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Lineage
Ferishta records Sebük Tigin's genealogy as descended from the Sassanid Emperors: "Subooktu-geen, the son of Jookan, the son of Kuzil-Hukum, the son of Kuzil-Arslan, the son of Ferooz, the son of Yezdijird, king of Persia." Some doubt has been cast on this due the lineage been reckoned too short to account for the 320 intervening years. What is known about Sebük Tigin is that he was of Turkic origin,[1] born in Barskhan and bought by Alptigin as a boy in Bokhara. According to Grousset,
The Turkic mercenary army which Alptigin had raised in Ghazni, and which was already profoundly influenced by Islam, was from 977 onward led by another Turkic ex-slave -another Mameluke- named Sebüktigin, who made himself master of Tokharistan (Balkh-Kunduz) and Kandahar, and embarked upon the conquest of Kabul.[2]
Military career
He grew up in the court circles of Alptigin and was conferred the titles of Amīr ul-Umra (Chief of the Nobles), and Wakīl-e Mūtlak (Representative). He was then heavily involved in the defence of Ghaznis independence for the next 15 years until Alptigins death as his general.
Upon Alptigins in 975 death both Sabuktigin and Alptigins son Abu-Ishaq went to Bokhara and mend fences with the Samanids. Mansur I of Samanid then officially conferred upon Abu-Ishaq the governorship of Ghazni and acknowledged Sabuktigin as the heir. Abu-Ishaq died soon after in 977 and Sabuktigin succeeded him to the governorship of Ghazni and married Alptigin's daughter.
In 977 he marched against Toghan who had opposed his succession. Toghan fled to Būst so Sabuktigin marched upon Būst and captured Kandahar and its surrounding area. This prompted the Shahi prince Jayapala to launch a pre-emptive strike at Ghazni. Despite the Jayapala amassing approximately 100,000 troops for the battle, Sabuktigin was soundly victorious. [3] The battle was fought at Laghman (near Kabul) and the Jayapala was forced to pay a large tribute. He defaulted upon this and imprisoned Sabuktigin's collectors and assembled an army allied with forces from the kingdoms of Delhi, Ajmer, Kalinjar, and Kannauj which was defeated at the banks of the Neelum. Sabuktigin then annexed Afghanistan and Peshawar all land west of the Neelum.
In 994 he was involved in aiding Nuh II of the Samanids against internal uprisings and defeated the rebels at Balkh and then to Nishapur thereby earned himself the title of Nāsir ud-Dīn ("Hero of the Faith") his son Mahmud the title of Governor of Khorasan and Saif ud-Dawlah ("Sword of the State").
Sebuk Tigin had increased upon Alptigin's domains by extending his domain north to Balkh, west to Kandahar and Khorasan, and east to the Indus River, Sabuktigin was eventually recognized by the Caliph in Baghdad as governor of his dominions.
Legacy
Sultan Sabuktigin grew sick in Balkh during his campaign and retired to Ghazni where he was succeeded by his son, Ismail. Sebuk Tigin is generally regarded as the architect of the Ghaznavid Empire.
References
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online - Sebüktigin
- ^ Rene Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes, 1970, p.143, ISBN 0-8135-1304-9
- ^ The History of India: The Hindu and Mahometan Periods, Elphinstone, pg 321
| Preceded by: Alptigin |
Ghaznavid Ruler 977–997 |
Followed by: Ismail of Ghazni |
See also
- History of Central Asia
- Ghaznavid Empire
- History of Afghanistan
- History of Pakistan
- History of India
- History of Iran
External links
