Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...

in Iran ( ku, کورد لە ئێران, translit=Kurdên Îranê, fa, کردها در ایران) constitute a large minority in the country with a population of around 9 and 10 million people.

Geography

Iranian Kurds demonstration in support of Kobanî people 04

Iranian Kurdistan Iranian Kurdistan or Eastern Kurdistan ( ku, ڕۆژھەڵاتی کوردستان, translit=Rojhilatê Kurdistanê) is an unofficial name for the parts of northwestern Iran with either a majority or sizable population of Kurds. Geographically, it ...

or Eastern Kurdistan (

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

: '), refers to the parts of western

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

inhabited by

which borders

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

.''Kurdish Awakening: Nation Building in a Fragmented Homeland'', (2014), by Ofra Bengio, University of Texas Press It includes the Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, West Azerbaijan Province, Ilam Province, and Lorestan Province.

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...

Feyli Kurds inhabit Kermanshah Province, except for those parts where people are

Jaff Jaff ( ku, جاف; also ''Jahf'', ''Jaaf'', ''Jaf'', ''Caf'') is the largest Kurdish tribe also known as clan, living in the borderlands of Iran and Iraq. Their heartland is between Sulaymaniyah to Sanandaj. The tribe predominantly adheres to th ...

, and Ilam Province; as well as some parts of

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...

and

Hamadan Hamadan () or Hamedan ( fa, همدان, ''Hamedān'') ( Old Persian: Haŋgmetana, Ecbatana) is the capital city of Hamadan Province of Iran. At the 2019 census, its population was 783,300 in 230,775 families. The majority of people living in Ha ...

provinces. The

Kurds of Khorasan Khorasani Kurds ( ku, کوردانی خۆراسان, fa, کردهای خراسان) are Kurds who live in the provinces of North Khorasan and Razavi Khorasan in northeastern Iran, along the Iran-Turkmenistan border. There are about 696 Kurdis ...

, in the

North Khorasan Province North Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان شمالی, ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Shomālī'') is a province located in northeastern Iran. Bojnord is the capital of the province. The counties of North Khorasan Province are Shirvan Count ...

of northeastern Iran, are

Shi'ite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

Muslims. The Lak tribe populate parts of Ilam Province and Lorestan Province, while Chegini Kurds reside in central Lorestan.

Religion

The two major religions among Kurds in Iran are

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and

Yarsanism Yarsanism, Ahl-e Haqq or Kaka'i ( ku, یارسان, translit=Yarsan or ; fa, اهل حق, ar, كاكائي), is a syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran. The total number of followers of Yarsanism i ...

, while fewer Kurds adhere to

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

and

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

. There is disagreement on which is the largest denomination among Kurds; experts such as

Richard N. Frye Richard Nelson Frye (January 10, 1920 – March 27, 2014) was an American scholar of Iranian and Central Asian studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University. His professional areas of interest were Irania ...

and

Martin van Bruinessen Martin van Bruinessen (born 10 July 1946, Schoonhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands) is a Dutch anthropologist and author, who has published a number of publications on the Kurdish, Indonesia, Turkish, Persian cultures, and also on aspects of Isl ...

argue that

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

(the

Shafi'i The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...

branch) is the majority religion, while researcher Anu Leinonen believes it is the

Twelver Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

branch of Shia Islam. Pockets of Sunni Kurds belong to the

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya (), also transliterated Qādirīyah, ''Qadri'', ''Qadriya'', ''Kadri'', ''Elkadri'', ''Elkadry'', ''Aladray'', ''Alkadrie'', ''Adray'', ''Kadray'', ''Kadiri'', ''Qadiri'', ''Quadri'' or ''Qadri'' are members of the Sunni Qadiri ta ...

tariqa A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". ...

(around

Marivan Mariwan ( fa, مريوان; ) also known as Qale Marīvān - "Fort Marivan"; formerly, Dezhe Shahpur (Persian: دِژ شاهپور), also Romanized as Dezhe Shāhpūr and Dezhe Shapoor) is a town in – and the capital of – Marivan Cou ...

and

Sanandaj Sanandaj (Persian: سنندج, ; ku, سنە, Sine, often romanized as Senneh, is the capital of Kurdistan Province in Iran. With a population of 414,069, Sanandaj is the twenty third largest city in Iran and the second largest Kurdish city. San ...

). These orders have experienced repression from the state, including the destruction of their

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

. Yarsanis are also targeted by the central government.

