Peripheralization and Multi-layered Exploitation: The Mechanisms of Socio-economic Life Destruction in Rojhelat (Eastern Kurdistan)

Abstract

After the formation of the modern nation-state in Iran and the dominance of the Perso-Shi’i discourse within its political-economic structure, the Kurds were gradually marginalized and relegated to the “periphery.” This marginalization intensified following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. This study examines the conditions, mechanisms, and processes contributing to forming and exacerbating Rojhelat’s (Eastern Kurdistan, including West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Ilam) peripheral status. First, the level of development in Rojhelat is assessed, followed by an analysis of the strategies employed by the Iranian central government in modern history to reinforce Rojhelat’s peripheral status and destroy its socio-economic life. Ultimately, the mechanisms facilitating the socio-economic deterioration of Rojhelat are analyzed. The center/periphery theory and internal colonization framework serve as the theoretical lens. Developmental documents and socio-economic data published by Iranian government organizations are reviewed. A purposive sampling method was employed to select documents relevant to the research objective. These documents identified and analyzed information and data illustrating the socio-economic relationships between Kurdish regions (Rojhelat) and other parts of Iran. The findings indicate that the political–economic discourse governing Iran has established a colonial order and socio-economic dystopia in Kurdish areas (Rojhelat) through policies such as capital resource extraction, the transfer of surplus capital to the center, the establishment of exploitative industries, the absence of economic investment, and persistently high unemployment rates.