Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam
غياث الدين الغوري
c. January 1203 CE · Jumada I 599 AH
Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn Sam al-Ghuri, sultan of Ghazna and much of Khurasan — Ibn al-Athir credits him with a never-defeated standard, rule by stratagem rather than personal combat, abolition of the mukus tolls, and madrasas and khanqahs across Khurasan; patron of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi at Herat and host of the Firuzkuh debate (595); died Jumada I 599, his death concealed until his brother Shihab al-Din reached Herat 1.
At a glance
- Roles
- Ruler
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Life in time
Overview
Ghiyath al-Din Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn Sam al-Ghuri, lord of Ghazna and part of Khurasan, and brother of Shihab al-Din. 2
His character
Ibn al-Athir describes him as victorious and aided, whose banner was never defeated, sparing in personal engagement in battle, and possessed of cunning and guile. He is said to have been generous, with many charities and endowments in Khurasan. He built mosques and colleges for the followers of al-Shafi'i and hostels along the roads, and abolished taxes. 2
Patronage of al-Razi
He honoured the jurist Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, built him a college in Herat near the congregational mosque, and attended his debate with the Karramiyya at Firuzkuh in 595 AH (the Firuzkuh strife). 2
Death
He died in Jumada al-Ula 599 AH, and his death was concealed until his brother Shihab al-Din reached Herat, when it was made public in Rajab. He was succeeded by his son Mahmud, who was given the title Ghiyath al-Din. The conversion to the Gregorian calendar is derived. 3
Connections
- Sibling of
- Shihab al-Din al-Ghuri
- Participated in
- The Firuzkuh fitna (595 AH)
People and things also explored
Shihab al-Din's victory over the king of Hind and the taking of Ajmer (588 AH)· قتل شهاب الدين الغوري· فخر الدين الرازي· Ibn al-Qadwa· Prithviraj, king of Hind· The Firuzkuh fitna (595 AH)· Shihab al-Din al-Ghuri
Sources
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 262, 282
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 262
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 282
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/ghiyath-al-din-muhammad-ibn-sam/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-16.