Ghaznavid Empire - Rise To Power

Rise To Power

Two military families arose from the Turkic slave-guards of the Samanids — the Simjurids and Ghaznavids — who ultimately proved disastrous to the Samanids. The Simjurids received an appanage in the Kohistan region of eastern Khorasan (northern Afghanistan). Alp Tigin and Abu al-Hasan Simjuri, as Samanid generals, competed with each other for the governorship of Khorasan and control of the Samanid empire by placing on the throne emirs they could dominate when 'Abd al-Malik I dies.

When the Emir died in 961 CE it created 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 candidacy for the Samanid throne. Mansur I was installed, and Alp Tigin prudently retired to south of the Hindu Kush where he founded the Ghaznavid fortunes when he established himself at Ghazna (modern Ghazni Province) in 962 CE. The Simjurids enjoyed control of Khorasan south of the Oxus River (Amu Darya) but were hard-pressed by a third great Iranian dynasty, the Buwayhids, and were unable to survive the collapse of the Samanids and the rise of the Ghaznavids.

The struggles of the Turkic slave generals for mastery of the throne with the help of shifting allegiance from the court's ministerial leaders both demonstrated and accelerated the Samanid decline. Samanid weakness attracted into Transoxania the Qarluq Turks, who had recently converted to Islam. They occupied Bukhara in 992 to establish in Transoxania the Qarakhanid, or Ilek Khanid, dynasty. After Alp Tigin's death in 993, Ishaq ibn Alptigin followed by Sebuktigin took to the throne. Sabuktigin's son Mahmud made an agreement with the Qarakhanids whereby the Oxus River was recognized as their mutual boundary.