The Kurds: History and Politics

Module title	The Kurds: History and Politics
Module code	ARA3140
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Farangis Ghaderi ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	10

Module description

In this module you will focus on the socio-political history of Kurds and Kurdistan since the nineteenth century from the present day. You will examine the major events of Kurdish history, covering the late Ottoman Empire, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey and discussing the present volatile situation, focusing on the development of Kurdish nationalism and political movement(s), but also the relationships of the Kurds with their home governments, neighbouring populations, and international actors. You will also examine the transformation of the Kurdish society since the end of the 19^th century looking in particular at issues such as social organisation, gender, religion, migration, urbanisation, and diaspora, economic change, and neoliberalism.

The module is seminar-based, consisting of short lectures followed by in-depth class discussions and student presentations. No prior knowledge of the subject is required; the module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce you to the social and political history of the Kurds, the largest stateless nation and the largest group in the Middle East after Arabs, Persians and Turks. They have begun to play a prominent role in the complex politics and social transformation of the Middle East, which are difficult to understand without a grasp of the Kurds’ long and complicated history. The module aims to give you an understanding of the social and political history of the Kurds in relation to the global context, and to help you analyse their political organisation and the evolution of the society from a range of perspectives. The module will encourage you to critically examine the social and political history of the Kurds, considering issues of social organisation, nationalism, political party formation, identity and religion, migration, diaspora, and mobility, gender, political economy, regional and international relations.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the socio-political historical developments of the different parts in Kurdistan in a global context.
2. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the social and economical transformation of Kurdistan and Kurdish society since the late 19th century
3. Demonstrate objective analysis of the Kurds interaction with the dominant states of the region.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Discuss and analyze historical material.
5. Apply a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a particular ethno-national group.
6. Distinguish between a range of methodological approaches as well as variety of genres, i.e. historical, political or anthropological and sociological texts, (auto)biographical writings and fiction.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment.
8. Analyze and assess literature and various resources critically
9. Engage in independent study in group or individually

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• The Historiography of the Kurds and Kurdistan

• Kurds and Kurdistan in the first World War

• Kurdish nationalisms

• The Kurdish national movements and the states

• Kurdish Autonomies and Self-Governance

• Kurdish Diasporas

• War and transformation of society in Kurdistan

• Dispossessions and Ecologies

• Gender and Politics in Kurdistan

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	22	Classroom hours (11 x 2 hours seminars)
Guided Independent study	55	Weekly Reading and class preparation 5 hours x 11
Guided Independent study	20	Reading and writing up of book review
Guided Independent study	25	Project (15 hours researching/coordinating; 10 hours writing/preparing presentation)
Guided Independent study	28	Essay (18 hours reading, 10 hours writing)

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Class discussion and group or individual presentation	Weekly	1-3	Oral feedback
Project Proposal	500 words	1-3; 7	Oral and Written Feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Class Presentation	20	10 min	1-9	Written and verbal
Essay	40	1,500 words	1-9	Written (and verbal by appointment with student)
Project	40	Project material (video, podcast, painting, text, etc - TBD on individual basis with module convenor) equivalent to 1,000 words	1-9	Written and verbal

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Class Presentation (10 min)	Presentation Script (1000 words)	1-9	August/September reassessment period
Essay (1500 words)	Essay (1,500 words)	1-9	August/September reassessment period
Project (Project material (video, podcast, painting, text, etc - TBD on individual basis with module convenor) equivalent to 1,000 words)	Project material (video, podcast, painting, text, etc - TBD on individual basis with module convenor) equivalent to 1,000 words	1-9	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic Reading:

Baser, B.; Toivanen, M.; Zorlu, B. & Duman, Y. (eds.) (2018) Methodological Approaches in Kurdish Studies. Theoretical and Practical Insights from the Field. Lexington Books.

Bozarslan, H.; Gunes, C., Yardigi, V. (eds.) (2021) The Cambridge History of the Kurds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

McDowall, D. (1996). A Modern History of the Kurds, London: I.B. Tauris.

Meseilas, S. (1997). Kurdistan in the Shadow of history. New York : Random House.

Mojab, S. (2021) Women of Kurdistan: a historical and bibliographic study. London: Transnational Press London.

Ghassemlou, A. R. (1965). Kurdistan and the Kurds. Prague: Publishing House of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.

Gunter, M. M. (2011) [2004]. Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. Scarecrow press: Lanham and Oxford.

Kaya, Z. (2020) Mapping Kurdistan: territory, self-determination and nationalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Schmidinger, T. (2018). Rojava: revolution, war, and the future of Syria’s Kurds. London: Pluto Press.

Tejel, J. G.; Sluglett, P.; Bocco, R.; Bozarslan, H. (ed.) (2012). Writing the modern historiography of Iraq. Historiographical and political challenges. World Scientific Publishing, Hackensack, London.

Vali, A. (2020). The Forgotten Years of Kurdish Nationalism in Iran. Palgrave Mac Millan.

van Bruinessen, Martin (1992), Agha, Sheikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan, Zed Books: London & New Jersey.

Watts, N. (2010). Activists in office. Kurdish politics and protest in Turkey, Seattle, University of Washington Press.

Key words search

Kurdish history politics

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	none
Module co-requisites	none
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	10/02/2014
Last revision date	20/11/2024