Khorasani Arabs are Iranian Arabs descended from Arab settlers who migrated to the Khorasan region during the early Islamic conquests and the Abbasid Caliphate (8th century onward). These settlers, often of South Arabian (Yamani) tribal origin, played a pivotal role in the Abbasid Revolution (747âÂÂ750), forming the core of the revolutionary forces (ahl KhurÃÂsÃÂn) that helped establish the Abbasid Caliphate and later became the elite military backbone (abnÃÂþ al-dawla) of the early Abbasid regime. Over the centuries, they assimilated culturally and linguistically, with most speaking Persian and only a few retaining Khorasani Arabic as their native tongue.
During the 8th century, Arab settlers migrated to Khorasan as part of the early Islamic expansion and Abbasid-era administrative policies. Many of these settlers were tribal Arabs from South Arabian (Yamani) lineages. They became the primary military backbone of the early Abbasid Caliphate, known as the ahl KhurÃÂsÃÂn, and played a decisive role in the Abbasid Revolution (747âÂÂ750) under the leadership of Abu Muslim. Following the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate, these KhurÃÂsÃÂni Arabs were settled in Iraq and other key regions, becoming the abnÃÂþ al-dawla ("sons of the state") and serving as the elite troops supporting the early Abbasid regime.
According to Ibn Al-Athir, the Abbasids settled approximately 50,000 Arab families in Iranian Khorasan (including parts of modern northern Afghanistan and southern Turkmenistan), although the number may be exaggerated.
Many modern Khorasani Arab tribes trace their lineage to the original Arab settlers who arrived during the Abbasid era. These include Shaybani, Zangooyi, Mishmast, Khozaima, and Azdi tribes. Today, the majority are Persian speakers, with only a few retaining Khorasani Arabic as their native language. Cities such as Birjand, Mashhad, and Nishapur are home to large populations of Khorasani Arabs.