the Spahbed of Iran was Rostam Farrokhzad , the son of Farrukh Hormizd , who was the son of Vinduyih , the uncle of Khosrau I and brother of
3930-605: The Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata." According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam : "In Middle Persian the name of the province was called Āturpātākān, older new-Persian Ādharbādhagān (آذربادگان/آذرآبادگان), Ādharbāyagān, at present Āzerbāydjān/Āzarbāydjān, Greek Atropatēnḗ (Ἀτροπατηνή), Byzantine Greek Adravigánon (᾿Αδραβιγάνων), Armenian Atrpatakan (Ատրպատական), Syriac Adhorbāyghān ." The name Atropat in Middle Persian
4061-563: The Interwar period .) During the 1920s, use of the Latin alphabet to write the Kurdish languages was introduced by Celadet Bedir Khan and his brother Kamuran Alî Bedirxan and became standard in Syrian and Turkish Kurdistan. Early French Syria's Kurds were predominantly speakers of Kurmanji , a northern Kurdish language. Besides the main three Kurdish enclaves, there were other Syrian Kurds outside Syrian Kurdistan; primarily these were resident in
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4192-532: The Lurs as Kurds and which takes an extreme expansionist view of the south. Lying to either side of the Gulf–Anatolia line were the vilayet s of Diyarbekir , Mosul , " non-Arab Iraq ", "Arab Iraq", Fars , Azerbaijan , Lesser Armenia , and Greater Armenia . Ahmad Khani 's 1692 epic Mem û Zîn offers a similar conception of geography. In the 19th century poetry of Haji Qadir Koyi , literary Kurdistan extended across
4323-703: The Mamluks after the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, who in turn were defeated by the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. Sharafkhan Bidlisi 's 1596 epic of Kurdish history from the late 13th century to his own day, the Sharafnama , describes Kurdistan as extending from the Persian Gulf to the Ottoman vilayets of Malatya and Marash ( Kahramanmaraş ), a wide definition that counts
4454-607: The Medes were an: Indo-European people, related to the Persians, who entered northeastern Iran probably as early as the 17th century BC and settled in the plateau land that came to be known as Media. After Alexander the Great conquered Persia , he appointed (328 BC) as governor the Persian general Atropates , who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known as Atropatene or Media Atropatene (after Atropates),
4585-618: The Russian Empire , Qajar Persia ceded all of its territories in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia to Russia via the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828. The territories south of the Aras River , which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran. The territories north of
4716-566: The Sallarid Marzuban , the latter united it with Arran , Shirvan , and most of Eastern Armenia . After confrontations with the local Dailamite and Kurdish populations who had already established their own dynasties and emirates in different parts of Azerbaijan, the Seljuks dominated the region in the 11th and early 12th centuries, at which point the linguistic Turkification of the native Iranian populations began. In 1136, Azerbaijan fell to
4847-599: The Syrian civil war . Accordingly, estimates as to the ethnic composition of northern Syria vary widely, ranging from claims about a Kurdish majority to claims about Kurds being a small minority. Roughly half a million Kurds were concentrated in Syrian Kurdistan in the 1970s. At that time, Kurds represented around 10% of Syria's population, living mainly in these "well-defined areas" on the northern border. Annual temperatures in Syrian Kurdistan are between 15–20 degrees Celsius (59–68 degrees Fahrenheit). The geographical area
4978-750: The United Kingdom , the French Third Republic , and the Arab Revolt , the territory of modern-day Syria and Iraq had been occupied by the Allies , and a Kurdish political and territorial entity was proposed. However, since neither Britain nor France was willing to withdraw from occupied areas of the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration , the territory allotted to the Kurds was to be located wholly in areas still under Turkish control at
5109-568: The harsh re-subjugation of Georgia in 1795, Iran would eventually irrevocably lose all of the Caucasus region to neighbouring Imperial Russia during the course of the 19th century, which had a crucial impact on the region of modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan. Shortly after the reconquest of Georgia, Agha Mohammad Shah was assassinated while preparing a second expedition in 1797 in Shusha . The reassertion of Iranian hegemony over Georgia did not last long; in 1799
5240-640: The 10th century led to the rise of Kurdish dynasties, including the Ayyubids (1171–1260). Since the 11th century, the medieval Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers in the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range has been known as the "Fortress of the Kurds" or "Castle of the Kurds". The founder of the Ayyubids, Saladin , famous for unifying Muslims and recapturing Jerusalem from Crusaders in 1187, expanded his empire into Syria and beyond. According to Ibn Hawqal
5371-451: The 18th century, some of the Kurdish tribes of Greater Syria (or Bilad al-Sham ) remained closely related to those of neighbouring areas of Kurdistan, but some others were assimilated with local Arab tribes. The German cartographer and Explorer Carsten Niebuhr , visited Jazira in 1764. Published a map showing his intenrary and mentioning five Kurdish tribes (Dukurie, Kikie, Schechchanie, Mullie and Aschetie). World War I (1914—1918) had
