Qashqa'i New Testament

Overview

The Qashqa'i New Testament (2024) is the first complete Scripture in the Qashqa'i language, published by Körpü Company and dedicated at a ceremony in London in January 2024 alongside eleven other completed New Testaments in Iranian minority languages. The translation was the work of Yashgin, a Qashqa'i woman who converted to Christianity in 2007, was briefly detained twice by Iranian authorities for her faith, and eventually fled Iran to Turkey. She connected with Körpü in 2017 and served as the primary exegete-translator for the NT. She requested anonymity to protect family members remaining in Shiraz.

Yashgin's own account of the project: "Translating the Bible is God's way not simply to save people, but to return glory to humiliated minority peoples." And: "No one cares for us more than our mother. God showed us he cares also, by speaking her language."

Prior to the 2024 NT, Qashqa'i speakers had access to limited Scripture in their language: Trans World Radio had aired audio recordings; the JESUS Film Project completed a Qashqa'i recording; and a Qashqa'i Gospel of John was produced by Iranian believers with unfoldingWord's assistance — chosen specifically because its Christological claims directly address Islamic teaching. The 2024 NT completes what those earlier efforts began. Körpü projects completing a full Qashqa'i Bible (Old and New Testaments) within approximately three years.

Language and People

Qashqa'i (ISO 639-3: qxq) is a Southwestern (Oghuz) Turkic language closely related to Southern Azerbaijani, sometimes classified as a dialect of Azerbaijani and sometimes as a separate language. Speakers call it simply Turki. Approximately 1–2 million people speak Qashqa'i natively (Ethnologue places speakers near 1.0 million; ethnic Qashqa'i number approximately 2 million, not all of whom are Qashqa'i-dominant). The language is spoken across Fars Province (centred on Shiraz), with additional communities in Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Bushehr, and southern Isfahan. The script is Perso-Arabic.

The Qashqa'i confederacy (Il-e Qashqa'i) is one of Iran's largest and most historically powerful tribal federations, comprising five major tribes: Amaleh (the paramount Il-Khan's personal tribe), Dareshuri, Kashkuli, Farsimadan, and Sheshboluki. The confederation likely formed from Oghuz Turkic groups settling in southern Persia from the 11th century onward and was unified under the hereditary Il-Khan of the Shahilu clan. The Qashqa'i have historically been a semi-nomadic pastoral people, making twice-yearly migrations of up to 480 km between winter lowland pastures (garmsir) near the Persian Gulf and summer highland pastures (sardsir) in the high Zagros mountains north of Shiraz.

Reza Shah's sedentarization (1930s) was catastrophic for the confederation. Reza Shah Pahlavi imprisoned and executed Qashqa'i leaders, halted the migrations by force, disarmed the tribes, and imposed military governors. The Dareshuri tribe alone lost 80–90% of their celebrated horse herds. The tribes partially recovered after Reza Shah's abdication in 1941, but repeated sedentarization campaigns by subsequent governments have substantially altered the traditional pastoral economy. Most Qashqa'i today are partially or wholly sedentary, though some seasonal movements continue.

The Qashqa'i profess Shia Islam by state religion and social identity, though Joshua Project notes they "have very little contact with Islamic institutions or devout Muslims" and that pre-Islamic folk traditions remain embedded in daily practice. Joshua Project classifies the Qashqa'i as a Frontier/Unreached people group (Progress Scale 1a — least reached) with fewer than 0.1% Christian adherents and approximately 42 pioneer workers estimated as needed.

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Körpü Company (Korpu Ltd.), a UK-based Bible translation organization founded by Rev. Dr. Feridoon Mokhof, an Iranian of Azerbaijani descent who converted to Christianity in 1974 and was ordained by the Assemblies of God Church in Iran. Körpü (Azerbaijani: bridge) focuses on minority-language communities of Iran and the South Caucasus. Mokhof began translation work in 1990 with Southern Azerbaijani and expanded to Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Qashqa'i, Talysh, Tati, Laki, and others over the following decades. Körpü employs approximately 73 staff including 58 translators, two-thirds of whom work from inside Iran at considerable personal risk; several have been detained by Iranian authorities.

The Qashqa'i NT is available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4206) in Perso-Arabic script. Given that the Qashqa'i have been subject to Iran's mandatory Farsi-only education for generations and Qashqa'i literacy is limited, audio recordings are a critical access format alongside the digital text. Distribution inside Iran occurs via VPN-accessible digital platforms, micro-SD cards, and underground house church networks.

References