ArjÃÂsp () is a figure from the Iranian national history, where he appears as a major antagonists of the Iranians. He is already mentioned in the Avesta, but he is most prominently featured in the Shahnameh, the national epic of Greater Iran.
ArjÃÂsp is the Modern Persian version of Avestan ArÃÂõaá¹Â.aspa, a name related to meaning horse. The name is mentioned by Tabari, Bal'ami, and Ebn al-Balkhi as KharzÃÂsp, and Ebn KhordÃÂdbeh refers to him as HazarÃÂsf, which are considered to be corruptions of the Middle Persian rendering of the name.
ArjÃÂsp appears in the Avesta, namely in the Aban Yasht (Yt. 5.109), the Gosh Yasht (Yt. 9.30) and the Ard Yasht (Yt. 17.50). In these hymns, ArjÃÂsp is always invoked in the same way. In the Avesta, he appears as a leader of the Xyaona, a tribe, whose name also appears in the later Chionites. According to other verses in the Avesta, the Xyaona are particularly hostily to the new Zoroastrian religion and its princely protector Goshtasp (av. Vishtaspa). Not much is known about the Xyaona, but is has been speculated that they replaced the Turanians as the major enemy of the Iranians at some undetermined time.
The story of ArjÃÂsp appears again in the Middle Persian Zoroastrian literature. In those texts, the religious wars of Goshtasp against the Xyaonas are more elaborated. After Goshtasp's conversion to Zoroastrianism, the Xyaonas retain the old faith and attack, with ArjÃÂsp leading them. He manages to kill LohrÃÂsp and ZarÃÂr but the Xyaonas are ultimately defeated. According to the Bundahishn, this takes place at the mountain Mad-FrayÃÂd between Padeà ¡xwÃÂrgar and Kumish. In the Middle Persian text Yadegar-e Zariran, ArjÃÂsp is captured, mutilated, and then released.
The story of Arjasp gets its most prominent treatment in the Shahnameh, the national epic of Greater Iran. Overall, the story follows the same elements as already presented in the earlier Middle Persian works. He is, however, consistently portrayed as a leader of the Turanians instead of the Xyaonas. He is, furthermore, made the son of ShavÃÂsp the brother of Afrasiab, the most prominent king of the Turanians. He, furthermore, has two brothers Gohram and AndarëmÃÂn.
In the Shahname, a second war breaks out between GoshtÃÂsp and ArjÃÂsp, when the latter learns that Goshtasp had imprisoned his own son, the formidable EsfandiÃÂr. He besieges Balkh and captures HomÃÂy and BehÃÂfrëd, GoshtÃÂsp<nowiki/>'s daughters. JamÃÂsp, Goshtasp<nowiki/>'s vizier, releases EsfandiÃÂr, who then repels ArjÃÂsp army from Iran and chases him to his castle Rà ÂyÃÂn Dià ¾. He storms the castle, frees his two sisters, and kills ArjÃÂsp and his brothers.