1940’s

A Brief Overview…

  During the peak of WWII, Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian (hailed as one of the three ‘titans’ of Soviet music), completes one of his most famous ballets in 1942, Gayane, which involved Kurdish characters and themes. The ballet’s most famous dance was the Saber Dance, also known as “The Dance of the Kurds”. In 1942, the early formation of the ‘Society for the Revival of Kurdistan’ (Komalay J. K. or Komala) commenced in Mahabad, Eastern Kurdistan. Its leaders and members consisted of the urban bourgeoisie, clergymen, educated youth, and nationalists. In 1945, Komala led by Qazi Muhammad became the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I) with aim to establish an autonomous land for Kurds. Joined by Mulla Mustafa Barzani, who led successful rebellions against the Iraqi regime until 1945, when the Iraqi government with the aid of the British RAF, forced him and his men to retreat into the Iranian border; where he eventually joined the Kurdish resistance within Eastern Kurdistan. Alongside Qazi Muhammed, he played a pivotal role in The Mahabad Republic which lasted from January 22nd to December 15th in the year 1946. The consequences of the short-lived republic led to the hanging of Kurdish hero Qazi Muhammad by the Iranian government on March 31st, 1947, in Mahabad. Mulla Mustafa Barzani was given refuge by the Soviet Union. The ending of the French mandate in the Levant saw the withdrawal of the French from Iraq, which affected the Bedirxan family’s cultural endeavours for the Kurdish cause (three main publications ended: Hawar [cry for help] (1932–1943), Ronahî [light] (1941–1943), and Roja Nû [new day] (1943 − 1946). In 1949, the celebrated Kurdish literary magazine Gelawêj (Sirius) which ran since 1939 ended its publishing in Iraq.