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5502-586: The 1980s Kurdish-inhabited areas of Syria were mainly regarded as "Kurdish regions of Syria". The historian and political scientist Matthieu Cimino has stated that: "Rojava" (Syrian Kurdistan) is part of a mythology of pan-Kurdish unity which does not constitute a political objective for the Syrian Kurds in itself, but is rather a "cultural abstract"". In the 20th century, Kurdistan was usually only included areas in Turkey and Iraq. The Kurdish-inhabited areas in northern Syria are adjacent to "Turkish Kurdistan" in
5633-694: The 1980s and 1990s. Several smaller Kurdish political movements in Syria, amongst them the Yekiti and the Azadi, began to organize manifestations in cities with a large Kurdish population demanding a better treatment of the Kurdish population while advocating for an recognition of a "Syrian Kurdistan". This development was fueled by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that strengthened Kurdish nationalist ideas in Syria, whereas local Kurdish parties had previously lacked success in promoting "a clear political project" related to
5764-491: The 19th century. Through the course of the 19th century Iran lost to Russia regions which had been part Iran for centuries. By the end of the 19th century, the border between Iran and Russia was set more southwards, at the Aras River , which is currently the border between Iran and Armenia – Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the Russians were very influential in Northern Iran including Azerbaijan (as Northern Iran fell into Russia's sphere of influence for decades). After 1905,
5895-411: The 20th century. Historic Azerbaijan was called Atropatene in antiquity and Aturpatakan ( Adurbadagan ) in the pre-Islamic Middle Ages. Some people refer to Iranian Azerbaijan as South (or Southern) Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan as Northern Azerbaijan, although others believe that these terms are irredentist and politically motivated. Following military defeats at the hands of
6026-399: The Afghan invasion (1722–8) the Ottomans recaptured Azerbaijan and other western provinces of Iran, until Nader Shah expelled them. At the beginning of the reign of Karim Khan Zand , the Azad Khan Afghan unsuccessfully revolted in Azerbaijan and later the Dumbuli Kurds of Khoy and other tribal chiefs ruled various parts of the territory. Azad Khan was defeated however by Erekle II . With
6157-455: The Aras River, which were not known by the name Azerbaijan at the time of their capture by Russia, were absorbed into the Russian Empire, renamed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic during the country's short-lived independence from 1918 to 1920, incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , and finally became the independent Republic of Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union dissolved . The name Azerbaijan itself
6288-587: The Atabakan-e-Azerbaijan and Atabakan-e-Maragheh. It was later invaded by the Khwarizm Shah Jalal ad-din who held Azerbaijan until the advent of the Mongol invasions. In the early years of the 13th century, large parts of Azerbaijan were conquered by the Kingdom of Georgia , at the time led by Tamar the Great . Under the command of the brothers Zakaria and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli , the Georgians conquered Ardabil and Tabriz in 1208, and Qazvin and Khoy in 1210. The Mongols under Hulagu Khan established their capital at Maragheh . The book Safina-yi Tabriz describes
6419-414: The Caucasus ), and Persians also inhabit the region. The majority of Azerbaijanis in Azerbaijan are followers of Twelver Shia Islam . Azerbaijanis commemorate Shia holy days (ten first days of the holy month of Muharram ) minority Sunni Azerbaijani Turks ( Shafi and Hanafi ) who live in the Ardabil Province ( Hashatjin and villages of Bileh Savar County ) and West Azerbaijan province (near
6550-429: The Euphrates and Tigris rivers) includes the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli , the de facto capital of Syrian Kurdistan. All three enclaves border Turkish Kurdistan to the north, while Jazira also borders Iraqi Kurdistan to the east. According to the Crisis Group , the term Rojava "refers to the western area of 'Kurdistan'", namely those in Syria. Although the concept of an independent Kurdistan as homeland of
6681-408: The Euphrates and Tigris rivers, allowed the PKK to operate from Syria in exchange for the PKK focusing its efforts in Turkish Kurdistan and not Syria. According to Tejel, as a result, "Northern Syria became a breeding ground for PKK militants during the 1980s and 1990s". The idea of a Syrian territory being part of a "Kurdistan" or "Syrian Kurdistan" gained more widespread support among Syrian Kurds in
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#17328549498816812-432: The Hatay Province. The claimed map includes large swaths of Arab-majority areas. Population figures for Kurds in Syria are contentious and politicized. No census since the French mandate has included ethnic identity. Due to a lack of reliable data, only estimates can be given. Most population estimates of Syrian Kurds range between 1.8 and 3.5 million, or about 8–15% of Syria's total population of 22 million. Northern Syria
6943-404: The Iranian province of Azerbaijan. The oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of the Mannea who ruled a region south-east of Lake Urmia centered around modern Saqqez . The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups. According to Professor Zadok: it is unlikely that there was any ethnolinguistic unity in Mannea. Like other peoples of the Iranian plateau ,
7074-432: The KDPS were involved in promoting to Kurds in Syria. In 1963, the ultra-nationalistic Ba'ath Party launched a successful coup . In 1970, Hafez al-Assad seized power in a subsequent coup . From 1973 onwards, the Arab Belt policy was applied which included the Arabization of a between 10 and 15 kilometers wide border strip between Ras al Ayn and Al-Malikiyah and the expropriation of territories owned by Kurds and
