This book was written by Vladimir Minorsky in 1914 and published in 1915; it is divided into eight chapters:
Chapter One
Kurdish motherland, the geography of their state
The author had more familiar with Kurdish geography provinces; in 1913 he was a member of the committee who appointed the border between Ottomans and Qajar. He was accurately pointed on the Kurdish motherland and has clarified the mixed border with its neighbors. He says these three provinces belong to the Kurds, the high mountains of Armenia, North Kurdistan in Turkey and the Iran West Mountains, thus Kurds are living in a wide area, it starts from Turkey, Persian and Iraqi Kurdistan borders till it reaches to the Ararat Mountains. Generally, the Kurds and the mountains cannot be separated, wherever starting the plains they will live to the Arabs and Turks.
Chapter Two
Kurds history
According to Minorsky (the Kurds language linked with some Iranian dialects, according their language, I believe their country will be in the east, p. 45-47). He also described some of Kurd’s emirates till it arrives on the revolution of the sheik Obaidullah Alnahry, he says (the goal of the revolutionary target was gaining independence to Kurdistan, p. 57). He also says in 1890th the Turks attempted to use the Kurds against Armenians while sheik Obaidullah refused to oppress the Armani’s, he said, “If we destroy the Armani’s after that the Turks will ruin us, p.58-59”.
Chapter Three
The Kurd’s daily life and social class
The Kurds have chosen two sides of life nomadic and civilized, in winter they would live in the valleys and the mud houses, in spring they have chosen the farmhouses. Socially, the Kurds consisted of tribes. The tribes were divided into two parts, the first one was the warriors and the second one was the farmers.
Chapter Four
Language, literature and writing
Minorsky stated that Kurds have an independent language and it refers to the Aries family, he emphasized the Kurdish language directly combined to Avesta language. The language divided into three dialects.
Then, he concentrated on the Kurdish literature and gives a sample of folk literature like Mam and Zin, later he mentioned the name of (Malay Jaziri) as a well-known Kurdish poet.
About writing Minorsky has divided Kurdish writing into two parts, firstly, those which have written by the Kurdish themselves such as in Kurdistan journal in 1898. Secondly, those which have written by the foreign writers about Kurds, for instance, Mejarson’s book about Kurdish grammar 1913.
Chapter Five
Religion
Most of the Kurds were Muslim, particularly, Sunni ideology. Usually, they have chosen (Tasawf) doctrine, especially, (Naqshabandi and Qaderi). Besides, the Kurdish Yazidi and Alawy have mentioned as well.
Chapter Six
Kurdish Ethic
the writer mentioned, the Kurdish morality looked like the knighthoods, furthermore, he stated that three major points had impacted on the Kurdish behavior, the small emirate lives in the middle centuries, the tribal rules and using the Kurds by the Turks.
Chapter Seven
Women position
Women have a great position among Kurdish society, there was no difference between both genders and both were working, they negotiate without limitation. There were many women’s becoming the leaders of their clans.
Chapter Eight
Kurd in Russia
The first time of appearing the Kurds in Russia was after the (Gulistan agreement) between Russian and Iran in 1813. After the Turks attacked the Kurds in Yerevan some of them went to Russia in 1828, finally, the amount of the Kurds who left Persian and Ardehan provinces to the Russia land became doubled in 1878.
