The life and political role of Kurdish women in the Ottoman Empire

• Main Authors: Jalal Nore, Abdul Wahed Jalal Nore, Ahmed, Bzhar Othman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: IIUM Press 2020
• Subjects: D History (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/86615/7/86615_The%20Life%20and%20Political%20Role%20of%20Kurdish%20Women.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86615/; https://journals.iium.edu.my/irkh/index.php/ijrcs/article/view/154
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Abstract: Kurdish women have always played a major role in communal and political activities, notably during the Ayyubid dynasty. In the Ottoman era, many Kurdish women played a great role in politics and even ruled in some places. However, populist feminist narratives have been ignorant of the strident role played by Kurdish women during the Golden age of Islam in Kurdistan, including believing Orientalist stereotypes that they had no rights and could not go outside freely. This article shows the dynamic role of Kurdish women in the Ottoman era, particularly their contributions in politics, using qualitative historical and textual analysis, with an exploratory qualitative research design, depending on both the primary and secondary sources. This article also presents a more authentic understanding of Kurdish women’s lives in their communities, particularly their highly influential role in dynastic politics and their symbiotic careerism with their husbands and sons.