7205-423: The KNC also began to raise demands for the establishment of Syrian Kurdistan as separate area, raising increasing concerns by Syrian nationalists and some observers who regarded these plans as attempts to divide Syria. As the PYD-led administration gained control over increasingly ethnically diverse areas, however, the use of "Rojava" for the merging proto-state was gradually reduced in official contexts. Regardless,
7336-443: The Kurdish areas of the Ottoman Empire between the new states of Turkey, Syria (under the French-controlled Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon ), and British-controlled Mandatory Iraq . The new Turkish–Syrian border, set largely along the Berlin–Baghdad railway line between Mosul and Aleppo, divided both Arabic and Kurdish communities, leaving Arab enclaves in Turkey and Kurdish enclaves in Syria. To this day, Kurds on either side of
7467-475: The Kurdish component of the population in Jazira . In 1924, a delegate from Kurd Dagh made the first petition to the French authorities for autonomy for Kurdish-majority regions in Syria. In 1927, Kurdish exiles from Turkey in Beirut founded Xoybûn , a secular pan-Kurdish movement that became the intellectual foundation of Kurdish nationalism. Although Xoybûn pursued a military revolt in Turkish Kurdistan, it advocated for local autonomy for Kurds in Syria. Xoybûn
7598-429: The Kurdish languages into Northern Kurdish, Central Kurdish, Southern Kurdish, Zaza , and Gorani, and avoid the subgrouping Zaza–Gorani. The notable professor Zare Yusupova has carried out a lot of work and research into the Gorani dialect (as well as many other minority/ancient Kurdish dialects). During his stay in Damascus , historian Ibn Wahshiyya came across two books on agriculture written in Kurdish, one on
7729-433: The Kurdish people has a long history, the extent of said territory has been disputed over time. Kurds have lived in territories which later became part of modern Syria for centuries, and following the partition of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurdish population before living in the Ottoman Empire, was divided between its successor states Turkey, Iraq and Syria . Local Kurdish parties generally maintained ideologies which stayed in
7860-432: The Kurds of Amadiya . This work is very important in Kurdish history as it is the first acknowledgment of the widespread use of a distinctive Kurdish language. Garzoni was given the title Father of Kurdology by later scholars. The Kurdish language was banned in a large portion of Kurdistan for some time. After the 1980 Turkish coup d'état until 1991 the use of the Kurdish language was illegal in Turkey. Today, Sorani
7991-442: The Manneans were subjected to an ever-increasing Iranian (i.e., Indo-European) penetration. The Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was called Matiene , with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire and then a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire. According to Encyclopædia Britannica ,
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#17328549498818122-450: The Muslims at Nahavand , which was a gateway to the provinces of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Caucasian Albania . The battle was fierce, but the Sasanian troops lost during the battle. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to enter Azerbaijan. The Muslims then invaded Azerbaijan and captured Isfandiyar , the son of Farrukhzad . Isfandiyar then promised, in return for his life, that he would agree to surrender his estates in Azerbaijan and aid
8253-423: The Muslims in defeating his brother, Bahram. Bahram was then defeated and sued for peace. A pact was drawn up according to which Azerbaijan was surrendered to Caliph Umar on usual terms of paying the annual Jizya . Muslims settled in Azerbaijan as they did in many parts of Iran. According to the Iranian Azerbaijani historian Ahmad Kasravi , more Muslims settled in Azerbaijan compared to other provinces due to
8384-407: The Ottoman Empire and the successive Iranian kingdoms. Agha Mohammad Khan's death and the Russian troops entering the Iranian possession of Tbilisi in 1799, led directly to the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) , the first of a number of Russo-Persian wars during the 19th century, and the most devastating and humiliating one. By the end of the war in 1813 and the resulting Treaty of Gulistan , Qajar Iran
8515-419: The Russians marched into Tbilisi , which would mark the beginning of the end of the Iranian-ruled domains in the Caucasus, comprising modern-day Georgia , Armenia , the Republic of Azerbaijan , and Dagestan thanks to the 19th century Russo-Persian Wars . Since the late 17th/early 18th century, the Russians were actively pursuing an expansionist policy towards its neighbouring empires to its south, namely
8646-432: The Safavids. It was the chief province from which the various Iranian empires would control their Caucasian provinces, all the way up to Dagestan in the early 19th century. In the meantime, between 1514 and 1603, the Ottomans sometimes occupied Tabriz and other parts of the province during their numerous wars with their Safavid ideological and political archrivals. The Safavid control was restored by Shah Abbas but during
8777-401: The Sasanian usurper Vistahm . Rustam himself was born in Azerbaijan and led the Sasanian army into battle. He is also mentioned in the Shahnameh . The Sasanian army was defeated at the battle of al-Qādisiyyah and Rostam Farrokhzad , along with many other Sasanian veterans, was killed. In 642, Piruz Khosrow , one of the Sasanian survivors during the battle of al-Qādisiyyah, fought against
