Ismail of Ghazni
Encyclopedia
Ismail of Ghazni was the second ruler and Amir of the Ghaznavid Empire
. He succeeded his father Amir Sabuktigin, who died of an illness acquired in Balkh
during a campaign in the Samanid
civil war. Ismail was designated his successor by Sabuktigin on his death-bed, while Mahmud
, the older brother who was involved in the Samanid
civil war, was stationed in Nishapur
.
Upon receiving these news Mahmud
contested Ismail's right to the throne and divested his charge of Nishapur
to his uncle Borghuz and younger brother Nur-ud-Din Yusuf and marched upon Ghazni
.
Mahmud
captured Ghazni
and took the crown from Ismail. Ismail spent the rest of his life confined to a fort in Joorjan. Historians have extrapolated that Sabuktigin chose Ismail
because his other two sons both had a slave as mother, from Ferdowsi
's later satirization of Mahmud
for being descended from slaves on both maternal and paternal side.
Ghaznavid Empire
The Ghaznavids were a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic slave origin which existed from 975 to 1187 and ruled much of Persia, Transoxania, and the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. The Ghaznavid state was centered in Ghazni, a city in modern-day Afghanistan...
. He succeeded his father Amir Sabuktigin, who died of an illness acquired in Balkh
Balkh
Balkh , was an ancient city and centre of Zoroastrianism in what is now northern Afghanistan. Today it is a small town in the province of Balkh, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, and some south of the Amu Darya. It was one of the major cities of Khorasan...
during a campaign in the Samanid
Samanid
The Samani dynasty , also known as the Samanid Empire, or simply Samanids was a Persian state and empire in Central Asia and Greater Iran, named after its founder Saman Khuda, who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrian theocratic nobility...
civil war. Ismail was designated his successor by Sabuktigin on his death-bed, while Mahmud
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
, the older brother who was involved in the Samanid
Samanid
The Samani dynasty , also known as the Samanid Empire, or simply Samanids was a Persian state and empire in Central Asia and Greater Iran, named after its founder Saman Khuda, who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrian theocratic nobility...
civil war, was stationed in Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
.
Upon receiving these news Mahmud
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
contested Ismail's right to the throne and divested his charge of Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
to his uncle Borghuz and younger brother Nur-ud-Din Yusuf and marched upon Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
.
Mahmud
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
captured Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
and took the crown from Ismail. Ismail spent the rest of his life confined to a fort in Joorjan. Historians have extrapolated that Sabuktigin chose Ismail
Ismail
Ismail may refer to:*Ismail , people with the name*Ishmael, the English name of Ismail*Ismael Village, in Sangcharak District at Sar-e Pol Province of Afghanistan...
because his other two sons both had a slave as mother, from Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran and related societies.The Shahnameh was originally composed by Ferdowsi for the princes of the Samanid dynasty, who were responsible for a revival of Persian cultural traditions after the...
's later satirization of Mahmud
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
for being descended from slaves on both maternal and paternal side.
External links
- Ismail Sebuk Tigin entry in Encyclopaedia Iranica