The Kurdish Depredations: "The Kernel of the Armenian Question
The major demographic assault, however, came from the Kurds. Descending from the Taurus mountain ranges of south-central Turkey, and from Persia, they settled in those northeastern districts of Turkey that historically and geographically were identified as "Armenia."
British Consul J.G. Taylor, following his inspection tour in "Koordistan" in 1868, declared:
"The Koords, inhabiting the Erzerum districts, with the exception of the Hakkaree, were originally immigrants from the vicinity of Diarbekir [italics added] and there is only one tribe, the Mamakanlee, said to be descended from the Armenian Mamagonians, who are natives of the soil.**11 The combined feudal, tribal, and seminomadic elements of Kurdish culture posed serious threats to a subjugated, unarmed, and sedentary Armenian population through deporedations, the chronic character of which began to destabilize and gradually erode the foundations of Armenian ethnic existence.
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Perhaps the most graphic descriptions of the Kurdish problem were provided by the Armenians themselves—specifically through an author articulating the intensity with which that problem was felt by many Armenian leaders. Through his Dashnak party organ in Geneva, this author—a party leader—in an editorial, branded the Kurds as predators who had become the nemesis of the Armenian people since the 1820s: 'The Armenians suffered more than any other nation from this permanent enemy—day by day, month by month, year by year." Here is a detailed statement of his:
"He is armed, doesn't pay taxes, oppresses and persecutes the Armenian." This, in a nutshell is the description of the inferno that lasted several centuries. The Armenian problem was a problem of Kurdo-Armenian relations which came to international attention in the 1870s dejure, but as a dt facto problem it existed for centuries. No other ethnic element, including the Turk, Tatar, and the Persian, has inflicted so much cultural and physical damage, so many blows and suffering, so many ruinous depredations and such pervasive oppression, perhaps not even reckless governments of tyranny, as the Kurd.
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