Differences Between Kurds and Persians

Oct 23, 2022 · 3 min read ·

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Kurdistan

Kurds vs Persians

Kurds and Persians are two ethnic people that primarily live in the country of Iran. As ethnic groups, they are mostly affiliated with their culture and traditions rather than their religious affiliations. The two ethnic groups belong to the four major ethnic people living in Iran. The other ethnic groups are Arabs and Turks.

The two terms are descriptions for a person who comes from a certain land. Kurds are known to be someone who lives or is affiliated with Kurdistan or the Kurdish culture. The same is applicable to Persians and their link to Persia (now modern Iran) and the history and culture of their people.

The Kurds live in Iran, but they are considered a minority in the country. Aside from Iran, they also live in the neighboring countries of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and other countries forming an unofficial settlement called Kurdistan. Meanwhile, the Persians are considered the main people of Iran. They are not confined to the country and can be found in countries from Iran to Afghanistan.

The Persians descended from the Aryan race, the origin of the modern Persian people. The name “Iran” itself is the Persian word for the country. The name was first used in 1935 as a replacement in Persia. In contrast, Kurds one of the indigenous people of the Mesopotamian plains.

The Kurds are mostly ethnic people and do not have any independent religion of their own. On the other hand, Persians have Zoroastrianism as their regional religion.

The two people also speak different languages. The Kurds speak in Kurdish while Persians speak Farsi, the dominant language in Iran. Both the Kurdish and Persian languages are part of the Iranian language, specifically the Western Iranian language.

Both people have a long history as a people. The Kurds are mostly nomads and without a permanent settlement. There is no existing Kurdish nation or state. On the other hand, Persians have a permanent settlement. They have been living in the same land for thousands of years. An example of this is the Achaemenid Empire that included many countries in its height of power. It was later included in the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great.

Kurds are known to have endured repression from other ethnic groups. In contrast, Persians are famous as conquerors and warriors in ancient history.

Summary:

Both the Persians and the Kurds are two of the major ethnic groups in the country of Iran and in the Middle East. Both have their own unique culture, traditions, and language. Arabs and Turks comprise the other two of the four ethnic groups.

Persians are the dominant ethnic group in Iran and considered its native people. Meanwhile, the Kurds are one of the minority ethnic groups. Persians are known to be descendants of the Aryan people while Kurds are one of the indigenous people of the Mesopotamian plains.

Persians have their own regional religion, Zoroastrianism, aside from the predominant religion of Islam. The Kurds do not have any independent religion, but they are also members of the religions that exist in the Middle East.

Both ethnic groups have their own long histories. However, Kurds have remained nomads most of the time while Persians created settlements, even an empire. Persians are usually concentrated in Iran while the Kurds live in Kurdistan, an unofficial settlement and regarded as a region rather than a country.

Both ethnic groups have their own language, Kurdish and Farsi. Furthermore, both languages are part of the Iranian language and Western Iranian language as a sub-classification.

In comparison, Persians are native Iranians and are considered the more progressive ethnic group compared to the Kurds.

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