DERSIM/ZAZANA: AN INTERNAL COLONY OF THE TURKISH STATE

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Auteur - yazari: Seyfi Cengiz(akt) Tarih, gün ve saat : 11. Ocak 2005 22:42:52:

This is an account of the land, people, language, religion and history of Dersim, intended for the people who have a concern in. It is based on a study by myself not yet published. A lengthy summary of this study in Turkish could be found on the Internet under the title of “Kal u Bal`dan
Beri (Dersim-Zaza Tarih Tezi)”. For some additional information see article
“Tarih Bizi Mansur Kılacaktır!”, also on the Internet.

Land

Dersim is an ancient ethnical and geographical name, which has been
mentioned in the historical sources, at least since Xenophon`s book called
Anabasis, written at the turn of the 5th century BC. The name was recorded
under different forms, such as Derxene/Xerxene in Xenophon, Pliny and
Strabo; Tzanica in Procopius and Agathias; and Derjan or Chaniuk in
Armenian geography. The once extensive territory has been reduced to Inner
Dersim, that is today a province in the eastern part of Turkey, situated
between the two branches of the river Euphrates, known as Karasu and Murat.
It was renamed as “Tunceli” during a Turkish military expedition in 1935.
Arriving Turkish troops appeared on all sides to complete the occupation,
which was eventually suceeded through a genoside in 1938. Thus the land
remained to be officially known as “Tunceli”, though it was never accepted
by the nation itself.

An alternative historical name for Dersim is that of Zazana, mentioned in
B.C. 521 in the old Persion inscription of Behistun. It has menaged to
survive over the course of the centuries under diferent forms such as
Zavzan, Gozan/Guzana, Zozan, Zauzan, Zawazan (Andzevatsik in Armenian
sources) and Sason.

People

The name of the Dersimis is often used synonymously with those of the Zazas
and Dailamits (Gilanis), simple because they all are branches of the same
race.

Although there are some who regard them as Kurds, this designation neither
corresponds with the historical facts, nor with the self-definition of the
people itself. Besides none of their many traditions and legends points to a
Kurdish connection. Quite the contrary all of them suggest otherwise.
In other words they are a seperate people clearly distinguished from the
Kurds.

Combining the account given in the oral tradition with that of the
historical record and archaeological findings, the above mentioned study
comes to the conclusion that the early Dersimis are descendants of Mamans
(the Mamikonians of Armenian sources), who were otherwise known as Tzanians
to the classical writers. Sin, San or Çan are only different forms for Tzan,
which can also be seen forming the second half of the name Der-Sim in a
slightly distinct shape, i.e. Sim.

As to the name Zaza, it is simply a different pronunciation of that of
Sasan. The account of their Sasanian origin is also recorded by many
writers, the first Kurdish historian Sharaf Khan among them.
It is almost impossible not to come to the conclusion that the Mamans
(Tzanians) and Sasanians (Zazas of modern times) were infact different
sections of one and the same people.

There is also a Parthian element in the ethnical make-up of Dersimis as
their traditions suggest.

 


 

 


 

 

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