Herki, also spelled Harki (Kurdish: Herkî, هەرکی), is a Kurmanji-speaking[1][2] Kurdish tribe native to the intersection zone between the borders of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.[3] Herki populations exist in Iraq (Kurdistan Region), Iran (West Azerbaijan Province),[4] and in Turkey (Hakkâri Province).[5] The majority of Herkis lived traditionally as nomads who dealt with animal husbandry, the weaving of intricate textiles,[6] and the transportation of goods between countries.[7] Herkis are predominantly Sunni Muslims of Shafi'i jurisprudence.[2]
According to oral lore, the common ancestor of Herki chieftains was a certain Abū Bakr, a fierce rival of Zayn al-Dīn of Shamdinan. He is said to have had four sons, the prominent ones being Mendō, Sīdō, and Serhāt. Nomadic Herki clans belong to three divisions said to be named after these eponymous ancestors: Mendān, Sīdān, and Serhātī.[10]
In the Sharafnama, the catalogue of principalities between Amedi and Khoy mentions the dynasty of Istūnī, in tandem with Zerzā[11] and Tāsnī.[12] However, no available copy contains a section dedicated to this emirate.[12][13] The name and rough geographical location point to Sitûnê, a Herki settlement[14][15] located to the north of Mergasor District.[16] Next to nothing is known about the emirate besides the names of several of its emirs involved in the Ottoman-Iranian wars.[17] The village of Sitûnê (formerly a fortress)[15] has an important place in the oral traditions of Shamdinan, where it is said to have hosted both the Abbasid mirs[14] and the Gilani sayyids[18] upon their arrival in the region. A connection between the Herki and the Emirate of Istūnī is highly probable.[13]
The Sharafnama also mentions a tribe by the name of Erkī in Little Lorestan, describing them as speaking Luri while not being "true" Lurs.[19] Zirar S. Tewfiq asserts that the Herki are attested in the medieval period through an individual named Bāw al-Arjī, a deputy of Abu'l-Hayjā’ al-Hakkārī.[20] Al-Azzawi states that it was affirmed to him by Fattah Agha, a Herki chieftain, that the Herki are a Millî tribe.[21]
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