Ghaznavid Empire

Ghaznavid Empire

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History of the Turks
Turkic Khaganate 552–744
Western Turkic
Eastern Turkic
Khazar Khaganate 650-1048
Turgesh Khaganate 699-766
Uyghur Khaganate 744-840
Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1212
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Pecheneg Khanates
860–1091		 Kimek Khanate
743–1035
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1067–1239		 Oghuz Yabgu State
750–1055
Shatuo Dynasties 923–979
Later Tang Dynasty
Later Jin Dynasty
Later Han Dynasty (Northern Han)
Ghaznavid Empire 963–1186
Seljuq Empire 1037–1194
Khwarezmian Empire 1077–1231
Seljuq Sultanate of Rum 1092–1307
Delhi Sultanate 1206–1526
Mamluk Dynasty
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Cairo Sultanate 1250–1517
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In Anatolia
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The Ghaznavid dynasty (Persian: غزنویان‎) was a Turkic mamluk Muslim dynasty which adopted Persianate culture and ruled much of Persia, Transoxania, and the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent from 975 to 1186. The dynasty was founded by Sebuktigin, upon his succession to rule Ghazna (modern-day Ghazni Province in Afghanistan) after his father-in-law, Alp Tigin, who was a break-away ex-general of the Samanids from Balkh, north of the Hindu Kush in Khorasan.

Sebuktigin's son, Mahmud of Ghazni, expanded the Ghaznavid Empire by stretching it between the Oxus River (Amu Darya) to the Indus Valley and the Indian Ocean; and in the west it reached Rey and Hamadan (modern-day Iran). Due to the political and cultural influence of their predecessors - that of the Persian Samanid Empire - the originally Turkic Ghaznavid rulers had become Persianized.

Under the reign of Mas'ud I, the Ghaznavid dynasty began losing control over its western territories to the Seljuqs after the Battle of Dandanaqan, resulting in a restriction of its holdings to modern-day Afghanistan, Western Punjab and the Balochistan region. In 1151, Sultan Bahram Shah lost Ghazni to Ala'uddin Hussain of Ghor.

Read more about Ghaznavid Empire:  Rise To Power, Military and Tactics, State and Culture, Legacy, List of Rulers, Family Tree of The Ghaznavid Sultans

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