Kurdish Empires, Dynasties and Countries

 

1. Proto-Kurdish Kingdoms (BC Era)

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• Gutium (Guti): Flourished c. 2250–2120 BCE in the central Zagros; ruled Sumer and Akkad for over a century.

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• Lullu (Lullubi): Powerful Bronze Age mountain tribes (c. 2400 BCE) in the Sharazor plain.

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• Hurrian-Mittani Empire: A dominant Indo-Aryan and Hurrian polity (c. 1500–1300 BCE) in northern Mesopotamia.

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• Kassite Empire: Ruled Babylon from c. 1595–1155 BCE; they are often linked to early Kurdish ethnic layers.

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• Manna (Mannaeans): A kingdom centered south of Lake Urmia (c. 10th–7th centuries BCE) that resisted Assyrian expansion.

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• Urartu: A major Iron Age kingdom (c. 860–590 BCE) around Lake Van; some scholars include it as a predecessor state. 

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2. The Great Empires & Federated Kingdoms (7th Century BCE – 4th Century CE)

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• Median Empire (612–549 BCE): National Kurdish identity is deeply rooted in the Medes, who defeated the Assyrian Empire. Many consider 612 BCE the start of the Kurdish era.

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• Kardouchoi (Carduchi): Warlike mountain tribes encountered by the Greek general Xenophon in 401 BCE.

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• Kingdom of Corduene (Gordyene): An ancient kingdom (c. 189 BCE – 4th century CE) south of Lake Van that served as a semi-independent buffer between Rome and Parthia.

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• Zelanid Dynasties: Kurdish clans that established the kingdoms of Commagene, Cappadocia, and Pontus in Anatolia as Roman vassals.

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• Kurdish Kingdoms of the Parthian Federation: Includes the kingdoms of 

  Media Atropatene

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  Cortea

  Kirm 

  Adiabene

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 (1st century BCE). House of Kayus (Kâvos): One of the last major pre-Islamic Kurdish dynasties, which ruled until c. 380 CE under the Sasanian Empire. 

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8th–19th century states

 

The Ayyubid dynasty in 1193.

Prior to the Ayyubid dynasty (until 1171)

• Hadhbanis (906–1144)

• Principality of Shaykhan (906–1832)

• Aishanids (912–961)[3]

• Daysam's Adharbayjan (938–955)[4]

• Shaddadids (951–1199)[5]

• Rawwadids (955–1071)

• Hasanwayhids (959–1014)[6]

• Marwanids (983–1096)[5]

• Annazids (990/91[7][8]–1117)[7]

• Shabankara (11th century–12th century)[9][10]

• Principality of Eğil (1049–1864)[11]

• Atabegete of Greater Lorestan (1115–1425)

• Zakarids (1161–1360)[12][13][14]

• Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1341)[15]

After the Ayyubid dynasty (after 1171)

• Emirate of Kilis (1181/1183–1610)[16]

• Principality of Bitlis (1187–1847)

• Emirate of Şirvan (?–1840s)[17]

• Emirate of Çemişgezek (13th century–1663)[18]

• Principality of Donboli (1210–1799)[19]

• Emirate of Bingöl (1231–1864)[20]

• Emirate of Hasankeyf (1232[20]–1524[20])

• Mukriyan (14th century–19th century)[21]

• Vassaldom of Ardalan (14th century[22]–1865 or 1868[23][24])

• Principality of Zirqan (1335–1835)

• Emirate of Bahdinan (1339[25]–1843[26])

• Emirate of Hakkâri (Before 1380s–1845)[27]

• Principality of Suleyman[28] (15th century–1838)

• Principality of Mahmudi (1406–1839)[29]

• Zarrinnaal Dynasty (1448–1925)

• Emirate of Palu (1495–1845)[30]

• Emirate of Pazooka (1499–1587)[31]

16th century onwards

• Baban (16th century–1850)[32]

• Emirate of Bradost (1510–1609)[33]

• Zafaranlu principality (1600-1922)

• Emirate of Bohtan (before 1514–1847)[34]

• Emirate of Soran (before 1514[35]–1836[36])

• Principality of Pinyaşi (1548–1823)[37]

• Sarab Khanate (18th century)[38]

• Zand dynasty (1750–1794) – The dynasty is of Kurdish Lak origin.[39][40]

• Tabriz Khanate (1757–1799)[38]

• Hasan Khan dynasty in Pish-e Kuh (1795–1820)[41]

• Emirate of Miks (?–1846)[42]

20th and 21st century states

• Kurdish State (1918–1919)

• Kingdom of Kurdistan (1921–1924 and 1925)

• Kurdistan Uezd (1923–1929)

• Republic of Ararat (1927–1931)

• Republic of Mahabad (1946–1947)

• Republic of Laçin (1992)[43]

• Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan (1994–2003)

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  Provisions of the Treaty of Sèvres for an independent Kurdistan (in 1920)

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  The Republic of Mahabad between 1946 and 1947

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  The Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan (black) at their peak, controlling most of the Halabja Governorate

Current entities

• Kurdistan Region (autonomous region in Iraq, 1970–present)

• Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (self-proclaimed autonomous region declared during the Syrian Civil War by the PYD) (2012–present)

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  Kurdistan Region in 1975

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  Kurdistan Region in 1998

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  Kurdistan Region in 2012

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  Current situation of the Kurdistan Region

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  Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

Dynasties partly of Kurdish descent

• Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) – The dynasty was partly of Kurdish origin.[44][45][46]