Old Untaschiden

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The large oasis of Khorezm - the dominion of the Altuntaschids

The Harun, Ghaznavid Governor of Khwarezm ( DMG Altuntāšiden) were a Muslim dynasty which - the 1017 ousted Mamuniden of - peels Gurgandsch over Khorezm reigned while the third, but the first Turkish dynasty the old title " Khorezm Shah led". After the founder of the dynasty Altun-Tasch (Altun-Taš, "gold stone", with the help of the Arabic-Persian alphabet التونتاشwritten) had ruled at least formally as the loyal governor of the powerful Ghaznavids , his two successors openly rebelled against their supremacy and declared their independence as allies of the Seljuks . As early as 1041, however, Khorezm was conquered by Shah-Malik (Šāh-Malik), the ruler of the Oghuz , and the rule of the Altuntaschids was eliminated.

Abu Said Altun-Tash (r. 1017-1032)

When Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (Maḥmūd of Gazna, reg. 998-1030) in July 1017 finally Khorezm his empire incorporated with the Mamuniden the last native of the rich oasis region had fallen dynasty, he appointed his Turkish Hadschib (Ḥāǧib) Abu Said Altun -Tasch (Abū Saʿīd Altun-Taš) to the governor in Gurganj and allowed him to use the traditional (Iranian) ruler title of a Khorezm Shah as such. Altun-Tasch, a former Ghulam (Ġulām, ie military slave) of Sebük-Tigins , had already distinguished himself as governor of Herat (around 1010/11) and talented general before the conquest of Choresm, who, among other things, in the battle of Balch (1008) against the Qarachanids (Qaraḫāniden) had fought. However, the advantages that such a resource-rich fringe province like Khorezm offered a capable ruler should first reveal his entire administrative and strategic skill and soon make him rise to a central power factor in the region.

Altun-Tasch, to whom Mahmud had left behind a division commanded by Arslan-Jadhib (Arslan-Ǧāḏib) until the complete pacification of Choresm , especially the neighboring nomadic tribes of the Qipchaqs ( Qipčaqen ) and Oghuz (including the Seljuq clan ), succeeded to keep and prevent them from invading his province. At the same time, however, he made use of the Turkish steppe warriors to build up a powerful Ghulam bodyguard for himself (like other rulers too) and to strengthen his army with auxiliary contingents, which soon led to Sultan Mahmud becoming suspicious and increasingly unifying his governor, who was becoming more and more powerful saw potential rivals. It was no different for Mahmud's successor Masud (Masūd, ruled 1031-1040) and so both sultans tried several times to lure the Khorezm Shah to their court in Ghazna under a pretext , but this was never successful.

Despite Mahmud's and Masud's skepticism about the activities of their governor, Altun-Tash never rebelled openly despite his abundance of power and de facto independence and always recognized the Ghaznavid supremacy during his fifteen-year reign. As a loyal, loyal vassal, for example, he immediately congratulated Mahmud on his victory over the Qarachanids in another battle near Balkh (1019/20), and joined him (as the second ruler) on the campaign against the Qarachanids Ali-Tegin (ʿAlī-Tegin) to Transoxania and was then also present at the meeting between the Ghaznawid Sultan and his Qarachanid ally Qadir-Chan Yusuf (Qadir-Ḫān Yūsuf) (both 1025). He supported Masud against his brother Muhammad (the actual heir to the throne) and also gave him the good advice to continue to keep the peace with the Qarachanids, but the Ghaznawid only obeyed this partially. While he did indeed endeavor to maintain good relations with Qadir-chan and his sons, and for this purpose sent an embassy to Kashgar (Kāšġar) (1031), he did not pursue a purely defensive policy towards Ali-Tegin (like them Altun-Tasch had recommended in a letter) and even decided to commission the Khorezm Shah himself with the conquest of Transoxania.

As a result, when Altun-Tash went to war with his army in the spring of 1032, he succeeded in taking Bukhara , but the subsequent battle with Ali-Tegin's main forces near Dabusiya (Dabūsīya) ended in a draw on the one hand and seriously injured on the other of the Khorezm Shah. Hiding the latter as much as possible, in this dangerous situation Altun-Tash's vizier Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Samad Shirazi (Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbd aṣ-Ṣamad Šīrāzī) got in touch with Ali-Tegin's vizier and got him to the Qarachanids to agree to negotiate. Despite his extremely critical condition, the Khorezm Shah received the messenger that was then sent with all honors and in this way managed to get Ali-Tegin to agree to a peace, to withdraw to Samarkand and for the weakened Khorezmian troops to retreat safely. Immediately afterwards Altun-Tasch finally succumbed to his fatal injuries, but even his own soldiers only found out about it from a safe distance.

Harun ibn Altun-Tasch (ruled 1032-1035)

How independent and powerful Altun-Tash had become over time is also shown by the fact that in April / May 1032 his son Harun (Hārūn) was able to inherit him as regent of Khorezm. Despite all his suspicions, Sultan Masud apparently did not dare to completely prevent the establishment of the dynasty, but he reserved the right to immediately put his vassals in their place. Harun only got half as many honorary gifts as Altun-Tash once and with Abd al-Jabbar (ʿAbd al-Ǧabbār), a son of Ahmad Shirazi, a vizier was assigned to supervise his activities for Masud. Above all, Harun was only allowed to use the title of deputy (Ḫalīfat ad-Dār) of the (nominal) Khorezm Shah, to which Masud had briefly appointed his own son Said (Saʿīd).

