Flag of Afshar people, Azerbaijan シール

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, Turkey and Afghanistan. Afshar means "obedient". 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. 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 and later the Afsharid dynasty of Iran. Nader Shah, who became the monarch of Iran in 1736, was from the Qereklu clan (Persian: قرخلو) of Afshars. 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. Today, Afshars mainly inhabit Iran, where they remain a largely nomadic group. They are variously grouped as a branch of the Azerbaijanis or Turkomans (a common general term used for people of Oghuz Turkic origin).