Political history

Emergence of Kurdish nationalism

While Ottoman Kurdistan has been identified as the source of Kurdish national inspiration, Iranian Kurdistan has been identified as the ideological cradle for the emergence of Kurdish nationalism. In Iran, Kurdish intellectual writings and poetry from the 16th and 17th century indicate that the Kurdish population in the country was aware of the necessity of Kurdish unity and the need to form political and administrative entities for Kurds. However, these calls for Kurdish unity did not reach the broader Kurdish population until the 20th century when it awakened and diffused as a response to the implementation of nation-state policies (

Persianization Persianization () or Persification (; fa, پارسی‌سازی), is a sociological process of cultural change in which a non-Persian society becomes "Persianate", meaning it either directly adopts or becomes strongly influenced by the Persian ...

) by changing Iranian rulers. These policies not only alienated Kurds but also excluded them from equal access to citizenship. An example was the

Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...

of 1905–1911, which elevated

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

above Kurdish by asserting it as official language, language of administration and language of education.

Cross-border interaction (1918–1979)

Kurds have a strong cross-border ethnic linkage and few historical Kurdish rebellions were limited to the borders of a single country. For example, the rebellion of

Sheikh Ubeydullah }) also known as ''Sayyid Ubeydullah'', was the leader of the first modern Kurdish nationalist struggle. Ubeydullah demanded recognition from Ottoman Empire and Qajar dynasty authorities for an independent Kurdish state, or Kurdistan, which he woul ...

Turkish Kurdistan Turkish Kurdistan or Northern Kurdistan () refers to the southeastern part of Turkey, where Kurds form the predominant ethnic group. The Kurdish Institute of Paris estimates that there are 20 million Kurds living in Turkey, the majority of the ...

around 1880 inspired

Simko Shikak Simko Shikak. Birth name: Ismail Agha Shikak. born 1887, was a Kurdish chieftain of the Shekak tribe. He was born into a prominent Kurdish feudal family based in Chihriq castle located near the Baranduz river in the Urmia region of northwestern ...

to rebel in 1918, while the various Barzani rebellions in

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan ( ku, باشووری کوردستان, Başûrê Kurdistanê) refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of "Kurdistan" in Western Asia, which also incl ...

became a source of support for the

Republic of Mahabad The Republic of Mahabad or the Republic of Kurdistan ( ku, کۆماری کوردستان / Komara Kurdistanê; fa, جمهوری مهاباد) was a short-lived Kurdish self-governing unrecognized state in present-day Iran, from 22 January to 1 ...

. Other examples of cross-border interaction include the subjugation of the

Simko Shikak revolt Simko, Šimko or Simkó is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * David Simko (born 1954), American racing driver * Imre Simkó (1939–2021), Hungarian sport shooter * Ivan Šimko (born 1955), Slovak politician *Joe Simko, American ...

forcing Simko to flee to

Rawandiz Rawandiz ( ar, رواندز; ku, ڕەواندز, Rewandiz) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, located in the Erbil Governorate, close to the borders with Iran and Turkey, it is located 10 km to the east from Bekhal Waterfall. The di ...

– where he sought the support of Sheikh

Mahmud Barzanji Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji ( ku, شێخ مه‌حموود بەرزنجی) or Mahmud Hafid Zadeh (1878 – October 9, 1956) was a Kurdish leader of a series of Kurdish uprisings against the British Mandate of Iraq. He was sheikh of a Qadiriyah Sufi f ...

. Following the fall of the

in 1946, some of its leaders also fled to Iraqi Kurdistan where they were sheltered by the son of Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji.

Mustafa Barzani Mustafa Barzani ( ku, مەلا مسته‌فا بارزانی, Mistefa Barzanî; 14 March 1903 – 1 March 1979) also known as Mela Mustafa (Preacher Mustafa), was a Kurdish leader, general and one of the most prominent political figures in mode ...

had also supported the Republic of Mahabad by sending 2,100 soldiers which in turn also increased Kurdish self-confidence. Many teachers and military officers from Iraqi Kurdistan moreover crossed the border to support the republic. In 1944, the Society for the Revival of the Kurds/Kurdistan (JK) considered the first Kurdish nationalist movement met with a Turkish Kurdish delegation and an

Iraqi Kurdish Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan ( ku, باشووری کوردستان, Başûrê Kurdistanê) refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of "Kurdistan" in Western Asia, which also inc ...

