The name of the dynasty comes from the title Karakhan, which belonged to Satuq Bughra Khan – the ruler under whose reign in 960 Islam was adopted as the state religion. The first members of the future dynasty, who we do not know much about, lived in Kashgar and came from the Chigils tribe that were part of the Karluk confederation.
The works of the Karakhanid historiographers survived only in short passages. Most of the history of the Karakhanids can be reconstructed according to numismatics. Coins were minted by all the rulers of this dynasty, and the minting was carried out not just in the capital or large cities. Even relatively small cities like Osh and Quba in Fergana Valley minted their coins.
The Karakhanids created a state, conquering lands where a developed urban culture already existed and part of the population, including the Turks, was engaged in agriculture. At the beginning of the 11th century, at the apex of Karakhanid development, their empire stretched from the Amu Darya in the west to the western borders of Dzungaria in the east. The northern boundary was the southern Balkhash region; the southern boundary reached Khotan.
In 992, the Karakhanid ruler Harun Boghra Khan conquered the eastern outpost of the Samanids – Isfijab, located in the area of modern Shimkent, and began further advancement to the west, ending it with the conquest of Bukhara, the Samanid capital. In this same year, Harun Boghra Khan died on the way to his headquarters in Kashgar.
The Samanids temporarily restored their power in Mavarannakhr. However, as early as 999, Harun’s successor, Nasr ibn’Ali, completely subjugated Mavarannakhr to himself, depriving the Samanids of their claims to power. In 1040, the Karakhanid Khaganate was divided into Western and Eastern. Ibrahim ibn Nasr Tabghach Khan chose Samarkand, one of the largest cities of the East of that time, to be the capital of the Western Khaganate.
This state was drawn into constant military conflicts with neighbors, as a result of which since the 80s of the 11th century Western Khagans became dependent on the Seljukids. In the late 1130s – 1140s, both Khaganates were conquered by the Khitans (Kara-Khitans). In 1212, Ala ad-Din Muhammad II, the Khorezm Shah, conquered Samarkand, completely destroying it and putting the existence of the Western Karakhanid Khaganate to an end.
After Khorezmshah, the Mongols conquered the lands of the Karakhanids and marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of Central Asia. However, the cultural heritage of the Karakhanids retained its status for many years. The wonderful architectural monuments they left behind are still sights of Uzbekistan today.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Collection of the State Hermitage Mavarannakhr Art 8th – 15th centuries" (XV volume) from the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
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How long did the Karakhanids rule in Mavarannakhr?
One of the most interesting periods in the history of Mavarannakhr is associated with the Karakhanid dynasty.