Bilge Kul Kadir Khan that was the first khan
determined in Karahanlilar State had struggled with Samani State. He had two sons named as
Arslan Khan and Kadir Khan. Arslan Khan governed the state from Balasagun in his capacity
as the great khan and Kadir Khan Ogulcak governed the state from Taraz in his capacity as
the central-khan. Ismail b. Ahmet (892-894) from Samani State besieged the city of Taraz
for a long peirod and then invaded Taraz (March 893). Under these circumstances, Ogulcak
moved its centre to Kashgar and started the raids towards the regions under the dominion
of Samani State. His nephew, Satuk had met the Samani prince called as Ebu Nasr who took
shelter in Karahanlilar State or The Muslim mystic preachers and this acquaintance caused
him to adopt the religion of Islam. When Satuk had won the struggle for enthronement
against his uncle, he officially adopted the religion of Islam in his state (in the
beginning of the century X). This event changed the situation of the western Karahanlilar
State. Satuk Bugra changed his name with a Muslim name of Abdulkerim. In the course of his
struggles against the Eastern Karahanlilar State, he got the benefit of the Muslim
volunteers that were gathered around him for the holy war. Satuk died in 955-6 and was
buried in Artuc in the north of Kasghar.
Satuk's son, Musa (Baytas) defeated the eastern khan,
Arslan Han and carried off this branch of the dynasty and therefore, the entire Karahanli
State had become Muslims (960). Afterwards, the provision of the diffusion of Islam among
Turks turned into a characteristic of a holy war. In the period of Musa, they waged wars
against the neighbouring regions. It is probable that his son, Ebu'l-Hasan Ali who
replaced Musa had died as a martyr in one of these wars (998). Ebu Musa el-Hasan (Harun)
b. Süleyman who governed the western section of the state invaded Isfican in the year of
990 and then, penetrated into Bokhara that was the capital city of Samani State (May-June
992). Bugra Khan got sick and had to leave this city. Oguz people under the command of
Arslan b. Seljuk who came to support the Samani State had probably had an influence on his
withdrawal from this city.
Harun died on the road
while he was returning to Kasghar. Ahmet, the successor of Ali who was the great khan that
died in 998 was the first person who recognised the Abbasi caliph among the Karahanlilar
rulers. In his period, his brother named as Ebu'l-Hasan Nasr b. Ali that dominated the
western section was in relation with the Samani State and its neighbours. Nasr captured
Bokhara in the year of 999 and took the members of Samani dynasty to Ozkent. Then, the
Samani crown prince named as Ismail el-Muntasir that had fled from Ozkent tried to
reinvigorate the state but his attempts had fallen short and he died thereof (1000-1005).
According to the agreement concluded between Nasr b. Ali and Gazneli Sultan Mahmud
(998-1030), the River Oxus (Ceyhun) was determined as the borders between the two states
(1001).
However, Nasr wanted
to come to the inheritance of Samani State and to capture Khorasan. As a matter of fact,
he got the benefit of the occupation of Sultan Gazneli Mahmut in India and sent forces to
Khorasan in two branches. These forces were defeated by Mahmut and his brother, Nasr.
Under these circumstances, Nasr had to demand help from the central-khan, Yusuf b. Harun
(Kadir Khan). Sultan Mahmut defeated the allied Karahanli forces in the war that was
carried out in the savanna of Belh (5th January 1008). This defeat caused some conflicts
in the dynasty and between Karahanli people. Nasr b. Ali tried to declare his
independency. Upon this, the Great Khan, Ahmed b. Ali made an alliance with Sultan Mahmut
against him. As a result, the two rivals applied for the arbitration of Mahmud. Nasr b.
Ali died in 1012-13 and his third brother, Mansur replaced him.
While Ahmet b. Ali
suffered from a fatal disease, his brother, Mansur had probably declared himself as the
great khan. His brother, Mohammed had recognised the domination of Mansur. Ahmet set on
motion against these two brothers of him. Yusuf (Kadir Khan) and Ali Tegin were on his
side. Mansur must have taken Ali Tegin as prisoner in this period. Karahanlilar State had
provided arbitration between the Memnuni State that governed Harezm and Gazneliler State,
but then, they had to acept the capture of Harezm by Mahmut (1017). On the other hand, the
great khan Ahmet got on his feet although he was very ill and defeated the nomadic Turks
composed of over one hundred thousands of tents that had approached to a distance of eight
days to Balasagun. Then, he followed them towards Turfan for a period of three months. He
died after his return from this expedition in a short while (1017-18).
Pursuant to the death
of Ahmet b. Ali, there were two candidates that wanted to replace him. One of these
candidates, Yusuf Kadir Khan demanded help from Gazneli Sultan Mahmut, but he was
disappointed. As a result, he made an agreement with his rival Ebu'l-Muzaffer Mansur b.
Ali. These two Karahanli rulers organised a joint military expedition to Khorasan, but
they were defeated by Sultan Mahmut within the environs of Belh (1019/1020). Yusuf had to
make an agreement with Sultan Mahmut again.
On the other hand, Arslan Ilig Muhammed b. Ali had seized a powerful statuesque in the
state. Ahmed b. El-Hasan who opposed to his position captured Ozkent and Ahsikas
(1019-20). Meanwhile, Ali Tegin who ran away from Mansur b. Ali captured Bokhara upon the
support of Arslan b. Seljuk and he started to establish dominion in this city (1020-21).
Mansur b. Ali who was a Muslim mystic resigned from the position khanate and he became a
dervish (1024-25). He was replaced by his brother, Yusuf Kadir Khan. Mohammed b. Ali must
have died in the same period. The two brothers made an alliance against the domination of
Yusuf. Of these brothers, Ahmed declared himself as the great khan and Ali Tegin helped
and supported him. Yusuf had to come to terms with Gazneli Mahmud again. These two rulers
that met within the environs of Samarkand had negotiated about the issues that were
related with the Karahanlilar State and decided upon some resolutions for the transfer of
Arslan b. Seljuk and the Oguz people in his command to Khorasan. Furthermore, it was
resolved that a relationship could be established between the two dynasties (1025).
Sultan Mahmud seized Arslan
b. Seljuk through a trick and he arrested him in the castle of Kalincar located in India.
Ali Tegin ran away to the steppe land, but when Mahmut returned to his country, he became
the ruler of Bokhara and Samarkand again. Sultan Mahmut established dominion over the old
Samani lands. He made an agreement with them upon the issue that the relations of
Karahanlilar State with the Abbasi caliph would be realised through his mediation. Yusuf
Kadir Khan and his sons recovered their situation and they were able to capture firstly
Ozkent (1025-26) and then the capital city of Balasagun (1026-27). Ahmed b. el-Hasan had
to recognise the dominion of Yusuf.
Yusuf Kadir had not properly received the diplomatic corps that was sent by Gazneli Sultan
Mahmut in order to inform his enthronement and to establish amicable relations between the
two dynasties in the spring of 1031. However, pursuant to the death of Yusuf Kadir
(December 1032-January 1033), his sons, Arslan Han Suleyman and Bugra Han Mohammed
replaced him and the diplomatic corps sent by SultanMesut succeeded in the conclusion of
an agreement. Then, the Gazneli princess Zeynep was married to Bugra Han Mohammed from the
Karahanlilar State. The conflicts that aroused in relation with this marriage were settled
down by a diplomatic corps sent to the region by Mesut and the two brothers came to an
agreement again.
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