The Kurds

This indispensable resource for Western readers about the Kurdsan ancient indigenous group that exemplifies diversity in the Middle Eastexamines their history politics economics and social structure.The Kurds: An Encyclopedia of Life Culture and Society provides an insightful examination the Kurdsfrom their historical beginning to todaythrough thematic and country-specific essays as well as important primary documents that allow for a greater understanding of the diversity and pluralism of the region. This single-volume work looks at the Kurds from a variety of angles and disciplines including history anthropology economics religion geography and musicology to cover the ethnic populations of the original Kurdish homeland states as well as of the diaspora. The book evaluates sources in Kurdish (both Kurmanci and Sorani) in addition to information of Arabic Persian and Turkish origin to present broad up-to-date coverage that will serve nonspecialist readers high school and college students and professionals journalists politicians and other decision makers who require accurate perspectives on Kurdish history and culture. Additionally an entire section of the book provides excerpts of primary sources selected for their importance to Kurdish history and identity. These 20 primary source excerpts are accompanied by introductions and analysis that enable readers to fully appreciate their political religious and cultural importance.