Chronological account of Yazidi peoples from origins to present
Yazidi conversion prohibitions refer to legal measures in Iraq that criminalise attempts to change a Yazidi’s religious identity, intertwining constitutional provisions, the 2021 religious‑identity law, and international human‑rights obligations. The article analyses these statutes, their enforcement, and the broader impact on Yazidi survivors of genocide.
Soviet collectivisation in the 1920s‑30s radically transformed Yazidi farming villages of the South Caucasus, breaking traditional land tenure, prompting resistance, and reshaping demographic patterns. The policy’s violent implementation left lasting economic and cultural scars on these minority communities.
In the mid‑1800s the Ottoman Empire’s drive to centralize power, impose conscription, and enforce conversion policies dramatically reshaped Yazidi tribal structures, landholdings, and demographic patterns. Scholarly work reveals a complex mix of resistance, coercion, and occasional accommodation that left lasting scars on Yazidi collective memory.
The Ottoman Turkish language left a lasting imprint on the way Yazidis are named in both native and foreign contexts. This article traces the etymology, historical documentation, and modern variations of the Yazidi ethnonym, highlighting Ottoman administrative records and linguistic borrowing.
During World War I, Yazidi communities in the Ottoman periphery mounted armed resistance, most famously under leaders like Jangir Agha. Their tactics, alliances with Armenian forces, and the post‑war repercussions shaped Yazidi political identity in the early twentieth century.
This article examines the role of Sheikh Adi and other Kurdish‑regional Sufi saints in shaping Yazidi theology, ritual practice, and inter‑faith dynamics. Drawing on Persian, Arabic, and Kurdish sources, it traces historical links, oral traditions, scholarly debates, and contemporary misconceptions.
This article examines the core elements of Yazidi creation narratives and contrasts them with ancient Mesopotamian cosmogonic traditions. Drawing on oral qewl literature, sacred texts, and recent comparative scholarship, it highlights both shared motifs and distinctive theological frameworks.
The Heft Sirr (Seven Secrets) doctrine is a core Yazidi theological corpus that emerged in the medieval period and has been transmitted orally and in manuscripts for nine centuries. This article traces its development from the 12th‑century origins through Ottoman repression, modern reform, and 21st‑century digital preservation.
British consular dispatches of the 19th century provide some of the earliest systematic Western records of Ottoman‑led persecution against the Yazidi community. By analysing reports from officials such as Capt. F. R. Maunsell and Lt.‑Col. Herbert Chermside, scholars have reconstructed the scale of massacres, forced conversions and displacement that shaped Yazidi collective memory.
The Yazidi Mîr, the hereditary political and religious leader of the Yazidi community, is chosen through a blend of lineage, council approval, and community consensus. This article examines the traditional mechanisms of succession, recent disputes following the 2019 death of Mir Tahsin Beg, and the evolving challenges facing the institution today.