8908-413: The Syrian Arab Republic as independent and sovereign within the French mandate. Xoybûn had remained active during the war years but disbanded in 1946. An academic source published by the University of Cambridge has described maps of greater Kurdistan created in the 1940s and forward as: "These maps have become some of the most influential propaganda tools for the Kurdish nationalist discourse. They depict
9039-491: The Turkish National Movement signed the Treaty of Ankara , ending the Franco-Turkish War and moving the border between Turkey and French Syria further south than provided by the Treaty of Sevres. Both France and Turkey cultivated relations with the area's tribes in the hope of establishing territorial claims. The Franco-Turkish agreement was ratified by the multiparty 1923 Treaty of Lausanne , which made no provision for an independent or autonomous Kurdish region, instead dividing
9170-428: The Turkish government said that they must avoid showing children's cartoons , or educational programs that teach Kurdish, and could broadcast only for 45 minutes a day or four hours a week. The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) started its 24-hour Kurdish television station on 1 January 2009 with the motto "we live under the same sky". The Turkish prime minister sent a video message in Kurdish to
9301-498: The adjacent Iraqi Kurdistan is known as the granary of Iraq. Kurd Dagh is well-known for the olives, olive oil, and other products derived from its more than 13 million olive trees. Kurdish language Ancient Medieval Modern Kurdish ( Kurdî , کوردی ) is a Northwestern Iranian language or group of languages spoken by Kurds in the region of Kurdistan , namely in southeast Turkey , northern Iraq , northwest Iran , and northern Syria . It
9432-684: The advent of Islam in the 7th century CE, Kurdish tribes in Upper Mesopotamia and western Iran resisted advancing Muslim armies , but ultimately most Kurds converted to the Shafi'ite school of Sunni Islam . Kurdish cultural and political power re-emerged over the next three centuries, as Kurds in Kurdistan lived semi-autonomously within the Islamic caliphates . The decline of the Abbasid Caliphate in
9563-583: The advent of the Qajars, Azerbaijan became the traditional residence of the heirs-apparent. Even until then Azerbaijan remained the main area from where the high-ranked governors would control the various territories and Khanates of the Caucasus while the main power stayed in Tehran . Though the first Qajar Iranian ruler, Agha Mohammad Khan , had reconquered the Caucasus and all of Iran in several swift campaigns, such as
9694-453: The approximate borders of the areas where the main ethnic core of the speakers of the contemporary Kurdish dialects was formed. The most argued hypothesis on the localisation of the ethnic territory of the Kurds remains D.N. Mackenzie 's theory, proposed in the early 1960s (Mackenzie 1961). Developing the ideas of P. Tedesco (1921: 255) and regarding the common phonetic isoglosses shared by Kurdish, Persian, and Baluchi , Mackenzie concluded that
9825-576: The authorities of the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon . The number of Kurds settled in the Jazira province during the 1920s was estimated at 20,000 to 25,000 people, out of 100,000 inhabitants, with the remainder of the population being Christians (Syriac, Armenian, Assyrian) and Arabs. According to Michael Gunter , many Kurds still do not see themselves as belonging to either the Turkish or Syrian Kurdistan, but rather as one who originates from "above
9956-614: The border do not refer to themselves as "Syrian" or "Turkish"; rather, for Turkish Kurds, Syria is Bin Xhet (below the line), and for Syrian Kurds, Turkey is Ser Xhet (above the line). South of the rail line, Syrian Kurdistan was created as "a waste product of the colonial division of the Middle East", in the words of German cultural anthropologist Thomas Schmidinger. Under the mandate, the French had authority over three Kurdish-populated areas left on
10087-723: The cities of Urmia , Khoy and Salmas ) and have population about 200,000 people in this area. Azerbaijani people mostly live in northwest parts of Iran, but large Azerbaijani populations can be found in Khorasan , mostly in Mashhad , as well as central Iran , due to internal migration to Tehran , Karaj , and Qum . Where they have settled, they have become prominent – not only among urban and industrial working classes – but also in commercial, administrative, political, religious, and intellectual circles. Azerbaijanis make up 25%–33% of Tehran and of Tehran Province 's population. They are
10218-509: The culture of the vine and the palm tree, and the other on water and the means of finding it out in unknown ground. He translated both from Kurdish into Arabic in the early 9th century AD. Among the earliest Kurdish religious texts is the Yazidi Black Book , the sacred book of Yazidi faith. It is considered to have been authored sometime in the 13th century AD by Hassan bin Adi (b. 1195 AD),
10349-545: The details. groups Kurdish with Zaza Gorani within a "Northwestern I" group, while Glottolog based on Encyclopædia Iranica prefers an areal grouping of "Central dialects" (or "Kermanic") within Northwest Iranic, with Kurdish but not Zaza-Gorani grouped with "Kermanic". Gorani is distinct from Northern and Central Kurdish, yet shares vocabulary with both of them and there are some grammatical similarities with Central Kurdish. The Hawrami dialects of Gorani includes
10480-530: The early 19th century, Qajar Iran was forced to cede to Imperial Russia its Caucasian territories north of the Aras River (modern-day Dagestan , Georgia , Armenia , and the Republic of Azerbaijan ), through the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). Following the disintegration of the Russian Empire in 1917, as well as the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic , in 1918,
