Qarakhanid dynasty
الدولة الخاقانية (القراخانية)
The Turkic state of Kashghar and the Turkestan marches — kings of Turkestan whose seat was Kashghar with Saqun and Khimo reaching the Shash lands; the first of them to accept Islam was Sabuq Qara Khan, named Abd al-Malik, and they served the Samanids as levied allies until Abu Ali ibn Simjur tempted them with Bukhara in the Samanid collapse of the 390s — Bughra Khan took the country piecemeal and died on the road from Bukhara (the text reads year 403 of the fourth century), pious, just, learned-loving and Sunni in leaning; his brother Ilig Khan Sulayman 'Shihab al-Dawla' then entered Bukhara on 10 Dhu'l-Qa'da of year 389 on the text's reading, seized Buktuzun and Abd al-Malik and the deposed Abu'l-Harith Mansur — and the Samanid state was ended.
At a glance
- Era
- The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era · The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The Turkish state in Kashgar and the lands of Turkestan. They were the kings of Turkestan, with Kashgar as their seat, and Sagun and Khimu reaching the borders of Shash. 1
Beginnings
The first of them to embrace Islam was Satuq Qarakhan, who called himself Abd al-Malik. They obeyed the Samanids and called them to arms in their wars. 1
Bukhara
Abu Ali ibn Simjur tempted them with the kingship of Bukhara when the Samanid state was unsettled in the 390s AH. Qarakhan went to their lands and took them, and died on his way from Bukhara. 1
Ibn Khaldun's description
Ibn Khaldun describes him as a just ruler of good conduct, a lover of scholars, a Sunni with Shi'i leanings. 1
Ilek Khan
His brother Ilek Khan Sulayman, called Shahir al-Dawla, succeeded him, and took Bukhara on the tenth of Dhu al-Qa'da in the year 389 AH. He seized Bakthrazun, Abd al-Malik and the deposed Abu al-Harith Mansur, and the Samanid state died out. 1
Not covered here
The year of Qarakhan's death is given in the text in two readings, and the data point to a difference in the reading, so it is not fixed here. A second source is needed.
Connections
People and things also explored
Bughra Khan al-Qarakhani· Ilig Khan Sulayman al-Qarakhani· Sabuq Qara Khan
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun, p.1153-1154
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Qarakhanid dynasty”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/polity/qarakhanid-dynasty/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.