21 Facts About Sabuktigin

Abu Mansur Nasir ad-Din wa'd-Dawla Sabuktigin was the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, and amir of Ghazna from 977 to 997.

Sabuktigin was a Turkic slave who was bought by Alp-Tegin, the commander of the royal guard of the Samanid dynasty.

Sabuktigin expanded his rule down to south of present-day Afghanistan and north of Balochistan.

Towards the end of his life, Sabuktigin arranged an agreement with the Kara-Khanid Khanate, Samanids' rivals, to partition Nuh's realm between themselves.

Sabuktigin was the image of the "founding monarch" archetype, developed by historians such as Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi, who drew a contrast between the humble and just Sabuktigin with his successors.

Sabuktigin is a Turkic name meaning "beloved prince" during his era, the Old Turkic had degenerated from "prince" to a synonym for Turkic slave commanders under the Abbasid service.

However, Juzjani, a 13-century historian, citing Tarikh-i Majadwal by Abu Al-Qasim Imami states that Sabuktigin's father was called Qara Bechkem, and through a fabricated genealogy, links him to the last Sasanian, Yazdegerd III, claiming his daughter married a Turkic chief.

Sabuktigin flourished under Alp-Tegin's patronage and by the age of eighteen, commanded 200.

Sabuktigin accompanied him and helped defeating the Samanid army in Tokharistan.

Sabuktigin died shortly after in 963, and was succeeded by his son, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, who became Sabuktigin's new master.

Sabuktigin united the Turkic garrisons of Gardez, Ghazna and Bamyan and defeated the invading forces at Charkh, killing Lawik in the process.

Sabuktigin continued his expansion into Qusdar in north-east Baluchistan and a number of frontier forts belonging to Shahi dynasty.

In 994, Nuh requested Sabuktigin's help in subduing the rebellious Abu Ali Simjuri and his Kara-Khanid supporter, Fa'iq Khassa.

In 995, Fa'iq and Abu Ali invaded Nishapur, and when Sabuktigin arrived, instead of fighting him, asked for forgiveness.

Sabuktigin put forth a set of reforms regarding the system in his realm.

Therefore, upon ascension, Sabuktigin's treasury was empty of gold and silver and reportedly only contained "swords and silks".

Sabuktigin first ordered his commanders to give him gifts for his ascension, and then confiscated farming and lands back into governmental domains, promising to pay his army from his treasury and from spoils of war, making his army dependent on him for their earnings.

Sabuktigin believed in the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam and converted into a Hanafite sect called the Karramiyya.

Sabuktigin had a daughter called Hurra-yi Khuttali who later married two rulers of Khwarazm from the Ma'munid dynasty: Abu al-Hasan Ali and Ma'mun II.

In truth, Ghaznavid historians such as Bayhaqi conceptualized Sabuktigin as the ideal image of an archetype: the founding monarch, who lived a simple life and was a humble soldier who imposed justice.

Sabuktigin's conquests facilitated the beginning of the Turko-Afghan period into India, which would be further conducted by Mahmud, and later the Ghurids until the Turko-Afghans successfully established themselves in the Delhi Sultanate.