10611-574: The eastern side of Turkish border. Of the 86 members of Assembly of Experts , 11 are representative of the Azerbaijan region. Ali Meshkini from Meshgin Shahr in the Ardabil Province was Chairmen of the Assembly of Experts since 1983 to 2007. Of the 290 members of Islamic Consultative Assembly , 44 are representative of Azerbaijan region. in the Azerbaijan region 40/44 Azerbaijani are in parliament
10742-460: The establishment of dozens of Arab villages. In 1976, the Arab Belt policy was abandoned by al Assad, but the already executed resettlements were not reversed by al Assad. In 1978, north of the rail line, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was founded by Abdullah Öcalan , seeking to establish an independent Kurdish state in Turkey. Assad, who had disputes with Turkey over issues such as the use of
10873-564: The fact that this usage reflects the sense of ethnic identity and unity among the Kurds. From a linguistic or at least a grammatical point of view, however, Kurmanji and Sorani differ as much from each other as English and German, and it would seem appropriate to refer to them as languages. For example, Sorani has neither gender nor case-endings, whereas Kurmanji has both.... Differences in vocabulary and pronunciation are not as great as between German and English, but they are still considerable. According to Encyclopaedia of Islam , although Kurdish
11004-489: The fifteenth century. From the 15th to 17th centuries, classical Kurdish poets and writers developed a literary language. The most notable classical Kurdish poets from this period were Ali Hariri , Ahmad Khani , Malaye Jaziri and Faqi Tayran . The Italian priest Maurizio Garzoni published the first Kurdish grammar titled Grammatica e Vocabolario della Lingua Kurda in Rome in 1787 after eighteen years of missionary work among
11135-662: The food industry in the region is Tabriz which includes the Shirin Asal , Aydin, Shoniz, Anata, Baraka and Chichak manufacturers. Outside of Tabriz Minoo Industrial Group in Khorramdarreh is another nationally recognized food manufacturer. The principle crops of the region are grains, fruits, cotton, rice, nuts, and tobacco. Iranian Azerbaijanis , are a Turkic - speaking people, of which are largely of Iranian origin. They number between 16 and 24 percent and between 15 and 16 million of Iran's population , and comprise by far
11266-620: The general state of Tabriz during the Ilkhanid period. After being conquered by Timur in the 14th century, Tabriz became an important provincial capital of the Timurid empire . Later, Tabriz became the capital of the Kara Koyunlu empire. It was out of Ardabil (ancient Artavilla) that the Safavid dynasty arose to renew the state of Persia and establish Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran. Around
11397-515: The great-grandnephew of Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir (d. 1162), the founder of the faith. It contains the Yazidi account of the creation of the world, the origin of man, the story of Adam and Eve and the major prohibitions of the faith. According to The Cambridge History of the Kurds , "the first proper 'text'" written in Kurdish is a short Christian prayer. It was written in Armenian characters, and dates from
11528-486: The language the Kurds speak, whereas some ethnic Kurds have used the word term to simply describe their ethnicity and refer to their language as Kurmanji , Sorani , Hewrami , Kermanshahi , Kalhori or whatever other dialect or language they speak. Some historians have noted that it is only recently that the Kurds who speak the Sorani dialect have begun referring to their language as Kurdî , in addition to their identity, which
11659-726: The largest ethnic groups after Persians in Tehran and the Tehran Province. The governor of Tehran is Hossein Hashemi from Sarab ; he was born in East Azerbaijan; Ali Khamenei , the Supreme Leader of Iran , was born in Mashhad and is of Azeri origin. The journals Varliq and Azari are printed by the Azerbaijani people in Tehran . According to the population census of 2012,
11790-517: The leading Musavat government adopted the name "Azerbaijan" for the newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic , which was proclaimed on May 27, 1918, for political reasons, even though the name of "Azerbaijan" had always been used to refer to the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran. Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify
11921-556: The line in Turkey profoundly affected Syrian Kurds. In the 1920s and 1930s, Kemalist repression and failed Kurdish uprisings such as the Sheikh Said rebellion (1925) and the Ararat rebellion (1927–1930) resulted in many Kurds fleeing or being exiled from Turkey to Syria. The French mandate was not popular in France, and the local High Commissioner of the Levant sought to increase the profitability of
12052-509: The line" (Kurdish: Ser Xhet ) or "below the line" (Kurdish: Bin Xhet ). French mandate authorities gave the new Kurdish refugees considerable rights and encouraged minority autonomy as part of a divide and rule strategy and recruited heavily from the Kurds and other minority groups, such as Alawite and Druze , for its local armed forces. French Mandate authorities encouraged their immigration and granted them Syrian citizenship. Giving Syrian nationality to refugees by French mandate authorities
12183-556: The major cities of Aleppo (like the Alawite Kurds) and Damascus, though Yazidi Kurds inhabited Jabal Sam'an and others were nomads. Just as their districts were fragmented, the Kurdish inhabitants of Syria in the French mandatory period were heterogenous, and refugees arriving from Turkish and Iraqi Kurdistan helped foster Kurdish political consciousness, engendering a "pan-Kurdism" that complemented pre-existing Kurdish identities. The immigration from Kurdish areas outside Syria increased
