Kurdish History Journal
The Hazaraspid Dynasty (1148–1424): Kurdish Atabegs of Greater Lorestan, the longest-surviving Kurdish dynasty of medieval Iran. Survived the Mongols, patronised Persian literature, ruled 276 years.
Read article →The Rawadid Dynasty (955–1071): the Kurdicized Kurdish lords of Tabriz, Maragha, and Iranian Azerbaijan. Wahsudan, Qatran Tabrizi, the 1042 earthquake, and the Hadhbani tribal link to Saladin.
Read article →The Ayyubid Empire (1171–1341): the largest Kurdish state in history, founded by Saladin. Egypt, Syria, the Jazira, Yemen — Kurdish dynasty, Arab empire, the climax of the Kurdish Intermezzo.
Read article →The Annazid Dynasty (990–1117): the Sunni Kurdish lords of Hulwan and the Iran-Iraq frontier, drawn from the Shadhanjan tribe. The longest-surviving Kurdish dynasty of the medieval Zagros.
Read article →The Hasanwayhid Dynasty (959–1015): the Twelver Shia Kurdish lords of the central Zagros, founded by Hasanwayh ibn Husayn of the Barzikani tribe. The Kurdish Intermezzo's mountain branch.
Read article →The Marwanid Dynasty (983–1085): the great Kurdish kingdom of medieval Diyarbakir, Mayyafariqin, and the Jazira. Builders, scholars, and the dynasty of the Kurdish Intermezzo's golden age.
Read article →The Shaddadid Dynasty (951–1199): the first Kurdish state in the Caucasus, builders of the Manuchihr Mosque in Ani, and one of the longest-ruling Kurdish dynasties of the medieval Islamic world.
Read article →The Kingdom of Osroene and the Abgarid dynasty (132 BCE – 244 CE): the Nabataean Arab kingdom on Kurdistan's southern edge whose capital, Edessa (Riha), became the cradle of Syriac Christianity.
Read article →Mahabad Qaradaghi (1966-2020), Kurdish Iraqi scholar from the Qaradagh region of Sulaymaniyah, contributed to Kurdish academic and intellectual life — a scholar whose early death cut short a significant scholarly career.
Read article →Şehrîbana Kurdî is a contemporary Kurdish female poet writing in Kurmanji whose poetry gives voice to the experience of Kurdish women in the diaspora and the longing for a homeland not yet free.
Read article →Sara Omar (b. 1986) is a Kurdish-Danish novelist whose debut Dødevaskeren (2017) sold over 100,000 copies and broke Danish taboos on violence against women.
Read article →Dilshad Meriwani (1947-1989), Kurdish Iraqi singer from Sulaymaniyah, was one of the most beloved Kurdish musical voices of his generation — killed at age 42 during the Anfal genocide.
Read article →Tuncer Bakırhan (born 1970), Kurdish Turkish politician, became co-chair of the DEM Party (formerly HDP) — continuing the tradition of Kurdish democratic leadership in Turkey's most significant Kurdish political party.
Read article →Widad Akrawi (born 1969), Kurdish Iraqi-Swedish educator, is a globally recognised peace builder and education innovator whose work in conflict and post-conflict education has won international recognition including UNESCO awards.
Read article →Kajal Ahmad (born 1967), Kurdish Iraqi poet from Kirkuk, writes Sorani poetry of extraordinary emotional intensity — one of the most celebrated contemporary Kurdish female poets and a voice of Kirkuk's complex identity.
Read article →Sirwan Barzani (born 1970), Kurdish Iraqi KDP military and political figure, commanded Peshmerga forces in critical battles against ISIS and served as Governor of Erbil Province.
Read article →Rowsch Shaways (1947-2021), Kurdish Iraqi PUK politician, served as Vice President of Iraq and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister — a senior Kurdish statesman whose career bridged the armed struggle and the democratic era.
Read article →Narmin Othman (born 1948), Kurdish Iraqi PUK politician, served as Iraq's Minister of Environment and as Minister of Human Rights — one of the senior Kurdish women in Iraqi federal government.
Read article →Herro Mustafa (born 1973), Kurdish Iraqi-American diplomat, served as US Ambassador to NATO — the first person of Kurdish origin to represent the United States in one of the world's most important diplomatic posts.
Read article →Houzan Mahmoud (born 1973), Kurdish Iraqi women's rights activist and writer based in the UK, is one of the most prominent voices for Kurdish women's rights, secularism, and democracy on the international stage.
Read article →Mehmet Şimşek (born 1967), Kurdish Turkish economist and politician from Adıyaman, has served twice as Turkey's Finance Minister — the most internationally credible economic figure in recent Turkish government.
Read article →Nadhim Zahawi (born 1967), Kurdish Iraqi-born British politician, served in multiple senior UK Cabinet positions including Chancellor of the Exchequer — one of the highest offices ever held by a person of Kurdish origin.
Read article →Hamdi Ulukaya (born 1972), Kurdish Turkish entrepreneur from Iğdır, founded Chobani — America's best-selling Greek yogurt brand — and became a billionaire and major philanthropist championing refugee rights.
Read article →Bafel Talabani (born 1973), co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and son of President Jalal Talabani, leads one of Iraq's two main Kurdish parties into the contemporary era.
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