Sharafnama, the book

Thursday, 30 August 2007,

Farhad Pirbal

Farhad Pirbal

First written in the 16th century, Sharafnama remains a masterpiece in the Kurdish library, four centuries later.

Being the oldest book ever written by a Kurd, Sharafnama is of particular significance to historians. The creation of Sharafnama, or The History of the Kurds and Kurdistan, by Mir Sharafkhani Batlisi, is a turning point in the history of Kurdish culture. The fact that a Kurd, for the first time, put Kurdish culture under a spotlight is of special importance in contrast to other studies that were done before Sharafnama that viewed Kurds in the context of the Greater Islam World.

So, one could say the importance of this book is its "Kurdish attitude" and the fact that it tries to study the Kurdish nation through the eyes of the Kurds. Sharafkhani Batlisi, who is considered the greatest Kurdish intellectual of his era, has not only given invaluable information about Kurds and Kurdish culture, but gives us excellent insight into the lives of the Kurdish people in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In this issue, on the occasion of the 410th anniversary of Sharafnama, The Globe will present a short chronology of Mir Sharafkhani Batlisi and his master work Sharafnama. full text