Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Qizilbash population of Afghanistan (C.M. MacGregor, 1871)

The Qizilbash population of Afghanistan



The Kizlbashes are estimated by Lumsden at 30,000 and by Bellew at 200,000 souls. They came to Kabal with Nadar Shah in 1737 and were then 12,000 families or 50,000 souls. From all accounts they have not only not decreased, but have grained immense influence by their numbers. This would make it appear that Lumsden’s estimate must be too low, while that they should have quadrupled in 130 years is not probable. I will therefore put them at 150,000.



C.M. MacGregor — Central Asia. Part II. Afghanistan (1871)

No comments:

Post a Comment