12314-643: The members of the Fraction of Turkic regions . Several Iranian Army and Sepah divisions and brigades are based in Azerbaijan, including: The economy in Iranian Azerbaijan is based on Heavy industries, food industries, agriculture, and handicraft. The biggest economic hub is Tabriz which contains the majority of heavy industries and food industries. Iranian Azerbaijan has two free trade zones designated to promote international trade: Aras Free Zone and Maku Free Zone. The agriculture industry in Iranian Azerbaijan
12445-609: The non-Turkish minorities that were under Turkish pressure to leave their ancestral homes and property, they could find refuge and rebuild their lives in relative safety in neighboring Syria. These successive Kurdish immigrations from Turkey have led the governing Ba'ath Party to think about Arabization policies in northern Syria, settling 4000 farmer families from areas inundated by the Tabqa Dam in Raqqa Governorate in al-Hasakah Governorate Mass migration also took place during
12576-452: The north and "Iraqi Kurdistan" in the east. By 2013, "Rojava" had become synonymous with PYD-ruled areas, regardless of ethnic majorities. For the most part, the term was used to refer to the "non-contiguous Kurdish-populated areas" in the region. In 2015 a map by Kurdish National Council (KNC) member Nori Brimo was published which largely mirrored the Ekurd Daily' s maps, but also included
12707-605: The north of later mandatory Syria, including Nusaybin and Alexandretta ( İskenderun ) on the Mediterranean Sea 's Gulf of Alexandretta . At the beginning of the 17th century, land on either side of the Euphrates was settled by Kurds forced to migrate there at the Ottoman Sultans ' behest from lands elsewhere within the empire. The area on the river's right bank was the main focus of settlement, especially around Kobanî . In
12838-581: The north-west Iranian group". Ludwig Paul concludes that Kurdish seems to be a Northwestern Iranian language in origin, but acknowledges that it shares many traits with Southwestern Iranian languages like Persian , apparently due to longstanding and intense historical contacts. Windfuhr identified Kurdish dialects as Parthian , albeit with a Median substratum. Windfuhr and Frye assume an eastern origin for Kurdish and consider it as related to eastern and central Iranian dialects. The present state of knowledge about Kurdish allows, at least roughly, drawing
12969-420: The northwest, Kobani in the north, and Jazira in the northeast. The enclave in the northwest corner of the country is referred to as Afrin after its main city , and includes the surrounding plains and Kurd Mountains (Kurd Dagh). The north-central enclave along the Euphrates river near Jarabulus is also named after its main city, Kobanî . In the northeast, Jazira (meaning "island", due to its location between
13100-717: The opening ceremony, which was attended by Minister of Culture and other state officials. The channel uses the X , W , and Q letters during broadcasting. However, most of these restrictions on private Kurdish television channels were relaxed in September 2009. In 2010, Kurdish municipalities in the southeast began printing marriage certificates , water bills, construction and road signs , as well as emergency, social and cultural notices in Kurdish alongside Turkish. Also Imams began to deliver Friday sermons in Kurdish and Esnaf price tags in Kurdish. Many mayors were tried for issuing public documents in Kurdish language. The Kurdish alphabet
13231-586: The other languages spoken by Kurds in the region including the Gorani language in parts of Iranian Kurdistan and Iraqi Kurdistan. Philip G. Kreyenbroek , an expert writing in 1992, says: Since 1932 most Kurds have used the Roman script to write Kurmanji.... Sorani is normally written in an adapted form of the Arabic script.... Reasons for describing Kurmanji and Sorani as 'dialects' of one language are their common origin and
13362-478: The polity continued to be called Rojava by locals and international observers, with journalist Metin Gurcan noting that "the concept of Rojava [had become] a brand gaining global recognition" by 2019. Tejel has described "Kurdistan and the concept of Greater Kurdistan" as "a powerful amalgam of myths, facts and ambitions". Syrian Kurdistan comprises three noncontiguous enclaves along the Turkish and Iraqi borders: Afrin in
13493-546: The predominance of the Azeri Turkic population there). The region is mostly populated by Azerbaijanis , with minority populations of Kurds , Armenians , Tats , Talysh , Assyrians and Persians . Iranian Azerbaijan is the land originally and historically called Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijani-populated Republic of Azerbaijan appropriated the name of the neighbouring Azerbaijani-populated region in Iran during
13624-640: The province's plentiful and fertile pastures. Local revolts against the Caliphate were common and the most famous of these revolts was the Persian Khurramite movement . After the revolt of Babak Khorramdin , who was a Zoroastrian of neo-Mazdakite background, the Abbasid caliphate's grip on Azerbaijan weakened, allowing native dynasties to rise in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was taken over by the Kurdish Daisam and
13755-419: The provinces of East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan , and Ardabil . It shares borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan , Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. There are 17 rivers and two lakes in the region. Cotton, nuts, textiles, tea, machinery, and electrical equipment are the main industries. The northern, alpine region, which includes Lake Urmia , is mountainous, with deep valleys and fertile lowlands. The region
