The Qizilbashes of Afghanistan (Henry Walter Bellew, [1857] 1862)

The Qizilbashes of Afghanistan

The “Kazzilbash” race is allied to the Tajik as being of Persian origin and speaking the same language, or a dialect, but differing slightly from the Persian of the Tajiks, from whom, however, they differ in every other respect. The Kazzilbash is a “Mugal” of Turki descent, belongs like the true Persian to the “Shiah” sect of Mohammadans, speaks pure Persian, and is, in fact, a modern Persian. The location of this race in Afghanistan is of recent date. They entered the country with Nadir Shah, who established a colony of them at Kabul about the year 1737 A.D. This colony maintains its power to the present day, exerts a considerable influence, and forms by no means a weak faction of the government at Kabul. The Kazzilbashes are a handsome, fair-complexioned, and manly people, and possess many martial qualities, with which, however, are combined the polish, cunning, and venality of the true Persian. At Kabul they constitute the bulk of the cavalry and artillery forces of the Amir; and a large number of them are also to be found in the irregular cavalry regiments of the British Indian army, where they enjoy a character for smartness and intelligence, combined with excellent horsemanship. But the major portion of this race in Afghanistan are occupied as merchants, physicians, scribes, petty traders, &c., and are chiefly found settled in the large towns and cities, where they are justly considered a better educated and superior class of the general population. At Kabul this race has exercised no small influence in Persianizing the Afghan court, if not in political tendency, at least in manners. And this is perhaps in some measure attributable to marriage connections, for it is a common thing for the Kazzilbash to give his daughter in marriage to the Afghan. But the Afghans, though they do not hesitate to contact this connection, will not in return grant the same favour to the Kazzilbashes, whom they consider as heretics, or almost infidels, on account of their opposite religious tenets, and consequently despise them. The aggregate number of this race in Afghanistan is probably not much less than 200,000 souls.

Henry Walter Bellew, Journal of a political mission to Afghanistan, in 1857, under Major (now Colonel) Lumsden; with an account of the country and people, London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1862, pp. 16―17.