delegation at the border area near Mount Dalanpar where they signed the ''Pact of Three Borders'' which demonstrated the existence of a strong Kurdish sense of cross-border solidarity and sentiment. Cross-border interaction became difficult to sustain in the 1950s due to repression from

SAVAK SAVAK ( fa, ساواک, abbreviation for ''Sâzemân-e Ettelâ'ât va Amniat-e Kešvar'', ) was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service in Iran during the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty. SAVAK operated from 1957 until prime ...

on the Iranian side. However, Kurds were able to reinforce the cross-border political activity, when the

First Iraqi–Kurdish War The First Iraqi–Kurdish WarMichael G. Lortz. (Chapter 1, Introduction). ''The Kurdish Warrior Tradition and the Importance of the Peshmerga''. pp.39-42. (Arabic: الحرب العراقية الكردية الأولى) also known as Aylul revo ...

commenced in 1961, as the

Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI; ku, حیزبی دێموکراتی کوردستانی ئێران, Hîzbî Dêmukratî Kurdistanî Êran, HDKA; fa, حزب دموکرات کردستان ایران, Ḥezb-e Demokrāt-e Kordest� ...

(KDPI) gave financial support and loyalty to their counterpart in Iraq, the

Kurdistan Democratic Party The Kurdistan Democratic Party ( ku, Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê; پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستان), usually abbreviated as KDP or PDK, is the largest party in Iraqi Kurdistan and the senior partner in the Kurdistan Regional Gov ...

(KDP), while KDPI themselves accessed spatial resources. Relations between KDP and KDPI would later deteriorate greatly as KDP became a close ally of SAVAK against Iraq. CIA documents from 1963 show that the KDP rebuffed support from KDPI due to the desire to maintain close relations with Iran. In the 1970s, KDPI with Komalah and the

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; ku, یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان, translit=Yekîtiya Nîştimanî ya Kurdistanê) is a political party active in Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describe ...

(PUK) fought around

Piranshahr Piranshahr ( fa, پیرانشهر; ckb, پیرانشار, Pîranşar) is a city located in West Azerbaijan Province in west Iran. It is the capital of Piranshahr County. Piranshahr is the center of the traditional region of Mukriyan. The go ...

, Sardasht,

Baneh Baneh ( fa, بانه, Bāneh, ku, بانە, translit=Bane) is a city and capital of Baneh County, Kurdistan Province, in Iran's western border. Baneh is bordered by Saqqez to the east, Marivan to the south, Sardasht to the west, and is approxim ...

in the northern parts of Iranian Kurdistan against Iranian forces who received support from KDP.

Cross-border interaction after 1979

After the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

in 1979, political infighting among Kurds increased and KDPI and Komala fought over political and spatial influence in Iranian Kurdistan as they were fighting Iran together. In the 1980s, the two political and military groups had become powerful and cross-border interaction was therefore less important.

Separatism

Kurdish separatism in Iran or the Kurdish–Iranian conflict is an ongoing,University of Arkansas. Political Science department. Iran/Kurds (1943-present). Retrieved 9 September 2012

/ref> long running, separatist dispute between the Kurdish opposition in Western

and the governments of Iran, lasting since the emergence of

Reza Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...

Pahlavi in 1918. During the

, Kurdish nationalist political parties were unsuccessful in attracting support, who at that time had no interest in autonomy. However, since the 1990s,

Kurdish nationalism Kurdish nationalism (, ) is a nationalist political movement which asserts that Kurds are a nation and espouses the creation of an independent Kurdistan from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Early Kurdish nationalism had its roots in the Ottoman ...

in the region has grown, partly due to outrage at the government's violent suppression of Kurdish activism.

Tribes

}
fa, ئایل علیشروان, , Ilam Province, ,

Southern Kurdish Southern Kurdish ( ku, کوردی باشووری ,کوردی خوارگ, Kurdî Başûrî, Kurdî Xwarig) is one of the dialects of the Kurdish language, spoken predominantly in northeastern Iraq and western Iran. The Southern Kurdish-speaking r ...

–speaking , - , Amar, , ku, عمار
fa, عمارلو, , Gilan Province,

Greater Khorasan Greater Khorāsān,Dabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 or Khorāsān ( pal, Xwarāsān; fa, خراسان ), is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plate ...

and Qazvin Province, ,

Kurmanji Kurmanji ( ku, کورمانجی, lit=Kurdish, translit=Kurmancî, also termed Northern Kurdish, is the northern dialect of the Kurdish languages, spoken predominantly in southeast Turkey, northwest and northeast Iran, northern Iraq, northern Sy ...

