Sabuktigin

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Sabuktigin bigraphy, stories - Founder of the Ghaznavid Empire

Sabuktigin : biography

ca. 942 – 997

Abu Mansur Sabuktigin () (ca 942 – August 997), also spelled as Sabuktagin, Sabuktakin, Sebüktegin and Sebük Tigin, also known as Nasir-ud-din Sabuktigin, is regarded as the founder of the Ghaznavid Empire in what is now Afghanistan during the late 10th century.C.E. Bosworth, in Encyclopaedia Iranica. Date: December 15, 2001. Accessdate: July 4, 2012. He lived as a slave during his teens and later married the daughter of his master Alptigin, the man who seized the region of Ghazna (modern Ghazni Province in Afghanistan) in a political fallout for the throne of the Samanids of Bukhara.Encyclopædia Britannica,

When his father-in-law Alptigin died, Sebuktigin became the new ruler and expanded the kindom after defeating Jayapala to cover the territory as far as the Neelum River in Kashmir and the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. He was of Turkic origin.

Death and legacy

After becoming sick during one of his campaigns, Sultan Sebuktigin died in August 997 while travelling from Balkh to Ghazni in Afghanistan. The nature of his illness is unknown and the exact location of his death is uncertain. Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani, a 13th century historian, stated that "Subuktageen died in the village of (Bermel Madwari, or Madar wa Moi, or Madawri, or Madraiwi, or Barmel Maderwi)." In modern times, Henry George Raverty has also mentioned Termez in his translations of the village name. Abdul Hai Habibi believes that Sebuktigin’s place of death is Marmal, Mazar-i-Sharif. He was buried in a tomb in Ghazni which can be visited by tourists. He was succeeded by his younger son, Ismail. Sebuktegin is generally regarded as the architect of the Ghaznavid Empire.

Censuring the people of innovation

A pious ruler, Sebuktegin grew concerned over the increasing amount of innovation (commonly known as bidah) in the Islamic creed, and consequently censured those who he believed were promulgating heretical doctrines or beliefs that contravened orthodox Sunni principles.The Ash’aris: in the Scales of Ahlus Sunnah, Shaykh al-Jasim, pg. 155 Ibn Taymiyyah duly eulogizes Sebüktegin, stating that he:

Early years

Sebuktigin was born around 942 CE in what is today Barskon district (Barskhan district), Kyrgyzstan. Around the age of twelve, Sebuktigin was taken prisoner by a neighbouring warring tribe and sold as a slave to a merchant named Nasr the Haji. He was eventually purchased by Alptigin, the Lord Chamberlain of the Samanids of Bukhara.

When Alptigin later rebelled against the Samanid rule, capturing Zabulistan and Ghazna south of the Hindu Kush in modern-day Afghanistan, he raised Sebuktigin to the position of a general and gave his daughter in marriage to him. Subuktigin served Alptigin, and his two successors Ishaq and Balkatigin. He later succeeded another slave of Alptigin to the throne, and in 977 became the popular ruler of the Ghazna region south of the Hindu Kush.

Sebuktigin enlarged upon Alptigin’s conquests, extending his domain from Ghazna to Balkh in the north, Helmand in the west, and the Indus River in what is today Pakistan.

Sebuktigin was recognized by the Caliph in Baghdad as governor of his dominions. He died in 997, and was succeeded by his younger son Sultan Ismail of Ghazni. Mahmud rebelled against his younger brother, Sultan Ismail of Ghazni, and took over Ghazna as the new Sultan.

Ferishta records Sebuktigin’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 having been reckoned as too short to account for the 320 intervening years. What is known about Sebuktigin is that he was of Turkic origin. According to Grousset,

Military career

Sebuktegin 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), ultimately being made general. He was then heavily involved in the defence of Ghazna’s independence for the next 15 years, until Alptigin’s death in 975.