Ethnic groups with combative disposition

There are ethnic groups in the world who have become famous for their innate bravery and having combative disposition, such as the Nubians in South Sudan, the Gurkhas from Nepal, the Kurds in Turkey, and the Bedouin of nomadic Arab.

What always takes me by surprise when looking into the history of these people is that they have such a long history of war. The Nubians have suffered from invasions since ancient Egypt. It is always pitiful to hear the history of the Kurds. Despite their combative spirit, combat power, and sense of unity, the Kurds have repeatedly embroiled in military confrontations, have been manipulated, and betrayed by neighboring powers over the past several decades. They proved their bravery once again in battles against the Islamic State (ISIS) recently but are repeating the same fate as soon as the war ended.

Kurds’ history of war dates back to the 11th century. When Assyria, the first empire in the Middle East, began their war of conquest, it was the land of Kurds that King Tiglath-Pileser I first invaded. Even at that time, Assyria was not alone in invading Kurdistan. A clash broke out between Assyria and a military in the northwestern province of Anatolia, and as a result the land of Kurds was swept away by war. It is doubtful Kurds lived in peace before the invasion even though there is no record.

It makes one wonder at this point if Kurds are combative by nature or affected by geopolitical environment. I believe the latter is more likely. Whether it was possessed by nature or acquired by experience, they are still fighting in hardships because they have not given up by cursing the fate and agony that have been hurting them for thousands of years.

Humans, are social beings, cannot live alone. This is both a blessing and a curse. All societies have internal conflicts and risks of foreign intrusion. The ratio varies depending on geopolitical conditions but the response is the same. Either one of them should not be given up or looked away. In order to do so, one must learn to fight and coexist at the same time. Either one of them should not be denied or given up.