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Ehmedê Xanî (also Ahmad-e Khani, ) was a
Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...
intellectual, scholar, mystic and
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
who is viewed by some as the founder of
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 ...
. He was born in the
Hakkâri Hakkari or Hakkâri may refer to: * Hakkari (historical region), a historical region in modern-day Turkey and Iraq *Hakkâri (city), a city and the capital of Hakkâri Province, Turkey *Hakkâri Province Hakkâri Province (, ; ), is a province ...
region in 1650 and died in Bayazid in 1707. Xanî's most important work is '' Mem and Zin'', a long romantic
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
which is sometimes viewed as the Kurdish
national epic A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks to or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation—not necessarily a nation state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group wi ...
. It is the most famous work of Kurdish literature among both Kurds and non-Kurds. His other important works include , a versified Arabic-Kurdish vocabulary, and , a religious poem. These works were studied in Kurdish schools from the time of Khani towards the 1930s. Xanî admired the Kurmanji poets Melayê Cizîrî and Feqiyê Teyran. Joyce Blau called him the spiritual son of Cizîrî, Teyran and Ali Hariri.


Biography

Xanî was born in the village of Khan in the region of Hakkari (in modern-day southeastern Turkey) in 1650. He received his education in
religious schools A religious school is a school that either has a religious component in its operations or its curriculum, or exists primarily for the purpose of teaching aspects of a particular religion. For children A 2002 study in the United States found highe ...
and went to study in different parts of
Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...
. He wrote his first poem at the age of fourteen and became a clerical secretary at the princely court of Bayazid at the age of twenty. It is possible that he also visited Syria and Egypt. There are indications in his poetry that he lived for a long time in the city of
Jazira Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic language, Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula". The term may refer to: Business *Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait Locations * Al-Jazir ...
(Cizre), which was the capital of the Kurdish principality of Bohtan. He completed the romantic
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
'' Mem and Zin'', his most famous work, at the age of 44. He worked as a teacher in Bayazid in the last years of his life. Most scholars concur that he died in Bayazid in 1707.


Nationalism

Xanî is sometimes considered the founder of
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 ...
or viewed as a proto-nationalist. He expressed his negative opinion of Arabs, Persians, and Armenians in his poetry. In the introductory chapters of his epic poem ''Mem and Zin'', he did not devote parts of the introduction to praising the rulers of his time, which was typical in classical Oriental literature. Instead, he wrote of the subjugation of the Kurds and the occupation of
Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...
by the
Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
and the
Safavids The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
, as a result of which the Kurds lacked their own independent state with a Kurdish monarch. Such a ruler could liberate Kurds from the 'vile'. He also believed that an independent Kurdistan could safeguard the
Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...
language for scientific and intellectual purposes. He wrote: According to Ferhad Shakely, many later Kurdish poets, such as Haji Qadir Koyi (1824–1897), followed Xanî's example and lauded the struggle of the Kurds for liberty. In the 20th century, ''Mem and Zin'' was hailed as the earliest expression of Kurdish nationalism. This interpretation has been criticized by Hakan Özoğlu, who argues that "it is highly unlikely that Ahmed-i Hani sought a nation-state for the Kurds." According to Özoğlu, Xanî may have only had
Kurmanji Kurmanji (, ), also termed Northern Kurdish, is the northernmost of the Kurdish languages, spoken predominantly in southeast Turkey, northwest and northeast Iran, northern Iraq, northern Syria and the Caucasus and Khorasan regions. It is the ...
speakers in mind when writing. Martin van Bruinessen states that it is incorrect to call Xanî a nationalist, although his works "have played an important part in crucial phases of the Kurdish national movement." He writes, "Kurd in anî'speriod appears to refer only to the Kurdish tribes and a part of the urban aristocratic elite, but not to the non-tribal peasantry." In van Bruinessen's view, if Xanî conceived of a state when wishing for a Kurdish king, it was not of a Kurdish nation-state but a multi-ethnic state where Kurds would conquer their neighbors. Leonard Michael Koff argues that Xanî wrote of Kurdish moral and cultural independence but understood the impossibility of political independence.


Works

*''Mem û Zîn'' (Mem and Zin) * ''Eqîdeya Îmanê'' (The Path of Faith) * ''Eqîdeya Îslamê'' (Basics of Islam) * ''Nûbihara Biçûkan (The Spring of Children)'' * ''Erdê Xweda'' (Astronomy and Geography book) * ''Dîwana Helbestan''


References


Further reading

* New edition: Brussels, Koerdisch Instituut, 1993.


External links

*
''Ahmad Khani''
Kurdish Academy of Language KAL

Noahs Ark Holidays {{DEFAULTSORT:Xani, Ehmede 1650 births 1707 deaths Khani, Ahmad Kurdish-language poets Kurdish-language writers Kurdish scholars Kurdish nationalists Kurdish philosophers Kurdish historians Kurdish people from the Ottoman Empire Lexicographers People from Hakkâri Province 17th-century Kurdish people 18th-century Kurdish people