The Role of Islamic Madrasas in Shaping the Kurdish Individual (1815-1946)

Abstract

In southern Kurdistan, there existed scholarly circles composed of poets, religious teachers, politicians, and some prominent intellectuals from among the families and administrators. Although small in number, these figures wielded significant influence over Kurdistan's cultural relations. Notable among them were Mela Idrissi Bitlisi, Ahmed Khani, Mela Jaziri, and Mela Mahmoud Bayazidi, among others.

During the emirate period, schools and the educational process were primarily regional in nature. Religious education was emphasized, taking place in rooms, mosques, tekkes, and khanqahs. These institutions served as centers for teaching and developing the personalities of students during the Ottoman era. Between 1534-1750, the learning process in mosques, rooms, and scriptoriums continued, though the methods of instruction were not standardized. However, throughout the various regions of Kurdistan, despite hardships, Kurdish personalities emerged. Children in these rooms, in addition to reading and writing, were taught the fundamentals of Islamic religious belief, prayer, calligraphy, memorization of the Holy Quran, and religious sciences.

Several schools emerged during this period, including Sidi Khan, Murad Khan, Imam Qasim Qobad Beg, the Grand Mosque, Rawanduz School, Jadida, the Kawlakan Mosque, and the Qala Garraki Mosque, among others. Many of these schools possessed libraries filled with diverse books and important manuscripts written in Persian, Turkish, and Arabic. Notable scholars such as Mela Umer Effendi, Ibn Adam, Mela Muhammad Wasimi, Mela Brahim Barznaji, and Sheikh Marifi Nodi emerged from these institutions. During this period, several prominent thinkers, linguists, and great poets arose, including Nali, Salim, Mawlawi, Kurdi, and Mahwi.

During the emirate period, formal education did not exist in the modern sense. Rather, religious centers served as the primary centers of learning and teaching. Several renowned religious institutions were established in cities such as Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Koya, and Hawraman by Kurdish emirs and authorities, who provided them with financial and moral support.

In 1847, the Ottoman Empire decided upon reforms aimed at eliminating backwardness. These reforms extended to the educational sphere, particularly through the establishment of Rüşdiye schools, which sought to transition education from purely religious institutions to civil and military schools. Later, schools of public knowledge and judicial schools were also established.

Following the weakening of the Ottoman Empire and the changes that occurred in the region, European missionary schools appeared in areas such as Urmia and Diyarbakır. These schools played an influential role in the education of Kurdish emirs and individuals. After 1918, further transformations took place in the region. Schools developed and expanded, and their role in shaping Kurdish emirs and Kurdish personalities became increasingly significant.