Ghaznavid
The Ghaznavid, dynasty or the Ghaznavid Empire soon replaced the
Samanid dynasty as rulers of medieval
Persia
and ruled for about two centuries from about 970 to 1187.
The Ghaznavids were a Turkish dynasty, whose empire, like that of the
Samanids, extended over what is now Central Asia, Afghanistan and most of
what is now
Iran.
Two military families arose from the Turkic slave - soldiers of the
Samanids -- the Simjurids and Ghaznavids. Alp Tigin, the general of the
Samanids, founded the Ghaznavid fortunes when he established himself at
Ghazna (Ghazni, Afghanistan) in 962. When the Samanid Emir 'Abd al-Malik I died
in 961 CE, there was a succession crisis between 'Abd al-Malik I's brothers. A
court party instigated by men of the scribal class—civilian ministers as
contrasted with Turkic generals—rejected Alp Tigin's candidate for the
Samanid throne. Mansur I was installed, and Alp Tigin prudently retired to
Ghazna.
Alp Tigin was succeeded at Ghazna by Sebuk Tigin, who
made himself lord of nearly all the present territory of
Afghanistan and of the
Punjab by conquest of In 997, Sebuk Tigin died and his son Ismail
succeeded him. Ismail's older brother Mahmoud who was away fighting the
Samanids, jailed Ismail and came to be ruler the following year. Mahmoud completed the destruction of the
Samanids and lesser dynasties.
Mahmud carried out seventeen expeditions through northern India establishing
his control and setting up tributary states. His raids also resulted in the
looting of a great deal of plunder.
The Ghaznavid rulers did not call themselves Shahs or
Caliphs,
and adhered to the more modest title of Emir or Amir, suitable to a provincial
governor, until the later part of the dynasty when some rulers called themselves
Shah and even Sultan. Though they were originally of Turkish stock, the
Ghaznavids were thoroughly assimilated under the
Samanids and continued the growth of
Persian
culture and language.
The last Ghaznavid ruler was Khosrau Malik, who ruled over northern india. He
was defeated by Muhhamad of Ghur, ending the Ghaznavid empire
Ghaznavid Amirs- Alp Tigin
(963-977)
- Sebük Tigin, (Abu Mansur) (977-997)
- Ismail (997-998)
- Mahmud (Yamin ud-Dawlah ) (998-1030)
- Mohammed (Jalal ud-Dawlah) (1030–1031)
- Mas'ud I (Shihab ud-Dawlah) (1031–1041)
- Mohammed (Jalal ud-Dawlah (second time) (1041)
- Maw'dud (Shihab ud-Dawlah) (1041–1050)
- Mas'ud II (1050)
- Ali (Baha ud-Dawlah) (1050)
- Abd ul-Rashid (Izz ud-Dawlah) (1053)
- Toğrül (Tughril) (Qiwam ud-Dawlah) (1053)
- Farrukhzad (Jamal ud-Dawlah) (1053–1059)
- Ibrahim (Zahir ud-Dalah) (1059–1099)
- Mas'ud III (Ala ud-Dawlah) (1099–1115)
- Shirzad (Kemal ud-Dawlah) (1115)
- Arslan Shah (Sultan ud-Dawlah) (1115–1118)
- Bahram Shah (Yamin ud-Dawlah ) (1118–1152)
- Khusrau Shah (Mu'izz ud-Dawlah) (1152–1160)
- Khusrau Malik (Taj ud-Dawlah) (1160–1187)
Ami Isseroff
Nov 8, 2010
Synonyms and alternate spellings:
Further Information:
Persia | 
