The Kızılbaş, especially by the sixteenth
century, played a central role in the Ottoman-Safavid struggle due to its close
alliance with the Safavid. By using period archival records of the Ottoman
administration along with historical and religious documents composed by the
Ottoman elite scholars, this article aims to reflect the Kızılbaş’s religious
orientation as perceived by the Ottoman policy makers. The documents examined
include the fermans of the Muhimme defterleri, Selim Şah-name of Idrisi Bitlisi, Tevarih-i Al-i Osman of Ibn Kemal and
the fatwas issued on the persecution of the Kızılbaş by Ibn Kemal and as
afterwards reutilized by Ebussuud. In doing so, this article intends to uncover
the Ottoman perspective of the Kızılbaş religiosity as if it had ever been
linked to Shi`ism. Further the term rafidi to define Kızılbaş belief
will be explored in detail to reveal if it is used as equivalent to the term shi`a
