Kurds in world history (survey)

Kurdish history from antiquity to today, across the four states and the diaspora.

Level

Foundations

Who it is for

Anyone, including second-generation learners and host-country partners.

Format

Online at your own pace, with recorded talks and set readings.

About 30 hours. Hours are an estimate.

What you will be able to do

• Place the main periods of Kurdish history in order, from antiquity to today.
• Explain how borders drawn after 1918 shaped Kurdish life.
• Read a primary source critically.
• Recognise where histories are contested and why.

Modules

1. Land and peoples. Mountains, languages and early history.
2. Emirates and empires. Kurdish principalities between Ottomans and Safavids.
3. The twentieth century. Sèvres, Lausanne and the new states.
4. Four states. Türkiye, Iraq, Iran and Syria, each with its own history.
5. Exile and diaspora. The Soviet Union, Europe and beyond.
6. Today. Recent events, with every side's sources.

Assessment

A commentary on one primary source and a final quiz.

Status

Draft outline for scholarly review. The lessons, readings and questions are in preparation. Completion is recorded; nothing is accredited.

Course code: KCO-HIS-01.