Kurds in Iran

Kurds in Iran (Kurdish: Kurdên Îranê ,کورد لە ئێران‎,[6] Persian: کردها در ایران‎)[7] are the third largest ethnic group in Iran[8] after Persians and Iranian Azerbaijanis, comprising about 10% of the country's population according to the CIA in 2014.[1]

See also: Iranian Kurdistan

Iranian Kurds

Total population
8.1 million (10%) (2014 CIA estimate)[1]
Languages
Kurdish, Gorani and Persian
Religion
Shia Islam (Twelver)[2][3] Sunni Islam (Shafi‘i)[4] (Sufi order Qadiriyya also present)[5] Yarsanism
Related ethnic groups
see Iranian peoples

Geographic distribution

Iranian Kurds in Marivan protest against ISIL during the Siege of Kobanî, 6 October 2014

Iranian Kurdistan or Eastern Kurdistan (Kurdish: Rojhilatê Kurdistanê), is an unofficial name for the parts of western Iran inhabited by Kurds which borders Iraq and Turkey.[9] It includes the Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, West Azerbaijan Province, Ilam Province, Lorestan Province and West Azerbaijan Province.[10][11][12][13]

Shia Feyli Kurds inhabit Kermanshah Province, except for those parts where people are Jaff, and Ilam Province; as well as some parts of Kurdistan and Hamadan provinces. The Kurds of Khorasan, in the North Khorasan Province of northeastern Iran, are Shi'ite Muslims.[14][15] The Laki tribe populate parts of Ilam Province and Lorestan Province, while Chegini Kurds reside in central Lorestan.

During the Iranian Revolution, Kurdish nationalist political parties were unsuccessful in attracting support, who at that time had no interest in autonomy.[16][17] However, since the 1990s, Kurdish nationalism in the region has grown, partly due to outrage at the government's violent suppression of Kurdish activism.[18]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Kurdistan

The two major religions among Kurds in Iran are Islam and Yarsanism, while fewer Kurds adhere to Baháʼí and Judaism.[19][20] There is disagreement on which is the largest denomination among Kurds; some experts such as Richard N. Frye and Martin van Bruinessen argue that Sunni Islam (the Shafi‘i branch[4]) is the majority religion,[21][22] while researcher Anu Leinonen believes it is the Twelver branch of Shia Islam.[23]

Pockets of Sunni Kurds belong to the Qadiriyya tariqa (around Marivan and Sanandaj). These orders have experienced repression from the state, including the destruction of their places of worship.[5][24] Yarsanis are also targeted by the central government.[25]

Separatism

Main articles: Kurdish separatism in Iran and Republic of Mahabad

Kurdish separatism in Iran[26][27][28] is weaker than Kurdish separatism in the other parts of Kurdistan, possibly because of the stronger cultural links between Kurds and Persians. Even so, there has been sporadic separatist conflict[26] since 1918, most recently during the 2016 West Iran clashes.[27] Today, some of the main protagonists are the Kurdistan Free Life Party, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

