The Ghaznavids and the Karakhanids

As the Samanid state weakened, the influence of its Turkic hajibs grew. Alptegin, who governed the province of Ghazna in 962–963, aimed at independence and founded the Ghaznavid state; the capital was the city of Ghazna. The state grew stronger under Sebuktegin (977–997) and under Mahmud of Ghazna (997–1030) it became one of the most powerful states of the East; he added Khorasan and, in 1017, Khwarazm. Under Mas’ud (1030–1040) provinces slipped away one after another; in 1040 the Seljuks won the battle of Dandanaqan. In 1186 the state came to an end. The administration had military, finance, diplomatic and postal divans; a province was run by a wali and a city by a rais. According to the book, about 400 scholars, poets and artists worked at Mahmud’s court: Beruni wrote the “Qanun-i Mas’udi”, Bayhaqi the “Tarikh-i Mas’udi”, and Firdawsi is said to have presented the “Shahnameh” to Mahmud.