Afshar people
Afshar (Azerbaijani: Əfşar افشار; Turkish: Avşar, Afşar; Turkmen: Owşar اوْوشار; Persian: افشار, romanized: Afshār) is a tribe of Oghuz Turkic origin, that split into several groups in Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Afghanistan.
Tamgha of Afshar according to Mahmud al-Kashgari, which represents Bonelli's eagle according to Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Iran 200,000–342,000 Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan | |
| Languages | |
| Afshar dialect also Persian, Turkish, Turkmen, Azerbaijani | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Oghuz Turks |
During the Seljuk conquests of the 11th century, they moved from Central Asia into the Middle East. They are noted in history for being one of the Qizilbash tribes that helped establish the Safavid dynasty of Iran, and for being the source of descent of Iran's Afsharid dynasty. Nader Shah, who became the monarch of Iran in 1736, was from the Qereklu clan (Persian: قرخلو) of Afshars. Afshars mainly inhabit Iran, where they remain a largely nomadic group.
Today, the Afshars are variously grouped as a branch of the Azerbaijanis and Turkmens or Turkomans (a common general term used for people of Oghuz Turkic origin).
The founders of the Germiyanids, and the Khalkhal Khanate were also of Afshar descent. The founder of the Karamanids may have also been of Afshar descent.
According to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, Afshar, the eponymous founder of the tribe, was a son of Yildiz Khan, the third son of Oghuz Khan. Afshar means "obedient".