–speaking , - , Arkawâzi, , ku, ئه‌رکه‌وازی
fa, ارکوازی, , Ilam Province, ,

–speaking , - , Badreh, , ku, بەدرە
fa, بدره‌ای, , Ilam Province, , , - , Balavand, , fa, بالاوند, , Ilam Province, , , - , Beiranvand, , ku, Bîranwend ,بیرانوەند
fa, بیرانوند, , Between Aleshtar and

Khorramabad Khorramabad ( fa, خرم‌آباد, Khorramâbâd ), alternatively romanized as Khorramābād, Khoramabad, Khurramabad, Khorram Abad, or Khur Ramābād, is a city and the capital of Lorestan Province, Iran. At the time of the 2016 census, its po ...

; Bayranshahr. , ,

Laki Laki () or Lakagígar (, ''Craters of Laki'') is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly r ...

–speaking. , - , Chahardoli, , fa, چاردولی, , Hamadan Province and West Azerbaijan Province, ,

–speaking , - ,

Chalabianlu Chalabianlu () is a Turkification, Turkophone Kurds, Kurdish tribe, dwelling for the most part in the Garamduz District of Arasbaran region, in East Azerbaijan Province of Iran. History The Chalabianlu tribe migrated from Kurdistan to the Arasba ...

, , fa, چلبیانلو, ,

East Azerbaijan Province East Azerbaijan Province ( fa, استان آذربایجان شرقی ''Āzarbāijān-e Sharqi''; az-Arab, شرقی آذربایجان اوستانی) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is located in Iranian Azerbaijan, bordering Armenia, ...

, , , - , Chegini, , ku, Çengînî ,چەگینی
fa, چگنی, , Between

and the Kashgan river., , ''Chegini dialect'' (Mixture of

and

Luri Luri may refer to: * Luri people or Lurs, an Iranian people * Luri language, Western Iranian language continuum spoken by the Lurs * Luri language (Nigeria), dialect of the Afro-Asiatic language Polci * Luri, Haute-Corse, commune in France * Luri ...

) , - , Dehbalai, , fa, بالایی, , Ilam Province, , , - , Delikan, , fa, دلیکانلو, , Ardabil Province, , Turkophone , - , Dilfan, , ku, Dilfan ,دیلفان
fa, دلفان, , Around

Delfan County Delfan County ( fa, شهرستان دلفان, ku, شارسان دڵفان) is located in Lorestan province, Iran. The capital of the county is Nurabad. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 137,385, in 29,257 households. Retrieved ...

. Present in Ilam and Mazandaran provinces as well., ,

–speaking , - ,

Donboli Donboli (, ) is a Turkic- speaking Kurdish tribe living around Khoy and Salmas in West Azerbaijan Province in Iran. History The Donboli came from Bokhtan, a Kurdish region between Siirt and Cizre in what is now southeastern Turkey. The f ...

, , ku, Dimilî ,دونبەلی
fa, دنبلی, ,

Khoy Khoy (Persian and az, خوی; ; ; also Romanized as Khoi), is a city and capital of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2012 census, its population was 200,985. Khoy is located north of the province's capital and largest city ...

and

Salmas Salmas ( fa, سلماس; ; ; ; syr, ܣܵܠܵܡܵܣ, Salamas) is the capital of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan Province in Iran. It is located northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey. According to the 2019 census, the city's population is 127,864. ...

area., , Turkophone , - , Falak al-Din, , fa, فلک ئالدین, , Hamadan Province, ,

–speaking , - , Eyvan, , ku, ئه‌یوان
fa, ايوان, , Ilam Province, , , - , Feyli, , ku, Feylî ,فه‌یلی
fa, فیلی, , Ilam Province ( Ilam, Chardoval, Mehran, Malekshahi,

Abdanan Abdanan ( fa, آبدانان, ku, ئاودانان, translit=Awdanan) is a city located in the south of Ilam Province, Iran. The population of the city was 60,213 in 2016. Demographics The city is populated by Kurds ug:كۇردلار Ku ...

Dehloran Dehloran ( fa, دهلران; also Romanized as Dehlorān) is a city in and the capital of Dehloran County, Ilam Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 27,602, in 5,787 families. The city lies along Road 64, near the Iraqi border. ...

