Sabuq Qara Khan
سبق قراخان
Sabuq Qara Khan, king of the Turks at Kashghar; the first of Turkestan's Turkic kings to accept Islam, taking the name Abd al-Malik — his realm Kashghar, Saqun and Khimo reaching the desert fringes toward China, he and his heirs answering the Samanids' levies in their wars.
At a glance
- Roles
- Ruler
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Sabuq Qara Khan was the ruler of the Turks at Kashgar, and the first of the Turkish kings in Turkestan to embrace Islam. He was named Abd al-Malik, according to Ibn Khaldun 1.
His realm
Turkestan was under his rule, with Kashgar as its capital, together with Sagun, Khumu and the lands connected to them, as far as the desert that adjoins China. He and his descendants obeyed the Samanids and called upon them for their wars 1.
The records link him to the Qarakhanid state as one of its rulers, and describe him as the first Muslim king in Turkestan.
Connections
- Ruler of
- Qarakhanid dynasty
People and things also explored
Bughra Khan al-Qarakhani· Ilig Khan Sulayman al-Qarakhani· Qarakhanid dynasty
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Sabuq Qara Khan”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/sabuq-qara-khan/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.