The Kurds have been around as a discreet ethnic group for millennia. At times dominant, at other times subject to neighbours, they continue to survive. There problem in modern times is that they don’t live in a concentrated geographical area; instead they are spread over three Middle Eastern states and so cannot claim ma nation-state of their own. This course looks at the long history from Persian days through to modern conflicts in Turkey, Iraq and Syria.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

COURSE OUTLINE

• A definition of what a Kurd actually live and where they live
• Kurds in ancient times
• Kurds through the great Islamic period
• Kurds under the Ottomans
• Modern Kurds from WW1 to the present: a quest for nationhood.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Define what a Kurd is, tracing their development over the centuries
2. Understand their role in the Middle East throughout the great Islamic and early modern periods
3. Trace the growth of modern nationalism from WW1 to the present
4. Recognise the role Kurds have played in modern conflicts, especially the Gulf Wars, the war against ISIS and the rebellions within Turkey and Syria