Afshin

Afshin (Persian: افشین‎‎ / Afšīn; Turkish: Afşın or Afşin) is a common Persian, Turkish and Urdu "Afsheen"given name, which is a modern Persian word derived from Avestan. Historically, it has been the princely title of the rulers of Ošrūsana at the time of the Muslim conquest. The Afshins of Ošrūsana were an Iranian princedom in Central Asia of whom the later Abbasid general Afšin Ḵayḏar bin Kāvus is the most famous.

Etymology

Afšīn is the Arabicized form of the Middle Persian Pišīn, which traces back to the Avestan Pisinah. In pre-Islamic Iranian tradition, it is the name of a grandson of Kayānid king Kavād (Yt. 13.132, 19.71). In the Islamic period, it is found as a proper name attested by Armenian historians in the form Ōšin (from Awšin).

People

Khaydhar ibn Kawus al-Afshin

Ḥaydar ibn Kāwūs (Arabic: حيدر بن كاوس‎) (? – died June 841), better known by his hereditary title of al-Afshīn (الأفشين), was a senior general of Iranian descent at the court of the Abbasid caliphs and a vassal prince of Oshrusana. He played a leading role in the campaigns of Caliph al-Mu'tasim, and was responsible for the suppression of the rebellion of Babak Khorramdin and for his battlefield victory over the Byzantine emperor Theophilos during the Amorium campaign. Eventually he was suspected of disloyalty and was arrested, tried and then executed in June 841.

Name and family background

Afshin is a hereditary title of Oshrusana princes at the time of the Muslim conquest of Persia. The term is an Arabic form of the Middle Persian Pishin and Avestan Pisinah, a proper name of uncertain etymology. Minorsky suggests that the title Afshin was of Sogdian origin.

At the time of the first Arab invasion of Transoxiana (including Oshrusana) under Qutayba ibn Muslim (94-5 AH/712-14 CE), Ushrusana was inhabited by Iranians, who were ruled by their own princes who bore the traditional title of Afshin.

Afshin (singer)

Afshin Jafari (Persian: افشین جعفری‎‎) known by the mononym Afshin (Persian: افشین‎‎; born in Babol, Iran on 6 May 1978) is a Germany-based Iranian singer and well known as an Iranian diaspora international pop star.

Afshin moved with his family when he was seven. He started learning guitar at age 10 and started writing music and lyrics early on. In 1995, his family immigrated to Germany when he was 17 where they resided in Mannheim. Singing in Persian diaspora events and venues, at 21 he signed a contract with ParsVideo specializing in Iranian music. Afshin incorporated elements of Iranian music and youth-oriented western pop, hip hop and rap music in his songs and launched a number of albums and music videos that became popular in Germany and the Iranian diaspora. He is supported by Taraneh Records and Avang Music. His brother Amir Ali, a rapper, has contributed to some of his more recent releases.

In addition to his shows in Germany accompanied with his German-based band of musicians, Afshin has also toured in more than 300 occasions in venues in Austria, Belgium, Canada, USA, UK and Scandinavian countries. His band includes musicians Daniel Schild, Kostas Karagiosidies, Simon Wegerle, Amir DadashPoor, Amirali Armakan, Jens Steffan, Payman Barazandeh, and Nico Schliemann.