Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone described the Qizilbash of Kabul in the beginning of the 19th century as "a colony of Turks," who spoke "Persian, and among themselves Turkish."Mountstuart Elphinstone, An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, pp. 320–321 Described as learned, affluent, and influential, they appear to have abandoned their native Turkish language in favour of Persian, and became "in fact Persianized Turks".Henry Yule, "Hobson-Jobson", London, 1886, p. 380 Lady Florentia Sale (wife of Sir Robert Henry Sale) and Vincent Eyre – both companions of Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone – described the Qizilbash of Afghanistan also as "Persians, of Persian descent, or descendant of the Persians, wearing a red cap".Lady Sale, "A Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan 1841–42", London, Murray 1843, p. IXVincent Eyre, "The Military Operations at Cabul", London, Murray, MDCCCXLIII, p. XXXI.