)., ,

–speaking. , - , Ghiasvand, , fa, قیاسوند, , Hamadan Province, ,

–speaking , - ,

Guran Guran is a character from ''The Phantom'' comic strip. Guran is the best friend of the main character, Phantom. Character synopsis According to Lee Falk's novel '' The Story of the Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks'', Guran is ten years older tha ...

, , ku, Goran ,گۆران
fa, گوران, ,

Hawraman Avroman or Hawraman, ( ku, هه‌ورامان, translit=Hewraman, fa, اورامان) is a mountainous region located within the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah in western Iran and in north-eastern Kurdistan Region in Iraq. The main part o ...

region, , Gorani–speaking. , - , Hasanvand, , ku, حەسەنوەند
fa, حسنوند, , Around

Aligudarz Aligudarz ( fa, اليگودرز), also known as ‘Ali Gudār, is a city and capital of Aligudarz County, Lorestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 78,690, in 18,115 families. Aligudarz is located 420 km from Tehran and ...

and

Borujerd Borujerd ( fa, بروجرد ''Borūjerd'') is a city and the capital of Borujerd County, Lorestan Province in western Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 234,997 persons. Among the existing modern cities in Iran, Borujerd is one of the ...

., ,

–speaking. , - ,

Herki Herki, also spelled Harki () is a large tribe in Kurdistan. The largest part of this tribe live in Iraqi Kurdistan and a significant number live in Iranian Kurdistan. They are also found in Northern Kurdistan. Sub-tribes The Herkis are divided in ...

, , ku, Herkî ,ھەرکی
fa, هرکی, , Western countryside of

Urmia Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an alt ...

in the Targavar and Margavar valleys., ,

–speaking. , - ,

, , ku, Caf ,جاف
fa, جاف, , From

Kermanshah Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...

with

Javanrud Javanrud (; fa, جوانرود; also Romanized as Javānrūd; also known as Qal‘a Jūanrūd, Qal‘eh Jūānrūd, and Qal‘eh-ye Javānrūd, all meaning "Fort Javanrud", and Jūānrū) is a city in Javanrud County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. ...

as area of origin., ,

Sorani Central Kurdish (), also called Sorani (), is a Kurdish dialect or a language that is spoken in Iraq, mainly in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as the provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan in western Iran. Sorani is one of the two o ...

–speaking. , - , Jalali, , ku, Celalî ,جەلالیان
fa, جلالی, , Around Maku., ,

–speaking. , - , Jalilavand, , ku, Celalwend ,جەلیلوەند
fa, جلیلوند, , Around

Dinavar Dinavar (also spelled Dinawar and Daynavar; fa, دینور) was a major town between the 7th and 10th centuries, located to the northeast of Kermanshah in western Iran. The ruins of the town is now located in Dinavar District, in Sahneh County, ...

and in Lorestan Province., ,

–speaking. , - , Kakavand, , ku, Kakewend ,کاکەوەن
fa, کاکاوند, ,

Harsin Harsin ( ku, هەرسين, fa, هرسين; also Romanized as Harsīn) is a city and capital of Harsin County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 51,562, in 12,001 families. Harsin is situated 44 km east of K ...

area, and

Kakavand District Kakavand District ( ku, نامچەی کاکاوەن fa, بخش کاکاوند) is a district (bakhsh) in Delfan County, Lorestan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country l ...

, Delfan., ,

–speaking. , - , Kalhori, , ku, Kelhûr ,کەڵھوڕ
fa, کلهر, , Around

Eslamabad-e Gharb Eslamabad-e Gharb ( fa, اسلام‌آباد غرب; also Romanized as Eslāmābād-e Gharb; also known as Eslāmābād, Shāhābād, and Shāhābād-e Gharb), is a city and capital of Eslamabad-e Gharb County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the ...

Qasr-e Shirin Qasr-e Shirin ( fa, قصرشيرين; also Romanized as Qaşr-e Shīrīn and Qasr-ī-Shīrīn; also known as Ghasr-ī-shīrīn and Ghasr-shīrīn, Kurdish: قەسری شیرین) is a city and capital of Qasr-e Shirin County, Kermanshah Province, ...

and

Gilan-e Gharb Gilan-e Gharb (Kurdish: Gyellan گیەڵان) ( fa, گيلانغرب; also Romanized as Gīlān-e Gharb; also known as Gharb) is the capital city of Gilan-e Gharb County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. Demographics The city is populated by Kurds ...

