When Karahanli State was divided into two states, I.
Mohammed b. Nasr who was the first great khan of the Western Karahanli State settled in
Ozkent and probably died in the years of 1052-53. His brother, Ebu Ishak I. Ibrahim was
his successor and he did not go to Ozkent and stayed in Samarkand. Therefore, Samarkand
became the capital city of the Western Karahanli State. Ibrahim had governed his state as
an ideal ruler. He captured the border cities such as Sash, Ilag, etc. and some parts of
Ferghana from the Eastern Karahanli State. In return, the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan
(1064-1072) had started his raids towards the fields of Karahanli State. Ibrahim complained about this
situation t the Abbasi Caliph, but could not receive any result. His son, Sems'üu-Mülk
I. Nasr (1068-1080) replaced him. Another member of the dynasty rebelled against him. The
Eastern Karahanli State that got the benefit of this turmoil tried to take back the lands
that were captured by Ibrahim. As a result, an agreement was concluded. The expedition of
Sultan Alp Arslan towards the Transoxania could not be finalised due to his death (1072).
Nasr got the benefit of his death and captured Tirmiz (December 1072) and advanced towards
Belh and destroyed this city. Seljuk Sultan Melikshah set in motion in order to retort the
attacks of Karahanli State. When he captured Tirmiz, he advanced towards Samarkand. When
Nasr understood that he could not resist, he applied for the state of peace through the
mediation of Nizam'ül Mülk who was the vizier of Seljuks. Sultan Melikshah forgave him,
and a relationship was established between the two dynasties. Nasr's brother, Ebu Suca
el-Hizr was his successor (1080).
Afterwards, el Hizr
was replaced by his son, Ahmet (1081-89). The scholars of Muslim theology who were in
conflict with Ahmet demanded help from the Sultan Melikshah. Melikshah captured Samarkand
and took Ahmet Han as prisoner to Isfehan together with him (1088-89). However, Melikshah
had to organise another military expedition towards the Transoxania as a result of the
rebellion against the Seljuk domination (1090). In the return from this expedition,
Melikshah extradited Ahmet to his country. Therefore, Karahanli State was connected and
subjected to Seljuk State. Ahmet who came to power again was blamed as atheist by the
scholars of Muslim theology and executed pursuant to an open hearing (1095). He was
replaced by I. Mesud b. Mohammed. There is not any kind of information about his sultanate
period.
Afterwards, the Seljuk Sultan Berkyaruk appointed three rulers successively for the throne
of the Western Karahanli State.
The third one, Cibrail b.
Omer (Harun) got the benefit of the Interregnum conditions among Seljuks and wanted to
capture Khorasan. But, meanwhile, Sencer who was the governor of Khorasan had won the war
for Tirmiz and Kadir Han Cibrail who had been taken as prisoner was executed (22nd May
1102). Pursuant to this victory that he won, Sencer reorganised the region of Transoxania.
He enthroned his nephew, Arslan Han II. Mohammed b. Suleyman (1102-1129) who was titled as
great khan in Samarkand. There has been Sencer's name engraved in the coins minted by
Arslan Han Mohammed. Furthermore, Sencer assigned his aunt's husband, Abdulaziz b. Maza as
the ruler of Bokhara Hanafi people with the title of "el-Sadr". Therefore,
Sencer had wanted to prevent the struggles and conflicts between the Karahanli dynasty and
the scholars of Muslim theology.
II. Muhammet could
suppress the rebellions of the dynasty members named as Omer Han and el-Hasan b. Ali in
the course of his sultanate. Hasan b. Ali was defeated in Nahseb in 1109. Mohammed had
also attacked to Turks who had not adopted the religion of Islam. As a result of a
rebellion, Seljuk Sultan demanded help from Sencer, but sent a message to him not to come
since the rebellion was suppressed. Sencer got angry upon this and this situation led to
another conflict. Sencer captured Samarkand and took Mohammed as prisoner. Mohammed died
in Merv in the year of 1132. His son, Ahmed II resisted against Sencer for a period.
Sencer appointed three
successive rulers for the enthronement of the Western Karahanli State. The last one, II.
Mahmud b. Mohammed (1132-41) was defeated in the war against Kara-Hitay people near Hicent
and he ran away to Samarkand (1137). Then, there was a conflict that aroused between him
and Karluk people. While he wanted help from Sultan Sencer, Karluklar applied to
Kara-Hitay people. Sencer and Mahmud were defeated by Kara-Hitay people in the desert of
Katvan on the date of 9th September. Then, Mahnud's brother, Ibrahim III became the khan
under the protection of Kara-Hitay people. Ibrahim was killed in the course of Kallabaz
War against Karluk people (1156).
Mahmud II dominated in Kkorasan for a while. Furthermore, Oguz people had offered him the
post of ruler pursuant to the death of Sultan Sencer (1157). Mahmud had firstly sent his
son, Mohammed, but after a while, he became the ruler of Oguz people. Mueyyed ed-Devle
Ay-Aba, the governor of Nisabur who was one of the commanders of Sencer desired to capture
Khorasan. He was involved in a struggle to this effect and he took Mahmud and his son,
Mohammed as prisoners in the course of these fights and burnt their eyes out (August
1162). The father and the son died in the prison in the following year. Pursuant to their
deaths, the Western section of the Karahanli State came to an end.
Afterwards, the domination
pertained to the Ali Tegin family and Ali b. Hasan was the successor of Ibrahim II. Ali
had had successful fights with Karluk people and he killed their chief, Yabgu Khan. He
encountered the allies under the command of Harezmshah Il-Arslan (1156-1172) that were on
the side of Karluk people within the environs of Bokhara in the year of 1158, but he made
an agreement without waging war. Then, Ali's brother, Ebu'l Muzaffer Mesut II replaced him
(1161). Mesut II resolved the conflicts and turmoils in the country, and fought with
Karluk and Oguz people. Pursuant to his death in 1178, we have observed that Ibrahim IV.
b. el-Huseyin was the ruler of the Western Karahanli State, and he was replaced by his
son, Osman I (1204). Osman was a good and cautious ruler. In the beginning, he was subject
to Kara-Hitay people, but he had prevented the annihilation of Muslim Gurlu people by then
and he was the mediator for peace. Kara-Hitay ruler, Gur Han did not permit Osman to get
married with his daughter. Upon this rejection, Osman had delivered prayers in the name of
Harezmshah Mohammed and minted coins in his name and became subject to him.
Then, Kara-Hitay people
defeated the Harezmshah (1207). But Osman was pardoned, and he even married to the
daughter of Gur Han (1210). The subjection of Osman to Kara-Hitay people did not last for
long and he collaborated with the Harezmshah Mohammed. This time, he was married with his
daughter and stayed in Harezm for a year due to the traditions. When Osman returned to
Samarkand, he got separated from Harezmshahs and approached to the side of Kara-Hitay
people. The reason for this approach was the ill treatment of Harezm people to the people
of Samarkand in his absentia. When he annihilated Harezm people, Mohammed set in motion.
He captured Samarkand and then, took Osman as prisoner. As a result of the instigation of
his wife from Harezm that was insulted, Osman was executed (1212). Upon his execution, the
Western Karahanli State came to an end.
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