13886-484: The region made up part of historical Armenia . The parts of historical Armenia within what is modern-day Azerbaijan comprise; Nor Shirakan , Vaspurakan , and Paytakaran . Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan is described as the cradle of Armenian civilization. On 26 May 451 AD, a very important battle was fought that would prove immensely pivotal in Armenian history . On
14017-547: The region of Jazira was the Summer pasture of Hadhabani Kurds. A group of Kurdish soldiers remained in Damascus after Saladin was buried there in 1193, establishing an enclave in the city known as the "Kurdish quarter", which was a center of Kurdish culture and language into the 20th century. The Ayyubids lost Syria to the Mongols in the mid-13th century, who were quickly driven out by
14148-422: The region's subsequent history. According to Jordi Tejel , "These three Kurdish enclaves constituted ... a natural extension of Kurdish territory into Turkey and Iraq". The new borders did not significantly impact Kurdish tribesmen in the area at the time because the placement of Kurdish communities under two different governments separated them but did not physically sever them. However, developments north of
14279-810: The region. The majority Azeris are followers of Shi'a Islam. The Iranian Azeris mainly reside in the northwest provinces, including the Iranian Azerbaijan provinces ( East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan and Ardabil ), Zanjan , as well as regions of the North to Hamadan County and Shara District in the East Hamadan Province , some regions Qazvin Province and also Azerbaijani minorities living in Markazi , Kordestan , Gilan , and Kermanshah . Smaller groups, such as Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Tats , Talyshs , Jews , Circassians , (and other Peoples of
14410-435: The region. Wool, carpets, and metalware are also produced. In some factories and major companies in Azerbaijan include: The Ardabil Carpet and Tabriz rug the best kind of Iranian carpet . Now 40 percent of Iranian carpet exports are carried through East Azarbaijan . Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are important: More than fifty percent of entire Iranian food exports are carried from Iranian Azerbaijan. The major hub for
14541-513: The representatives of Azerbaijan were very active in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution as a result to this Russian influence. The Russian (Tsarist) army occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1909 and again in 1912–1914 and 1915–1918, followed by Ottoman forces in 1914–1915 and 1918–1919; Bolshevik forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran in 1920–1921, and Soviet forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1941, creating
14672-405: The same time, the population of what is now Azerbaijan and Iran were converted to Shiism , and both nations remain the only nations in the world with a significantly Shia majority, with Iran having the largest Shia population by percentage, with the Republic of Azerbaijan having the second-largest Shia population by percentage. After 1502, Azerbaijan became the chief bulwark and military base of
14803-481: The second-largest ethnic group in the nation. In the Azerbaijan region, the population consists mainly of Azeris . Azeris are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in many cities of West Azerbaijan Province . Iranian Azerbaijan is one of the richest and most densely populated regions of Iran. Many of these various linguistic, religious, and tribal minority groups, and Azeris themselves have settled widely outside
14934-520: The southern side of the new line, namely the areas of the Kurd Mountains (or Kurd-Dagh), Jarabulus , and the French Mandate territory in Upper Mesopotamia (the Northern Jazira). From the beginning of the Syrian state under the French Mandate, the geographical discontinuity of the Kurdish territory, as well as its relative smallness compared with the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, shaped much of
15065-407: The speakers of these three languages may once have been in closer contact. Kurdish varieties are divided into three or four groups, with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. In historical evolution terms, Kurmanji is less modified than Sorani and Pehlewani in both phonetic and morphological structure. The Sorani group has been influenced by among other things its closer cultural proximity to
15196-404: The subject of scholarly investigation and controversy, and several different groups throughout history have lived in Kurdistan, Kurds are traditionally considered to have descended from Indo-European tribes migrating westward toward Iran in the middle of the second millennium BCE. In antiquity, Kurdistan was ruled, in turn, by the Assyrian , Median , Greek , Roman , and Persian empires. After
15327-532: The territory by resettling Kurds fleeing Kemalists in Turkey and other refugees in Jazira, a decision that resulted in the politicization of Kurdish ethnicity in Syria. French military efforts were hindered by propaganda favouring Turkey distributed among Kurdish and Arab tribes. Resistance to the French in the Jazira continued until 1926. By 1927, the Kurdish-majority villages of the area numbered 47. (The numbers of Kurds and Kurdish villages grew significantly in
15458-633: The time of the first partition of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Sèvres in August 1920. The treaty, which was never ratified, would have created an independent Kurdistan under French patronage in Turkey without including Kurdish areas in Syria, Iraq, or Iran. The Treaty of Sèvres was opposed by the Turkish National Movement , a coalition of Turkish revolutionaries led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his Kemalist followers. In 1921, France and
