Kunigimde, St. See Cuxigunda.
Kihinetll, Johaxx Theodor, a German theolo- gian, was born at Creusen, in Bajieuth, Sept. 22, 1735; in 1753 he went to the University of Erlangen, and in 1759 became assistant preacher in his native place. He died Aug. 28, 1800, as superintendent of BajTCuth. Run- neth was a very popular preacher, and published several of his sermons ; he also wrote largely for the theological journals of Germany. A list of his writings is given by Doring, Gdchrte Theolofjen Deutschlaiids, ii, 214 sq.
Kiinwald, jMathias von, a bishop of the Bohe- mian Brethren, flourished in the 15th century. He was especi;dly prominent at the Synod of Eeichenau in 1491:.
Ktinze, John Christopher, D.D., one of the most learned men in the Lutheran Church of this country, was born in Saxony about the middle of the 18th centuni'. He was educated in the Gjonnasia of Rossleben and ^Rlerse- burg and the University of Leipzic, ami for several years was engaged in the work of teaching in his native land. When application from the corporation of St. Michael's and Zion's Church was made to the theologi- cal facultv at Halle for a minister, their attention was immediately turned to young Kunze. He reached the United States in 1770, and at once commenced his du- ties as associate pastor of the German churches in Phil- adelphia. This field of labor he occupied for fourteen years, universally beloved, and exercising a wide influ- ence for good. For several years he was professor in the University of Pennsylvania, from w4ich institution he received the doctorate in 1783. He accepted a call to the city of New York in 1781, where he labored for twenty-tiiree years, till his death, July 24, 1807. He was devoted to his work, and indefatigable in his efforts to do good. For a long time he filled with signal abil- ity the professorship of Oriental literature in Columbia College. So high a reputation did he enjoj' as a He- brew scholar that young men who were pursuing their studies with ministers of other denominations frequently resorted to him for instruction. The rabbins connected with the Jewish synagogues also consulted him in their interpretations of the Hebrew. "The various acfjuire- ments of this gentleman, and particidarly his Oriental learning, long rendered him an ornament of the Ameri- can rei)ublic of letters. He probably did more Jhan any individual of his day to promote a taste for Hebrew literature among those intended for the clerical profes- sion in the I'nited States" (Dr. Miller's J?etrosp(ct of the Eii/htKuth C('!itin\i/). Dr. Kunze published a number of works: I/i.-ifon/ of the Lutheran Church: — Somethin(] for the l'ii(hr^tini(Uii(j ami the Heart (1781, 8 vo): — A>«- Method fur Calculating/ the r/reat Ecli])se of June 10, 180G : — Hymn-book for the Use of ihe^Church (179p) : — Cate- chism and Lituri/y. See Hazeliu.s, Hist. Am. Luth. Church, 1G85-1842. CSl. L. S.)
Kurdistan or Koordistan, an extensive tract of laud in the eastern portion of Asiatic Turkey and in
Western Persia. It is chiefly occupied by the Kurds, after whom it is called, but its boimdary-liue is not defi- nitely estabhshed, and the estimates of its area and pop- ulation greatly thffer. The population, according to Kussegger {Reisen in Europa, Asien, nnd Afrika, 1835- 41), amounted to about 3,000,000 ; according to Carl Bit- ter, to only 800,000 ; according to Chambers, 100,000 ; according to Appleton, 40,000. The extent of Turkish Kurdisan is estimated at about 13,000 square miles. It was formerlj' divided into three governments : namelj', 1. Kurdistan, consisting of the Livas ]\Iardin, Sard, and Diarbekir, and containing 2G5,000 inhabitants, of whom 198,000 were Mohammedans, 51,000 Annenians, 72 Jac- obites, 4 Yezides, and 1100 Gipsies; 2, Harput, consist- ing of the Livas Meadin, Harput, Behsni, and Den- sem ; 3. Wan, consisting of the Livas Hakkiyari. Later it was divided into the pachaUcs Wan, Mosul, Diarbe- kir, and Urfa (Bakka); the beylics Halikiyari, Bahdi- nan, Butan (Bogdcn), and Ssindshar; and the district of Mardin. The most important towns are Diarbekir, BitUs, Wan, and Mardin. Persian Kurdistan comprises the south - western portion of the province of Aserbei- jan and the western portion of ^\rdilan, as far as the Kercha river. The most important town is Kirman- shan, with about 40,000 inhabitants. The Kurds are an agricultural people, who, durmg the summer months, pitch their black tents upon the Alpine pastures. Asia Blinor and Syria, and even Constantinople, are receiving from them large supplies of cattle. The country is made up of isolated villages, without a national bond of union, and their intercourse with each other consists chiefly in plundering expeditions. Old castles on in- accessible peaks serve the bej-s as places of refuge in cases of emergency. These beys often rule over several villages. The Kurds were kno-mi to Greek writers as Carduchians (Js.ap£ov\oi, Carduchi, see Smith's Lict. of Class. Gear/, s. v.) or Kyrtians. In the highlands of Kur- distan they are divided into two different tribes, the As- sireta and the Guranians. The Assiretas are the caste of warriors, and rarely or never agriculturists, but are devoted to cattle-breeding. The Guranians can never become ivarriors, are agricultirrists, and kejit in subjec- tion by the Assireta. As the language of the two tribes likewise differs, it may be assumed that the Guranians are the descendants of the primitive inhabitants, who subsequently were subdued by a more warlike tribe. In Southern Kurdistan the Assireta call themselves Sipah (warriors) and the peasants Eayah (subjects). The lan- guage of the Kurds is nearly kindred to the New Per- sian, but is to a large extent mixed with Arabic, Syrian, Greek, and Russian words, and is divided into numerous dialects. They have no written alphabet, and there- fore no literature, but a number of their pojndar poems and songs have been written down in Arabic.