Tribes

Main article: Kurdish tribes

Tribe	Kurdish and Persian names	Geography	Notes
Ali Sherwan	Kurdish: عه‌لی شیروان‎ Persian: ئایل علیشروان‎	Ilam Province[29]	Southern Kurdish–speaking[29]
Amar	Kurdish: عمار‎‎ Persian: عمارلو‎	Gilan Province, Greater Khorasan and Qazvin Province[30][31]	Kurmanji–speaking[31]
Arkawâzi	Kurdish: ئه‌رکه‌وازی‎ Persian: ارکوازی‎	Ilam Province[29]	Southern Kurdish–speaking[29]
Badreh	Kurdish: بەدرە‎ Persian: بدره‌ای‎	Ilam Province[32]
Balavand	Persian: بالاوند‎	Ilam Province[29]
Beiranvand	Kurdish: Bîranwend ,بیرانوەند‎ Persian: بیرانوند‎	Between Aleshtar and Khorramabad; Bayranshahr.[33]	Laki–speaking.[33]
Chahardoli	Persian: چاردولی‎	Hamadan Province and West Azerbaijan Province[34]	Laki–speaking[34]
Chalabianlu	Persian: چلبیانلو‎‎	East Azerbaijan Province[35]
Chegini	Kurdish: Çengînî ,چەگینی‎ Persian: چگنی‎	Between Khorramabad and the Kashgan river.[36]	Chegini dialect (Mixture of Laki and Luri)[37]
Dehbalai	Persian: بالایی‎	Ilam Province[29]
Delikan	Persian: دلیکانلو‎	Ardabil Province[38]	Turkophone[38]
Dilfan	Kurdish: Dilfan ,دیلفان‎ Persian: دلفان‎‎	Around Delfan County. Present in Ilam and Mazandaran provinces as well.[39]	Laki–speaking[39]
Donboli	Kurdish: Dimilî ,دونبەلی‎ Persian: دنبلی‎	Khoy and Salmas area.[40]	Turkophone[41]
Falak al-Din	Persian: فلک ئالدین‎	Hamadan Province[42]	Laki–speaking[42]
Eyvan	Kurdish: ئه‌یوان‎ Persian: ايوان‎‎	Ilam Province[29]
Feyli	Kurdish: Feylî ,فه‌یلی‎ Persian: فیلی‎	Ilam Province (Ilam, Chardoval, Mehran, Malekshahi, Abdanan, Dehloran).[43]	Southern Kurdish–speaking.[43]
Ghiasvand	Persian: قیاسوند‎	Hamadan Province[42]	Laki–speaking[42]
Guran	Kurdish: Goran ,گۆران‎ Persian: گوران‎	Hawraman region	Gorani–speaking.[44]
Hasanvand	Kurdish: حەسەنوەند‎ Persian: حسنوند‎	Around Aligudarz, Khorramabad and Borujerd.[45]	Laki–speaking.[46]
Herki	Kurdish: Herkî ,ھەرکی‎ Persian: هرکی‎	Western countryside of Urmia in the Targavar and Margavar valleys.[47][48]	Kurmanji–speaking.[49]
Jaff	Kurdish: Caf ,جاف‎ Persian: جاف‎	From Sanandaj to Kermanshah with Javanrud as area of origin.[50]	Sorani–speaking.[51]
Jalali	Kurdish: Celalî ,جەلالیان‎ Persian: جلالی‎	Around Maku.[52]	Kurmanji–speaking.[53]
Jalilavand	Kurdish: Celalwend ,جەلیلوەند‎ Persian: جلیلوند‎	Around Dinavar and in Lorestan Province.[54]	Laki–speaking.[54]
Kakavand	Kurdish: Kakewend ,کاکەوەن‎ Persian: کاکاوند‎	Kermanshah, Harsin area,[55] and Kakavand District, Delfan.[56]	Laki–speaking.[55]
Kalhori	Kurdish: Kelhûr ,کەڵھوڕ‎ Persian: کلهر‎	Around Eslamabad-e Gharb, Qasr-e Shirin and Gilan-e Gharb.[57] Ilam Province (Chardoval and Eyvan)[43]	Southern Kurdish–speaking.[43]
Khezel	Kurdish: خه‌زه‌ل‎ Persian: خزل‎	Ilam Province[29]	Southern Kurdish–speaking[29]
Kolivand	Persian: كليوند‎	Ilam Province[29]
Kordshuli	Kurdish: Kurdşûlî‎ Persian: کردشولی‎	Fars Province[58]	Laki–speaking[59]
Kuruni	Kurdish: Kûranî‎ Persian: کورونی‎	Fars Province[60]
Malekshahi	Kurdish: Melekşahî‎ Persian: ملکشاهی‎	Ilam Province[29]	Southern Kurdish–speaking[43]
Mamash	Kurdish: Mamaş ,مامش‎ Persian: مامش‎	Southern parts of West Azerbaijan.[61]	Sorani–speaking.[61]
Mangur	Kurdish: Mangûr ,مەنگوڕ‎ Persian: منگور‎	Around Piranshahr, Mahabad, Sardasht and Bukan in West Azerbaijan.[62]	Sorani–speaking.[63]
Milan	Kurdish: Mîlan ,میلان‎ Persian: میلان‎	North of Zurabad in northern West Azerbaijan[64]	Kurmanji–speaking.[64]
Mukri	Kurdish: Mukrî ,موکری‎ Persian: مکری‎	Around Baneh, Mahabad, Piranshahr and Saqqez.[65]	Sorani–speaking.[66]
Musavand	Persian: موسی وند‎	Hamadan Province[42]	Laki–speaking[42]
Qolugjan		Ardabil Province[38]
Reşwan	Kurdish: Reşwan ,ڕەشوان‎ Persian: رشوند‎	Gilan Province, Greater Khorasan and Qazvin Province[30][31]	Kurmanji–speaking[31]
Rizehvand	Persian: ریزه وند‎	Ilam Province[67]
Sanjâbi	Kurdish: Sencabî ,سنجاوی‎ Persian: سنجابی‎	Western parts of Kermanshah Province.[68]	Southern Kurdish-speaking.[69]
Shaqaqi	Kurdish: Şeqaqî ,شەقاقی‎ Persian: شقاقی‎	East Azerbaijan Province[70]
Shatran	Persian: شاترانلو‎	Ardabil Province[38]
Shekak	Kurdish: Şikak ,شکاک‎ Persian: شکاک‎	Western countryside of Urmia.[71]	Kurmanji–speaking.[72]
Shuhan	Persian: شوهان‎	Ilam Province[29]	Southern Kurdish–speaking[29]
Torkashvand	Persian: ترکاشوند‎	Hamadan Province[42]	Laki–speaking[42]
Uriad	Persian: اوریاد‎	Fars Province[58]
Zangana	Kurdish: Zengine ,زەنگەنە‎ Persian: زنگنه‎	South of Kermanshah.[57]	Southern Kurdish–speaking.[57]
Zola	Kurdish: زۆلا‎ Persian: زوله‎	Hamadan Province[42]	Laki–speaking[42]

See also

• Ardalan
• Mokryan

References

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