KAKAIS

Kakais is the name given by many inIraqto members of theAhl-i Haqq religion. They are just one of several heterodox communities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Although some see their origin in pre-Islamictimes, they apparently emerged against the backdrop of the earlier Mongol invasion in the 13th century and theOttoman-Safavid rivalries in the 16th century. Some claim that they were founded in Hawraman by a Sayyid Ishaq, subsequently called Sultan Sohak in the 14th century. They live scattered over Iraqi Kurdistan and especially in theGurandistrict and Azerbaijan province ofIran, where they are usually referred to as Yaresan.

The Kakais are usually rather secretive about their religious beliefs and when queried employtaqiyaor dissimulation. Linguistically, the Kakais are also rather diverse and even have their own language, Macho, which is a branch of the Kurdishlanguageor dialectGurani. However, most Kakais also use whatever happens to be the main language of their surroundings, includingSoraniKurdish,Turkoman, or Arabic.

See alsoAlevis; Ghulat; Sarliyya; Shabak.