Kurdish Awakening

"Researchers of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran-in addition to broader international studies-will find this book to be significant. Kurdistan is becoming far more important in regional politics, and this will increase over the next few years... This book is a sober, academically nuanced reading of a very complex and transformative situation." -- Gareth Stansfield, Al-Qasimi Chair of Arab Gulf Studies, Professor of Middle East Politics, and Director, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter "This book complements many previous studies not only by [taking account of] contemporary developments, but also by exploring the changing role of the Kurds in their host states, the region, and the world. The experience of more than 30 million Kurds without a state is not unlike many other ethnic and religious groups that make up so many nation-less states. The literature on the Kurdish identity and issues of assimilation has moved beyond the politics of imperialism and self-determination to a rich world of multidisciplinary scholarship. This book plays a positive role in continuing the process." -- Charles G. McDonald, Professor Emeritus, Department of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University

Kurdish Awakening is a comprehensive examination of the sweeping developments in “Greater Kurdistan” over the past few decades, analyzing the growth of this nationalistic yet fragmented movement and illuminating its geopolitical implications.

Kurdish Awakening examines key questions related to Kurdish nationalism and identity formation in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. The world’s largest stateless ethnic group, Kurds have steadily grown in importance as a political power in the Middle East, particularly in light of the “Arab Spring.” As a result, Kurdish issues—political, cultural, and historical alike—have emerged as the subject of intense scholarly interest. This book provides fresh ways of understanding the historical and sociopolitical underpinnings of the ongoing Kurdish awakening and its already significant impact on the region.

Rather than focusing on one state or angle, this anthology fills a gap in the literature on the Kurds by providing a panoramic view of the Kurdish homeland’s various parts. The volume focuses on aspects of Kurdish nationalism and identity formation not addressed elsewhere, including perspectives on literature, gender, and constitution making. Further, broad thematic essays include a discussion of the historical experiences of the Kurds from the time of their Islamization more than a millennium ago up until the modern era, a comparison of the Kurdish experience with other ethno-national movements, and a treatment of the role of tribalism in modern nation building. This collection is unique in its use of original sources in various languages. The result is an analytically rich portrayal that sheds light on the Kurds’ prospects and the challenges they confront in a region undergoing sweeping upheavals.