People group profile · PG024134
The Afshari of Iran
The Afshari of Iran, numbering about 203,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Oghuz Turkic people whose Qereqlu branch produced Nader Shah, the 18th-century conqueror who founded the Afsharid dynasty in 1736 after conquests culminating in the 1739 sack of Delhi, with communities across Iranian Azerbaijan, Khorasan, and Kerman.
They are an indigenous people in the Azerbaijani people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak South Azerbaijani.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 203,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Azerbaijani
- Primary language
- South Azerbaijani (azb)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Ardebil, East Azerbaijan, Qazvin, West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan provinces
Where they live
Gospel status
The Afshari are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Afshari
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
South Azerbaijani · Turkic family
70% speak South Azerbaijani
Gospel resources in South Azerbaijani
- Bible available, published 2013
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2009 Elam Ministries · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Afshari
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Afshari in other countries
The same people (ROP3 100096) is reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afshari | Afghanistan | 13,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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