.
Ilam Province ( Chardoval and

Eyvan Eyvan ( fa, ايوان, ku, Eywan, also Romanized as Eywān and Aīvān; also known as Eyvān-e Gharb and Jūy Zar; formerly, Bāgh-e Shāh and Bāgh-ī-Shāh) is a city in and capital of Eyvan County, Ilam Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, ...

), ,

–speaking. , - , Khezel, , ku, خه‌زه‌ل
fa, خزل, , Ilam Province, ,

–speaking , - , Kolivand, , fa, كليوند, , Ilam Province, , , - , Kordshuli, , ku, Kurdşûlî
fa, کردشولی, , Fars Province, ,

–speaking , - ,

Kuruni Kuruni (also: Curuni and Coeroeni) is a village in the Coeroeni resort in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is inhabited by indigenous people of the Tiriyó tribe. The inhabitants are of the subgroup Aramayana or the Bee people. O ...

, , ku, Kûranî
fa, کورونی, , Fars Province, , , - , Malekshahi, , ku, Melekşahî
fa, ملکشاهی, , Ilam Province, ,

–speaking , - , Mamash, , ku, Mamaş ,مامش
fa, مامش, , Southern parts of West Azerbaijan., ,

–speaking. , - , Mangur, , ku, Mangûr ,مەنگوڕ
fa, منگور, , Around

Mahabad Mahabad ( fa, مهاباد, ku, مەهاباد, translit=Mehabad), also Romanized as Mihābād and Muhābād and formerly known as Savojbolagh, is a city and capital of Mahabad County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its p ...

, Sardasht and

Bukan Bukan ( fa, بوکان, translit=Bukân, ku, بۆکان, translit=Bokan) is the capital of Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. As of 2016, its population was estimated to be near 193,501 people or 56,000 families. The city is situated e ...

in West Azerbaijan., ,

–speaking. , - ,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, , ku, Mîlan ,میلان
fa, میلان, , North of Zurabad in northern West Azerbaijan, ,

–speaking. , - , Mukri, , ku, Mukrî ,موکری
fa, مکری, , Around

and

Saqqez Saqqez ( ; fa, سقز ; ), also known as Saghez, Saqez, Saqqiz, Saqiz, and Sakīz, is the capital city of Saqqez County in Kurdistan Province, in northwestern Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population was 165,258. Etymology The nam ...

., ,

–speaking. , - , Musavand, , fa, موسی وند, , Hamadan Province, ,

–speaking , - , Qolugjan, , , , Ardabil Province, , , - , Reşwan, , ku, Reşwan ,ڕەشوان
fa, رشوند, , Gilan Province,

and Qazvin Province, ,

–speaking , - , Rizehvand, , fa, ریزه وند, , Ilam Province, , , - , Sanjâbi, , ku, Sencabî ,سنجاوی
fa, سنجابی, , Western parts of Kermanshah Province., ,

-speaking. , - ,

Shaqaqi The Shekak (also Shakkak, Shikakan or Shekkāk; ; ) is a Kurdish tribe present in various regions, mainly in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. History The Shikaki tribe are first mentioned in a Yezidi mişûr (manuscript) from 1207 AD, where the ...

, , ku, Şeqaqî ,شەقاقی
fa, شقاقی, ,

, , , - , Shatran, , fa, شاترانلو, , Ardabil Province, , , - ,

Shekak The Shekak (also Shakkak, Shikakan or Shekkāk; ; ) is a Kurdish tribe present in various regions, mainly in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. History The Shikaki tribe are first mentioned in a Yezidi mişûr (manuscript) from 1207 AD, where the ...

, , ku, Şikak ,شکاک
fa, شکاک, , Western countryside of

., ,

–speaking. , - , Shuhan, , fa, شوهان, , Ilam Province, ,

–speaking , - , Torkashvand, , fa, ترکاشوند, , Hamadan Province, ,

–speaking , - , Uriad, , fa, اوریاد, , Fars Province, , , - ,

Zangana The Zangana tribe is a Kurdish tribe in Kermanshah province and some parts of Iraqi Kurdistan. They speak a distinct dialect. However, in recent years they have linguistically assimilated into the language practice of Sorani speakers in the area ...

, , ku, Zengine ,زەنگەنە
fa, زنگنه, , South of

., ,

–speaking. , - , Zola, , ku, زۆلا
fa, زوله, , Hamadan Province, ,

–speaking

Geography

Religion

Political history

Emergence of Kurdish nationalism

Cross-border interaction (1918–1979)

Cross-border interaction after 1979

Separatism

Tribes

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading