Diwan-khane
Encyclopedia
The Arabic
/Persian
word Dewan or Divan (دیوان), with a range of meanings:
diwan
, a collection of poetry;
Khan, from Arabic and Persian, is a house, an inn, hotel, a chamber, a caravansary. Diwan-Khane is often used to describe the guest house
, usually of prominent people in the Middle East
ern society.
Guest house of the tribal chieftain, used mostly for discussing the affairs of the tribe.
In the tribal Middle Eastern, Arab
, Persian, or Kurdish
society, this was an institution dedicated to the political and social affairs of the tribe. A diwan or diwan-khane, was a special room, or house, dedicated to the "agha" and his male guests, for sitting and drinking tea, discussing the political and social affairs of the tribe and other mundane subjects. The agha and his guests would listen at times for local or visiting singers and story tellers (usually Jewish merchants or peddlers), who would entertain them. The common agha was in fact one person who was in charge of several major tasks of the tribal society under his jurisdiction: He was the head of the political unit, the main judge
and arbitrator, the main military leader of his armed tribesmen, the main finance minister responsible mainly for receiving dues from his subjects for their harvest and commercial transactions committed under his jurisdiction. One of the best studies on "aghas" in the Kurd
ish society is the important book of Mordechai Zaken, Jewish Subjects and their tribal chieftains in Kurdistan.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
/Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word Dewan or Divan (دیوان), with a range of meanings:
diwan
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
, a collection of poetry;
Khan, from Arabic and Persian, is a house, an inn, hotel, a chamber, a caravansary. Diwan-Khane is often used to describe the guest house
Guest house
A guest house is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world a guest house is similar to a hostel, bed and breakfast, or inn whereas in other parts of the world , guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging...
, usually of prominent people in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern society.
Guest house of the tribal chieftain, used mostly for discussing the affairs of the tribe.
In the tribal Middle Eastern, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, Persian, or Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
society, this was an institution dedicated to the political and social affairs of the tribe. A diwan or diwan-khane, was a special room, or house, dedicated to the "agha" and his male guests, for sitting and drinking tea, discussing the political and social affairs of the tribe and other mundane subjects. The agha and his guests would listen at times for local or visiting singers and story tellers (usually Jewish merchants or peddlers), who would entertain them. The common agha was in fact one person who was in charge of several major tasks of the tribal society under his jurisdiction: He was the head of the political unit, the main judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and arbitrator, the main military leader of his armed tribesmen, the main finance minister responsible mainly for receiving dues from his subjects for their harvest and commercial transactions committed under his jurisdiction. One of the best studies on "aghas" in the Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish society is the important book of Mordechai Zaken, Jewish Subjects and their tribal chieftains in Kurdistan.