Gordyene: The Ancient Kingdom Between Empires in the Heart of Kurdistan
Gordyene: the ancient kingdom between Rome, Parthia and Armenia in what is now Kurdistan — its kings, wars, and enduring connection to Kurdish history.
Read article →Kurdish History Journal
The archive
The Karduchoi and Xenophon's Ten Thousand: The First Account of Kurdistan's Mountain Warriors
How the Karduchoi mountain warriors fought Xenophon's Ten Thousand in 401 BCE — the earliest account of the peoples of Kurdistan and their connection to the Kurds.
Read article →The Medes and the Fall of Assyria: How Highland Warriors Destroyed the World's Greatest Empire
How the Medes destroyed the Assyrian Empire at Nineveh in 612 BCE — their rise, military campaigns, and significance as the most cited ancestors of the Kurds.
Read article →The Lullubi: Mountain Warriors of the Zagros Who Defied the Akkadian Empire
The Lullubi: ancient Zagros mountain warriors who fought the Akkadian Empire, carved Iran's oldest rock relief, and shaped the highlands that became Kurdistan.
Read article →The Gutians and the Fall of Akkad: Mountain Warriors Who Toppled the World's First Empire
Who were the Gutians? The Zagros mountain people blamed for destroying the Akkadian Empire — their origins, wars, dynasty, and debated connection to Kurdish history.
Read article →From Peshmerga to SDF: Modern Kurdish Military Organisation and International Alliances
How Kurdish military forces evolved from partisan guerrillas to internationally allied armies — the Peshmerga, YPG, YPJ, SDF, and their global partnerships.
Read article →The War Against ISIS: How Kurdish Forces Fought and Defeated the Islamic State
The complete history of how Kurdish Peshmerga, YPG, YPJ, and SDF forces fought ISIS across Iraq and Syria — from Sinjar and Kobani to Raqqa and Baghuz.
Read article →The Anfal Campaign and the Kurdish Genocide (1988)
The Anfal campaign and Kurdish genocide: the eight military operations, the Halabja chemical attack, and the systematic destruction of Kurdish life in Iraq (1988).
Read article →The Barzani Revolts and the Rise of the Peshmerga (1931–1975)
The Barzani revolts and the rise of the Peshmerga: four decades of Kurdish warfare in Iraq from 1931 to the Algiers collapse of 1975.
Read article →The Sheikh Said, Ararat, and Dersim Rebellions: Interwar Kurdish Revolts in Turkey
The Sheikh Said, Ararat, and Dersim rebellions: the three interwar Kurdish revolts in Turkey that shaped Kurdish resistance and Turkish military doctrine.
Read article →Sheikh Ubeydullah and the First Modern Kurdish Revolt (1879–1881)
Sheikh Ubeydullah's 1880 revolt: the first modern Kurdish uprising, the invasion of Iran, and the birth of Kurdish nationalism as a military force.
Read article →Kurdish Emirates vs Ottoman Centralisation: The Wars That Ended Kurdish Autonomy
The 19th-century wars that destroyed Kurdish autonomy: Baban, Soran, Botan, Bedr Khan, and Yezdanser vs Ottoman centralisation.
Read article →The Ayyubid Army and Saladin's Campaigns: Hattin, Jerusalem, and the Crusades
The military campaigns of Saladin and the Ayyubid dynasty: Hattin, Jerusalem, the Third Crusade, and the wars that built the greatest Kurdish empire.
Read article →Kurdish Dynasties at War: The Military Campaigns of the Hasanwayhids, Annazids, Marwanids, Rawadids and Shadda
The military campaigns of the Kurdish Intermezzo: Hasanwayhid, Annazid, Marwanid, Rawadid and Shaddadid wars from the 10th to 12th centuries.
Read article →Ancient Zagros Warfare Before the Kurds: The Highland Battles That Shaped Kurdish History
Explore the ancient Zagros warfare of the Gutians, Lullubi, Medes, and Carduchoi — the highland battles that shaped Kurdish military history before the Kurds.
Read article →The US-KRG Memorandum of Understanding (2016): The First Formal Military Pact Between America and the Kurds
The 2016 US-KRG Memorandum of Understanding was the first formal bilateral military agreement between the US and the Kurdistan Region, recognising the Peshmerga as security partners.
Read article →The Erbil-Baghdad Oil and Military Deal (2014): Unity Against ISIS, Division Over Oil
The 2014 Erbil-Baghdad Oil Deal traded 550,000 bpd of Kurdish oil for 17% of Iraq’s budget and $1 billion Peshmerga funding during the ISIS crisis. It ultimately collapsed.
Read article →The Iraqi Constitution (2005): The Legal Foundation of Kurdish Autonomy
The 2005 Iraqi Constitution recognised the Kurdistan Region as a federal entity with its own government, language, and Peshmerga. Article 140 on Kirkuk was never implemented.
Read article →The Washington Agreement (1998): The Peace That Ended the Kurdish Civil War
The Washington Agreement (1998) ended the Kurdish civil war between the KDP and PUK. Brokered by the US, it created a power-sharing deal that stabilised Kurdistan but entrenched division.
Read article →The Oil-for-Food Programme Agreement (1996): The 13 Percent That Saved Kurdish Autonomy
The Oil-for-Food Programme (1996) allocated 13 percent of Iraqi oil revenue to the Kurdish north, administered by the UN. It was the economic lifeline that sustained Kurdish autonomy.
Read article →The Iraqi-Kurdish Autonomy Negotiations (1991): From Uprising to Self-Governance
The 1991 Iraqi-Kurdish autonomy negotiations followed the largest Kurdish uprising in history. When talks with Baghdad collapsed, the Kurds held free elections and established the KRG.
Read article →The Algiers Agreement (1975): The Day the World Abandoned the Kurds
The 1975 Algiers Agreement between Iraq and Iran ended the Kurdish rebellion overnight. Iran and the US abandoned the Kurds, 1,400 villages were razed, and Barzani died in exile.
Read article →The Kurdish-Iraqi Autonomy Agreement (1970): The Promise Saddam Made and Broke
The 1970 Kurdish-Iraqi Autonomy Agreement promised Kurdish self-governance, language rights, and Kirkuk. Saddam Hussein betrayed every term, triggering war and decades of suffering.
Read article →Kurdish Names Library - Kurdish Name Finder
Discover unique Kurdish names with our Kurdish Name Finder. Dive into the history and meaning behind each name. Visit now to explore Kurdish names!
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