Qizilbash
/ˌkɪzəlˈbɑːʃ/
noun
Origin
Turkish
qızıl + baş — red + head
Overview
Meaning Now
- A member of any of the diverse militantly Shi'a militant groups that helped establish the Safavid dynasty in Persia.
- A collective term for the Turkic tribesmen of Anatolia and Azerbaijan who wore distinctive red headgear.
Literal older meaning
Red head
Language path
Old Turkic → Ottoman/Azerbaijani Turkish → English
Earliest form
Qızılbaş
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
The term originated from the twelve-gored red cap (tāj) worn by followers of the Safavid Sufi order to signify their devotion to the Twelve Imams. Under Shah Ismail I, this coalition of Turkic tribes—including the Shamlu, Rumlu, Ustajlu, and Afshar—formed the core of the Safavid military and established Shi'ism as the state religion of Iran.
Evolution
- 15th century
Qızılbaş
“Red head”
Original Turkic compound referring to the red turban worn by adherents of the Safaviyya order.
- 16th century
Qizilbash
“Safavid loyalist”
Political and sectarian label for soldiers loyal to Ismail I.
Connections
Word parts
qızıl
root
red
baş
root
head
Related across languages
Turkish
kızılbaş
red-headed; historically, a member of the Qizilbash
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.