15589-654: The unification of Kurdistan through indirect means. Some observers see Syrian Kurdistan as a concept emerging from the Syrian civil war , which started in 2011. The concept of a Syrian Kurdistan gained even more relevance after the Syrian Civil War 's start, as Kurdish-inhabited areas in northern Syria fell under the control of Kurdish-dominated factions. The PYD established an autonomous administration in northern Syria which it eventually began to call "Rojava" or "West Kurdistan". By 2014, many local Kurds used this name synonymously to northeastern Syria. Non-PYD parties such as
15720-468: The victimization and manipulation of Kurds by British and French imperialists. The first encounter between the French Armed Forces and Kurds in Syria came in late 1919 in the Kurd Mountains , which the French were able to pass through without much difficulty. In the Jazira, French troops were resisted more effectively. At the end of the fighting between the Ottoman Empire during World War I and
15851-500: The villages numbered between 700 and 800 due to several successive Kurdish immigration waves from Turkey. The French authorities themselves generally organized the settlement of the refugees. One of the most important of these plans was carried out in Upper Jazira in northeastern Syria where the French built new towns and villages (such as Qamishli) with the intention of housing the refugees considered to be "friendly". This has encouraged
15982-603: The way up to Isfahan fell into the Russian sphere of influence. Russian armies were stationed in many regions of Iranian Azerbaijan, Russian schools were founded, and many Russians settled in the region, but less than in Gilan and Mazandaran . Also, Azerbaijan saw the large influx of the so-called White émigrées who fled to Iran following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Iranian nationalism
16113-563: The west. The Mugan plain is a plain located between Iran and the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan . The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mugan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of the Aras river extending to Iran. The Urmia Plain is in the West Azerbaijan Province , situated on western side of Lake Urmia and
16244-718: Was forced to cede Georgia, most of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan to Russia. The only Caucasian territories remaining in Iranian hands were what is now Armenia , the Nakhichevan Khanate , and the Talysh Khanate . The next war, the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) , resulted in an even more humiliating defeat, with Iran being forced to cede the remaining Caucasian regions, as well as having Russian troops temporarily occupying Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan. As Iran
16375-569: Was founded as a Syrian affiliate of the PKK. Despite the role of the PKK in initially spreading the concept of "Syrian Kurdistan", the PYD (the Syrian "successor" of the PKK), generally refrained from calling for the establishment of "Syrian Kurdistan". As the PKK and PYD call for the removal of national borders in general, the two parties believed that there was no need for the creation of a separate "Syrian Kurdistan", as their internationalist project would allow for
16506-451: Was legally required so that refugees could be hired as employees of the Syrian state (Armenians as clerks and interpreters and Kurds as gendarmes) but also to receive grants of state land by mandate authorities. The French official reports show the existence of at most 45 Kurdish villages in Jazira prior to 1927. A new wave of refugees arrived in 1929. The mandatory authorities continued to encourage Kurdish immigration into Syria, and by 1939,
16637-531: Was much disputed. In the 2nd century BC, it was liberated from Seleucid domination by Mithradates I of Arsacid dynasty , and was later made a province of the Sassanid Empire of Ardashir I . Under the Sassanids, Azerbaijan was ruled by a marzubān , and, towards the end of the period, belonged to the family of Farrokh Hormizd . Large parts of the region were conquered by the Kingdom of Armenia . Large parts of
16768-538: Was popular in Syrian Kurdistan, and in 1931, Xoybûn delegates were elected from Kurd Dagh, Jarablus, and Jazira. The French government rejected the Kurdish petitions for autonomy. France negotiated a Treaty of Independence with the First Syrian Republic in 1936, but the onset of World War II prevented its implementation. France was occupied by Germany in 1940, and the French mandate was seized by Vichy France . Allied forces retook Syria in 1941 and recognized
16899-471: Was the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDPS), formed in 1957, which soon changed its name to the "Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria" and maintained a "Syrianized" agenda whose objective was not the "liberation" of Syrian Kurdistan but the improvement of conditions for Syrian Kurds. The academic historian Jordi Tejel has identified "Greater Kurdistan" as being one of the "Kurdish myths" that
17030-404: Was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism. A famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels. Azerbaijan, due to its numerous fire-temples has also been quoted in a variety of historic sources as being the birthplace of the prophet Zoroaster although modern scholars have not yet reached an agreement on the location of his birth. In
17161-565: Was unwilling to allow the Russians to gain possession over its Caucasian territories in the North Caucasus and South Caucasus , the millennia-old ancient ties between Iran and the Caucasus region were only severed by the superior Russian force of Russia through these 19th-century wars. The area to the north of the river Aras , which included the territory of the contemporary republic of Azerbaijan, eastern Georgia, Dagestan, and Armenia, were Iranian territory until they were occupied by Russia during
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