Afro-Shirazi, also known as shirazi, African tribe in Tanzania.

Afro-Shirazi Party, dominant political party (founded 1957) of the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania.

AFSC: see American Friends Service Committee.

AFT, or American Federation of Teachers, U.S. trade union founded in 1916.

Aftasids, Muslim Berber dynasty that ruled one of the party kingdoms (taifas) at Badajoz in western Spain (1022–94) in the period of disunity after the demise of the Umayyad caliphate of Córdoba. The Lower Frontier (modern central Portugal) had enjoyed a measure of autonomy after the death of the Umayyad caliph al-Hakam II (976), when it was ruled by his freed slave, Sābūr (976–1022). In 1022, at Sābūr’s death, his minister ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Maslamah, who was known as Ibn al-Aftas, seized control of the kingdom and, assuming the title al-Manṣūr (Made Victorious by God), ruled fairly peacefully until 1045. But trouble with the neighbouring ʿAbbādids of Seville, which had begun at the end of al-Manṣūr’s rule, consumed the energies of his son Muḥammad al-Muẓaffar (reigned 1045–60). Constant warfare weakened Badajoz sufficiently to allow the Christian king Ferdinand I of Castile and León to extort tribute from al-Muẓaffar and then to capture the frontier garrisons of Viseu and Lamego (1057). Ferdinand also took Coimbra and the surrounding area as far north as the Douro River (1063), in present Portugal. ʿUmar al-Mutawakkil (reigned 1068–94), was also forced to pay tribute to Alfonso VI of Castile and León; and he made an unsuccessful attempt to annex Toledo, which was held by a rival Muslim dynasty (1080). When Toledo was eventually taken by Alfonso in 1085, al-Mutawakkil and several other Muslim kings appealed to the Almoravids of North Africa for assistance. Almoravid armies defeated Alfonso at az-Zallāqah near Badajoz (Oct. 23, 1086), establishing a foothold in Spain. Hence, al-Mutawakkil tried to bargain for Alfonso VI’s support, but Badajoz fell to the Almoravids in 1094, and al-Mutawakkil and two of his sons were executed.

afterbrain, also called metencephalon, foresection of the third primary embryonic brain vesicle, or the set of structures derived from it.

afterburner, device for injecting fuel into the tailpipe of a jet engine; combustion of this fuel produces additional forward thrust.

afterdance, German Nachtanz, in European late‑medieval and Renaissance dance the second and livelier of two dances customarily performed together (e.g., pavane and galliard; basse danse and saltarello). Its melody was often a variation in metre and tempo of the first dance melody.

after-image, visual illusion in which retinal impressions persist after removal of stimulus. The original impression persists briefly then gives way to a reversed, or negative, image in which the brightness and colour of the original are reversed (light becomes dark; red becomes green, etc.). A common after-image is the spot of light one sees after a flashbulb has been fired.

afterincrease, in physiology, the resumption of a reflex action following its interruption by an inhibitory stimulus; the renewed activity is more vigorous than that preceding the interruption.

afterlife, a new or continued or transformed existence after death, belief in which has been found in virtually all cultures and civilizations.

Afternoon Men (1931), a novel by Anthony Powell.

Afternoon of a Faun, The, translation of L’Après‑Midi d’un Faune, one‑act ballet to Debussy’s symphonic poem Prélude à l’après‑midi d’un faune first performed in 1912 with choreography and book by V. Nijinsky, who also danced the role of the Faun. It is also the title of a one‑act ballet by Jerome Robbins, also to Debussy’s music, first performed in New York City in 1953.

L’Après‑midi d’un faune was the title of a master poem by the French symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé, evoking the ideal essence of fleeting phenomena. It inspired Debussy to write his Prélude.

afterripening, or dormancy, a suspension of growth of the embryo during ripening of the seed. It results at least in part from rapid and extensive water loss because of the conversion of soluble nutrients to their stored forms. This interruption of growth, or the lack of it in the seeds of many tropical plants, may be an adaptation to seasonal and climatic changes. Afterripening provides for germination at the most favourable time, when conditions of moisture, temperature, and day length are most conducive to plant growth.

aftershock, one of a series of small shocks immediately following a large earthquake; these may continue for days or even months. Aftershocks may occur at some distance from the epicentre (point on the surface just above the earthquake’s focus, or seat) of the major shock and are usually directly related to the size or force of that shock. They may represent elastic recovery and readjustment to new conditions of stress after the main movement on a fault.

After Strange Gods, in full After Strange Gods—A Primer of Modern Heresy (1934), a book by T. S. Eliot.

Aftonbladet, Swedish newspaper, founded 1830.

Aftonian Interglacial Stage, major division of Pleistocene deposits and time in North America (the Pleistocene Epoch began about 2,500,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago). The Aftonian Interglacial, a time of relatively moderate climatic conditions, followed the Nebraskan Glacial Stage and preceded the Kansan Glacial Stage, times of widespread continental glaciation and relative cold. The Aftonian was named for deposits studied in the region of Afton Junction, Iowa. The Aftonian deposits consist of ancient soil profiles that may also include peat and windblown deposits. Elsewhere, Aftonian deposits consist of sand and gravel. Study of fossil invertebrates in some regions indicates that the Aftonian climate was warmer and drier than that of today. The end of the Aftonian was apparently a time of great difficulty for many mammalian forms; numerous genera became extinct. It is difficult to pinpoint the causes, but deteriorating climatic conditions as well as the introduction of new competing forms may have been responsible. The Aftonian is thought to be equivalent to the Günz–Mindel Interglacial Stage of the European Pleistocene chronology.

aftosa: see foot and mouth disease.

‘Afula, largest city of the Plain of Esdraelon (Valley of Jezreel; Hebrew ʿEmeq Yizreʿel) in northern Israel. Named for the Arab village of al‑Fūlah, formerly at that site, it is sometimes called Tel ʿYizreʿel (City of Jezreel). Founded in 1925 on lands acquired by the American Zion Commonwealth, a land‑development organization, it was the first planned urban settlement of the Jewish Palestine. The city is situated at the junction of two main roads leading to Galilee and the north. One is the coastal road from Tel Aviv–Yafo; the other is the road from Jerusalem via Nablus and Jenin. The latter route is largely in Israeli‑occupied Jordanian territory. ʿAfula was also a station on the former narrow‑gauge branch of the Hejaz Railway, which ran through the plain; it has been inactive since World War II.

At its foundation, most of the city’s natural hinterland was occupied by collective or cooperative settlements. These were independent of ʿAfula economically and socially, and most of them rejected urban society ideologically. As a result, the development of ʿAfula as a quasi‑metropolitan centre was hindered. Only after 1948 did the population begin to grow, due to the settlement of large numbers of Jewish immigrants. A new section, ʿAfula ʿIllit (Upper ʿAfula), has been built on the slopes of Givʿat ha‑More, about 5 mi (8 km) from the old central business district. ʿAfula has a large sugar‑refining plant, textile mills, and a nylon‑stocking factory. The Plain of Esdraelon’s large regional hospital, with a nursing school, is there, as are a teacher’s college and numerous government offices. (1970 est.) 16,900.