 Depiction of the Afghan Qizilbash leader Mohammad Naib Sharif and his secretary by James Rattray, dated 1848 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 30,000 |
| Languages | |
| Dari Persian | |
| Religion | |
| Twelver Shia Islam | |
The Afghan Qizilbash (Dari: قزلباشهای افغان) are a Persian-speaking ethnic group in Afghanistan, mainly residing in Herat, Kabul and Kandahar. Numbering around 30,000, they are adherents of Twelver Shia Islam.
The Qizilbash were originally Turkoman tribesmen who supported the Safavid dynasty in Iran. Many Qizilbash were stationed in present-day Afghanistan during the reign of the Iranian shah (king) Nader Shah in 1738–1739, when garrisons were established in Kabul and Kandahar. After the assassination of Nader Shah in 1747, the Durrani king Ahmad Shah integrated the Qizilbash into his forces and administration. He granted them land, self-governance, and religious autonomy, enabling them to maintain their Shia faith while supporting his rule. The Qizilbash formed part of the bodyguard regiment ghulam khana, recruited to balance the power of Durrani and Ghilzai tribal leaders. The Qizilbash have historically presented themselves as Sunni or Pashtun to avoid religious discrimination and participate fully in Afghan government and society.