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.
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