Ridpath's Universal history - an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the (14597684839)

Identifier: ridpathsuniversa05ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's Universal history : an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the civilized life among men and nations, from recent and authentic sources with a preliminary inquiry on the time, place and manner of the beginning
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history
Publisher: Cincinnati : Jones
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation



Text Appearing Before Image:
PASTORAL KURDS—TYPES.—Drawn by F. Courboier, from a photograph. Kurdish race is partly within the limits of the Persian empire, and partly within the dominions of Turkey. Extent and gen-eral character of The country cxtcnds from about the parallel of thirty-four to thirty-nine north, and from themeridian of thirty-nine to forty-seveneast from Greenwich. The area isapproximately forty thousand square The modern Kurds are divided intotwo classes: those who continue the pas-toral and migratory habit The Kurds di-of life, and those who have ^^^^^become sedentary in towns ^^^y tribes.and villages. The uplands and moun-tainous districts of Mesopotamia aremostly occupied by the nomads, whilealong the river courses, particularly on
Text Appearing After Image:
THE ARA3L-EANS.—MODERN KURDS. 223 the banks of the Tigris, villages havebeen established. Some of these occupythe sites of ancient cities. Perhaps nocountry in the world, with the exceptionof Egypt, Greece, and Italy, so muchabounds in interesting antiquities asdoes Kurdistan. The inscriptions of thecountry go back through all forms ofrecord to the cuneiform writing of theAssyrians. The traveler through thisregion stumbles ever and anon uponsome unmistakable evidence of the pre-occupation of the country by civilizedraces; but it requires the skill of an an-tiquary to determine to what epoch thevarious monuments, inscriptions, andremains of architecture belong. One of the striking peculiarities ofthe ethnic life of the Kurds is ancestralpride. It is in this particular that theyAncestral pride are most strongly alliedgrows rank; :^^ character with the Sem- preservation of family records, itic peoplcs. Genealogiesare preserved and recorded by the Kurd-ish families, with a care and vani