When Harun received the news in 1033 that his brother, who lived at Masud's court, had died by falling from the roof, he thought the time had come to break with the Ghaznavids. In 1034 Harun rebelled openly against his overlord by declaring himself an independent Khorezm Shah, having his name given in the (Khorezm) Chutba (Ḫuṭba) instead of Masud's (June / July) and by agreeing with both the Seljuks and Ali-Tegin allies. It was agreed with the latter that he should attack Tirmidh and Balch while Harun marched with the Seljuks against Merw . The Qarachanid prince died in the same year, but his two sons decided to remain at the side of the Khorezm Shah and invaded Tschaghaniyan (Čaġāniyān) with an army, and then, after crossing the Amudaryas , with Harun Unite troops at Andchud (Andḫūd).

Harun supplied the Seljuks, who had fallen out with Ali-Tegin's sons, with weapons and pack animals. He also allowed them to settle near Shurachan (Šurāḫān) and Maschrabat (Māšrabāṭ) in Khorezm. Here, however, they were attacked by their old enemy Shah-Malik of Jand in October 1034 , with whom Harun then entered into negotiations. While the Khorezm Shah's mediation in the conflict with the Seljuks was strictly rejected, the Yabghu (Yabġu) agreed to support Harun in his advance to Khorasan . But when both armies met on the Amu Darya (November 12) and Shah-Malik became aware of the troop strength of the Khorezm Shah (30,000 men), he quickly withdrew without informing Harun beforehand and from then on assumed a hostile attitude towards him the old Untaschiden. Harun continued his campaign and threatened Merw in early 1035, while Ali-Tegin's sons were besieging Tirmidh.

Sultan Masud, however, had planned Harun's assassination and had given bribes accordingly. On April 14, 1035, the Khorezm Shah was attacked by some of his own military slaves and succumbed to the injuries four days later. His army withdrew to Choresm and the unsuccessful siege of Tirmidh had to be abandoned.

Ismail Chandan ibn Altun-Tasch (ruled 1035-1041)

After Harun's death, another son of Altun-Tash named Ismail Chandan (Ismāʿīl Ḫandān) became the new Khorezm Shah. He continued the anti-Nazi policy of his murdered brother and held on to the alliance with the Seljuks, who now successfully advanced to Khorasan. Sultan Masud therefore entered into an alliance with Shah-Malik of Jand and assured him in 1038 that he would be allowed to rule Khorezm under Ghaznavid suzerainty as soon as Ismail Chandan was overthrown. Desiring control over such a rich province, the Oghuz prince then tried to win the Choresmians for a voluntary change of power. Since he was unsuccessful with this, however, he began a campaign against Ismail Chandan in the winter of 1040/41 and defeated the Khorezmian troops in a three-day battle in the plain of Asib (Āsīb). The resistance of the Choresmians was not yet completely broken, but rumors about the approach of a Ghaznavid army caused additional panic. Ismail Chandan left his capital Gurganj on March 28th and fled to the allied Seljuks, who under Toghril and Tschaghri had meanwhile managed to decisively defeat Masud in the battle of Dandanqan and thus to conquer all of Khorasan. Nothing is known about the further fate of the last Altuntasid.

Shah Malik finally moved into Gurganj in April 1041 and, as the new Khorezm Shah, had the Chutba held in Masud's name, although the Sultan had already died at this point. His rule came to an end as early as 1043, when the victorious Seljuks also annexed Khoresm to their empire and put their old enemy to flight. From then on, the large oasis was ruled by frequently changing governors until it came under the rule of the famous Anushteginids in 1077 .

See also

Sources and literature

  • Abū ʼl-Faḍl Muḥammad Baihaqī: Tāʾrīḫ-i masʿūdī (Tāʾrīḫ-i Baihaqī). ed. by Q. Ġanī and A. Fayyāḍ. Tehran 1945.
  • Niẓām al-Mulk : Siyāsat-nāma (Siyar al-mulūk).
    • The Book of Government or Rules for Kings. Translation by Hubert Darke. London 1960.
  • Ibn al-Aṯīr : Al-Kāmil fi ʼt-taʾrīḫ.
  • Abū Naṣr Muḥammad ʿUtbī: Tāʾrīḫ al-Yamīnī. ed. by Sheikh Aḥmad Manīnī. Cairo 1869.
  • Abū Saʿīd ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Gardīzī: Zain al-ʾaḫbār. ed. by ʿAbd al-Ḥayy Ḥabībī, Tehran 1968.
  • Wilhelm Barthold : Turkestan down to the Mongol invasion. London 1928.
  • Wilhelm Barthold: ALTŪNTĀ SH . In: MT Houtsma et al. (Ed.): Encyclopaedia of Islam . Leiden 1913-1936.
  • Clifford Edmund Bosworth : The political and dynastic history of the Iranian world (AD 1000-1217). In: John Andrew Boyle (Ed.): The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 5: The Saljuq and Mongol periods. Cambridge 1968.
  • Clifford Edmund Bosworth: KH w ĀRAZM- SH ĀHS. In: PJ Bearman et al. (Ed.): Encyclopaedia of Islam. New Edition. Leiden 1960-2004.
  • Karl Eduard Sachau : On the history and chronology of Khwârizm. In: SBWAW. lxxiii (1873)

Remarks

  1. ↑ Hajjib: Guardian, bodyguard, doorman, also a kind of chamberlain
  2. ↑ Altun-Tash allegedly learned of the sultan's triumph from the fact that Amu Darya wore the hats of the numerous fallen Turks as far as Khorezm.
  3. ↑ The wording of this letter was handed down by ʿUtbī.
  4. ↑ So far, however, no coins are known that were minted in the name of an Altuntaschid.
  5. ↑ Located about 7 km south of Turtkul on the Amu Darya