1813.—"After a short silent prayer, Lullabhy, in the presence of all the company, waved his catarra, or short dagger, over the bed of the expiring man.... The patient continued for some time motionless: in half an hour his heart appeared to beat, circulation quickened, ... at the expiration of the third hour Lullabhy had effected his cure."—Forbes, Or. Mem. iii. 249; [2nd ed. ii. 272, and see i. 69].
1856.—"The manners of the bardic tribe are very similar to those of their Rajpoot clients; their dress is nearly the same, but the bard seldom appears without the 'Kutâr,' or dagger, a representation of which is scrawled beside his signature, and often rudely engraved upon his monumental stone, in evidence of his death in the sacred duty of [Trâgâ]" (q.v.).—Forbes, Râs Mâlâ, ed. 1878, pp. 559-560.
1878.—"The ancient Indian smiths seem to have had a difficulty in hitting on a medium between this highly refined brittle steel and a too soft metal. In ancient sculptures, as in Srirangam near Trichinapalli, life-sized figures of armed men are represented, bearing Kuttars or long daggers of a peculiar shape; the handles, not so broad as in the later Kuttars, are covered with a long narrow guard, and the blades 2¼ inches broad at bottom, taper very gradually to a point through a length of 18 inches, more than ¾ of which is deeply channelled on both sides with 6 converging grooves. There were many of these in the Tanjor armoury, perfectly corresponding ... and all were so soft as to be easily bent."—Ind. Antiq. vii.
KUZZANNA, s. Ar.—H. khizāna, or khazāna, 'a treasury.' [In Ar. khazīnah, or khaznah, means 'a treasure,' representing 1000 kis or purses, each worth about £5 (see Burton, Ar. Nights, i. 405).] It is the usual word for the district and general treasuries in British India; and khazānchī for the treasurer.
1683.—"Ye King's Duan (see [DEWAUN]) had demanded of them 8000 Rupees on account of remains of last year's Tallecas (see [TALLICA]) ... ordering his Peasdast (Peshdast, an assistant) to see it suddenly paid in ye King's Cuzzanna."—Hedges, Diary, Hak. Soc. i. 103.
[1757.—"A mint has been established in Calcutta; continue coining gold and silver into [Siccas] and [Mohurs] ... they shall pass current in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar and Orissa, and be received into the Cadganna...."—Perwannah from Jaffier Ally Khan, in Verelst, App. 145.]
KUZZILBASH, n.p. Turki kizil-bāsh, 'red-head.' This title has been since the days of the Safavi (see [SOPHY]) dynasty in Persia, applied to the Persianized Turks, who form the ruling class in that country, from the red caps which they wore. The class is also settled extensively over Afghanistan. ["At Kābul," writes Bellew (Races of Afghanistan, 107), "he (Nādir) left as chandaul, or 'rear guard,' a detachment of 12,000 of his Kizilbāsh (so named from the red caps they wore), or Mughal Persian troops. After the death of Nādir they remained at Kābul as a military colony, and their descendants occupy a distinct quarter of the city, which is called Chandaul. These Kizilbāsh hold their own ground here, as a distinct Persian community of the Shia persuasion, against the native population of the Sunni profession. They constitute an important element in the general population of the city, and exercise a considerable influence in its local politics. Owing to their isolated position and antagonism to the native population, they are favourably inclined to the British authority.">[ Many of them used to take service with the Delhi emperors; and not a few do so now in our frontier cavalry regiments.
c. 1510.—"L'vsanza loro è di portare vna berretta rossa, ch'auanza sopra la testa mezzo braccio, a guisa d'vn zon ('like a top'), che dalla parte, che si mette in testa, vine a essar larga, ristringendosi tuttauia sino in cima, et è fatta con dodici coste grosse vn dito ... ne mai tagliano barba ne mostacchi."—G. M. Angiolello, in Ramusio, ii. f. 74.
1550.—"Oltra il deserto che è sopra il Corassam fino à Samarcand ... signorreggiano Iescil bas, cioè le berrette verdi, le quali benette verdi sono alcuni Tartari Musulmani che portano le loro berrette di feltro verde acute, e cosi si fanno chiamare à differentia de Soffiani suoi capitali nemici che signoreggiano la Persia, pur anche essi Musulmani, i quali portano le berrette rosse, quali berrette verdi e rosse, hanno continuamente hauuta fra se guerra crudelissima per causa di diversità di opinione nella loro religione."—Chaggi Memet, in Ramusio, ii. f. 16v. "Beyond the desert above Corassam, as far as Samarkand and the idolatrous cities, the Yeshilbas (Iescilbas) or 'Green-caps,' are predominant. These Green-caps are certain Musulman Tartars who wear pointed caps of green felt, and they are so called to distinguish them from their chief enemies the Soffians, who are predominant in Persia, who are indeed also Musulmans, but who wear red caps."
1574.—"These Persians are also called Red Turks, which I believe is because they have behind on their Turbants, Red Marks, as Cotton Ribbands &c. with Red Brims, whereby they are soon discerned from other Nations."—Rauwolff, 173.