Reflections on the 19th Century Missionary Reports as Sources for the History of the (Kurdish) Kizilbash

Missionary reports are the earliest modern records to explicitly mention the Kizilbash, and the “Kizilbash Kurds” in particular. Therefore, they have been utilised relatively extensively by researchers in the field, sometimes at levels disproportionate to their reliability and usefulness. This article develops my previous work on the perils of the missionary reports’ utilization without sufficient critical scrutiny of their inherent biases and limitations, and highlights, on the basis of an original missionary letter, the editorial process that they were likely subjected to before publication. It argues that the real significance of these sources lies not in their broad and biased speculations concerning distant (Kurdish) Kizilbash origins, but in the casual observations and incidental details they unwittingly supply. Abstract in Kurmanji Hizren li ser raporen misyoneri yen sedsala 19an wek cavkani ji bo diroka Qizilbasan (en kurd) Raporen misyoneri qeyden modern en ewil in ku bi eskereyi behsa Qizilbas an ji “kurden Qizilbas” bi taybeti dikin. Lewra, ew ji teref lekolineren li sehaye nisbeten bi berfirehi hatine bikaranin, carna ji di asteke ne li gor bikerhati u ewlebuna wan de. Ev gotar li ser xebaten min en bere ava buye ku di wan de behsa talukeya sudwergirtina ji raporen misyoneran beyi lekolineke rexneyi ya li hember pesdarazi, sinorkirin u balkisandinen wan en esasi te kirin; u gotar bal diksine ser bingeha nameyeke misyoneri ya orijinal, pevajoya editori ya muhtemel a beri wesandina ku ev name te re derbas dibin. Gotar, niqas dike ku giringiya rastin ya van cavkaniyan ne di pesqebulen wan en berfireh u aligir yen di derbare koken (kurden) Qizilbas de ye le di cavderiyen wan en rojane u teferuaten tesadufi de ye ku wan beyi zanebun gihandine. Abstract in Sorani Raman le raporti mizgeniderekani sedey 19 wek sercaweyek bo mejuy (Kurdi) ‏Qzilbas Raporti mizgeniderekan kontirin tomari serdemin ke be raskawi nawi qzilbasekani henabet u ‏betaybetis "qzilbase kurdekan". Leberewe, be rejeyeki frawan u hendekcar ta asti ‏neguncan legell ‏bawerrpekrawi u sudmendi ew sercawane, lelayen twejerani ew bware ‏sudyan lewergirawe. Em wtare leser bnemay ‏kareki pesutrim bunyadinrawe ke derbarey ‏metrisiy bekarbirdni raporti mizgeniderekane be ewey wku ‏pewist hellsengandineki ‏rexnegrane bikret bo layengiriy zigmakiyane u snurdareti ew mizgeniderane, we leser bnemay ‏nameyeki eslli mizgeniderek, tisk dexate ser prosey ‏paknuskirdin ke pedecet ‏mizgeniderekan pes bllawkirdnewe ruberruy bubnewe . Mistumrri ewe ‏dekat ke bayexi ‏rasteqiney em sercawane le xemllandini gisti u layengiriyaneyan lemerr risey duri ‏qzillbasi (kurdi)ewe nayet, bellku lew serince labela u zaniyarye ‏xelletenerane daye ke ewan ‏beanqest dawyane.‏ Abstract in Zazaki Sey cimeyane tarixe (kurdane) qizilbasan, raporane misyonerane seserra 19. ser o tefekuri Qeyde moderne tewr vereni ye ke bi hewayo eskera qale qizilbasan u bitaybeti qale kurdane qizilbasan kene, rapore misyoneran e. Coka ne rapori hete cigerayoxane ne wari ra hete nisbeti ra hende ameyi xebitnayene ke ge-gane goreye bawerbari u feydeye inan sinore qebuli ra zi viyartene. Na meqale xebata min a veren a ke mi derheqe tehlukeyane xebitnayise raporane misyoneran ye be rexnegiriya tehqiqe cidi ye terefgiri u sinordariya inan de kerdbi, aye ser o viraziyaya. Na meqale pe bingeye mektubeka misyonerek a orijinale bale ancena prosese inan e editoryali ser ke bi ihtimalek wesaniyayis ra ver pero ne prosesi ro viyartene ra. Na xebate ne fikri dana munaqeseyi ro ke giringiya ne cimeyan a rastikene, peardisane inan e hira u terefgiran derheqe ristime (kurdane) qizilbasan e duri de niya, la observasyonane eleladeyan u teferuatan e ke misyoneran bi tesadufi dayi, inan de ya.