'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎231r] (466/862)

PEOPLE
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their race, which they themselves describe as avaricious (tamakar),
savage (wahsi), and material-minded (zahirbin), ‘seeing only what is
before you’. They surpass the Arab in energy and enterprise and in
genuine interest in modern inventions, and are said to be more cleanly
than Arabs (p. 346). They do not despise manual labour, and their
thrift and avarice make them keen farmers; though their own standard
of work is relatively low, they soon learn to work hard under European
leadership. The blood-feud is certainly pursued with far greater
ferocity between Kurds than between Arabs, but is only impla
cable between men of high rank. The traditional readiness to shed
blood is accentuated by extreme violence of temper which often
causes sudden assassinations. In a private quarrel or an official
investigation they will lie freely and break oaths, so that specially
solemn sanctions are devised for them; but in ordinary transactions
they have a standard of honesty. Kurds greatly admire acts of
boldness and bravery, and their own simplicity and courage have won
much praise. As friends their loyalty, when won, is more reliable
than that of Arabs. The Kurd is also a great lover of his home, which
he leaves with reluctance for periods above ten days, except in the
seasonal migration of the whole community (p. 372). The duty
of hospitality is strictly regarded (p. 342), and there is unusual
freedom in their private lives; their women mix more freely with
men and have a position closer to equality with men than in any other
Asiatic Moslem community. On occasion they fight by their hus
bands’ side and some have turned Amazon. Certain women have
even attained the headship of clans and tribes, usually as regents.
The most remarkable of these was the great Adela Khanum, who
ruled the Jaf tribe at Halabja with her husband’s acquiescence for
many years from 1895 till her death after the war of 1914-18.
The Nestorian ‘Assyrians’ in character and virtues resemble the
Kurds.
Social Organization
The Kurds live either by agriculture or by agriculture combined
with sheep-breeding or by sheep-breeding alone. Accordingly they
are either settled in permanent villages from which a proportion of
their number may accompany their flocks on necessary seasonal
migrations, or are nomads or semi-nomads, who live in tents and
range sometimes far afield for summer pasture (p. 372). Both
sedentary and nomadic Kurds are tribally organized (p. 343), but
among the sedentaries the effective unit is the gund or village, a