Nationalism or Tribalism? Simko’s Revolt

Abstract

In Iran, Kurdish aspirations for independence, economic progress, and cultural expression began to develop as a consequence of the political and economic processes of changing the lifestyle of tribes and nomads implemented by the central government of Reza Shah. This process, which started in the 1920s, included the forced settlement of the nomadic tribes of Kurdistan, and their eventual sedentarization, which, in turn, weakened the traditional social and economic ties of the community. This is not to say that any nomadic community which becomes sedentary also pursues ideas of national identity. In the case of the Kurds in Iran, largely due to the government’s repressive policies, Kurdish national aspirations for self-government, cultural expression, and economic progress have been nourished.