Abbasid and Samanid military institutions as historical background for the Ghaznawids

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Abstract

Brilliant military achievements and fierce struggle between the sovereigns and his troops were characteristic of the Ghaznawid kingdom, the first Turkic dynasty in the history of Iran, while explanation of such paradox demands analysis of historical background for the Turkic rule. In view that one of the most important reasons for the decline of the Abbasids and the Samanids was the Turkic slaves’ arbitrary interference in the politics, the Abbasid and Samanid military institutions are researched in parallel. Scrutinize of narrative historical texts shows that the organization of armed forces under the two dynasties not only set an example for the Ghaznawids, but also prepared conditions for the Turkic ghulams’ rise to power, since originally the rulers of the two dynasties were forced to recruit them as reliance for the reign, while they were deprived of sovereignty with the strengthening of Turkic soldiers’ influence. Therefore, the Ghaznawids, maintaining the priority of the Turkiс component in the army, took precautions against the Turkic soldiers and generals.

About the authors

Yan Minjia

Institute of Asian and African Studies (IAAS), Moscow State University (MSU)

Author for correspondence.
Email: katerina.chzhuana@yandex.ru

post-graduate student of the Department of Central Asia and the Caucasus of the Institute of Asian and African countries

11 Mohovaya st., Moscow, 125009, Russia

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