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Farighunids
9th-century–1010
Guzgan
Status	Client of the Saffarids, Samanids and the Ghaznavids
Capital	Yahudiyya
Common languages	Persian
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	9th-century
• Ghaznavid conquest	1010
Succeeded by Ghaznavids

The Farighunids were an Iranian dynasty that ruled Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) in the late 9th, 10th and early 11th centuries. They were ultimately deposed by the ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, Sultan Mahmud (r. 999–1030).

Background

According to the unknown author of the Hudud al-'Alam, the Farighunid family descended from the legendary Iranian king Afridun/Faridun. The English historian Clifford Edmund Bosworth suggests that the Farighunids had ancestral ties with the Afrighids, the ruling dynasty of Khwarazm. This is possibly supported by the fact that some chronicles refer to the Afrighids as the "Al Farighun of Kath".

History

The first Farighunid amir mentioned is Ahmad ibn Farighun. Ahmad, together with the Banijurids, was compelled to recognize the Saffarid Amr ibn al-Layth as his suzerain. Only a short time afterwards, Amr ibn al-Layth was defeated and captured by the Samanids; Ahmad transferred his allegiance to them around this time. Later Ahmad married his daughter to his Samanid sovereign Nuh II. The Farighunids would remain Samanid vassals until the end of the 10th century. Ahmad was succeeded by his son Abu'l Haret Muhammad, whose reign marked the apex Farighunid authority and influence. The chiefs of the neighbouring regions of Gharchistan and Ghur acknowledged his overlordship.

Abu'l Haret died probably some time after 982, and his son Abu'l Haret Ahmad was drawn into the conflicts that took place within the Samanid amirate during its decline. He was ordered by his suzerain Nuh II to attack the rebel Fa'iq Khassa, but was defeated by him. The Farighunids developed marriage alliances with the Ghaznavids; Abu'l Haret's daughter had married Mahmud, while Mahmud's sister had married Abu'l Haret's son Abu'l-Nasr Muhammad. Abu'l Haret assisted Sabuktigin's forces at Herat against Fa'iq and the Simjurids, a battle in which the Ghaznavids and Farighunids were victorious. The Ghaznavids soon afterwards supplanted the Samanids in Khurasan, and the Farighunids become Ghaznavid vassals.

Abu'l Haret died in c. 1000 and Abu'l-Nasr Muhammad succeeded him. Abu'l-Nasr enjoyed the confidence of Mahmud of Ghazna; in 1008 he fought in the center of the Ghaznavid line against the Karakhanids near Carkhiyan and in the following year escorted Mahmud during his campaign in India. He also married off a daughter to Mahmud's son Muhammad of Ghazni. When Abu'l-Nasr died in around 1010, Muhammad took over the rule of Guzgan, even though Abu'l-Nasr had left a son, Hasan. This marked the end of Farighunid rule.

Cultural significance

The Farighunids had a significant impact of many prominent individuals in the arts and sciences at the time. Two great poets, Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani and Abu al-Fath al-Busti, addressed poems to them, and the author of the Hudud al-'Alam, the first geographical treatise to be written in New Persian, dedicated the work to Abu'l Haret Muhammad in 982/3. The Farighunids may also have had connections with the encyclopedist Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Khwarizmi and another encyclopedist named Sha'ya ibn Farighun, who wrote the Jawame' al-'ulum for the Muhtajid amir Abu Ali Chaghani.

Geography

The historical region of Guzgan bordered Tukharistan to the east; to the south, it bordered Ghur; to the west it bordered Gharchistan and Marw; to the north, the Oxus River served as its boundary. The capital of the Farighunids was Yahudiyya, while Anbar—the largest city in Guzgan—served as the seat of the Farighunid amirs. Kundarm and Qurzuman were other major hubs of Guzgan.

List of Farighunid amirs

• Ahmad ibn Farighun
• Abu'l Haret Muhammad
• Abu'l Haret Ahmad
• Abu'l-Nasr Muhammad

See also

• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

References

1. ^ Davud 2018.
2. ^ Haarmann 1996, p. 12.
3. ^ Dunlop 1965, p. 799.
4. Haug 2015.
5. ^ Bosworth 1984, pp. 756–758.

Sources

• Bosworth, C. E. (1984). "Āl-e Farīḡūn". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. I/7: Ahriman–Alafrank. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 756–758. ISBN 978-0-71009-096-6.
• Davud, Seyyed Ali Al-i (2018). "Farīghūnids (Āl-i Farīgh)". In Madelung, Wilferd; Daftary, Farhad (eds.). Encyclopaedia Islamica Online. Brill Online. doi:10.1163/1875-9831_isla_COM_036096. ISSN 1875-9831.
• Dunlop, D.M. (1965). "Farighunids". In Lewis, B.; Pellat, Ch. & Schacht, J. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume II: C–G. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 798–800. OCLC 495469475.
• Haarmann, Ulrich, ed. (1996). Islamic History and Civilization: Studies and Texts. Vol. 15. Brill.
• Haug, Robert J (2015). "Farīghūnids". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.

v t e Rulers of ancient Central Asia

Territories/ dates Khorasan Margiana Bactria Sogdia Trans-Jaxartes steppes Altai Mountains Preceded by: Chronology of the Neolithic period 3500–2500 BCE (Eastern migration of the Yamnaya culture from the Pontic–Caspian steppe through the Eurasian Steppe, as far as the Altai region) Afanasievo culture (Proto-Tocharian) 2400–2000 BCE Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex 2000–1900 BCE Andronovo culture 2000–900 BCE 626–539 BCE Median Empire Deioces Phraortes Madyes Cyaxares Astyages Saka Massagetae Tomyris Saka Skunkha Saka (Arzhan culture) (Pazyryk culture) 539–331 BCE Achaemenid Empire Cyrus Cambyses Darius I Xerxes Artaxerxes I Darius II Artaxerxes II Artaxerxes III Artaxerxes IV Darius III 331–256 BCE Hellenistic Period Argead dynasty: Alexander I Philip Alexander II Antigonus Seleucid Empire: Seleucus I Antiochus I Antiochus II Saka Yuezhi 256–160 BCE Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Yuezhi Xiongnu Modu Chanyu Laoshang Huns 160–141 BCE Parthian Empire Mithridates I Phraates Hyspaosines Artabanus Mithridates II Gotarzes Mithridates III Orodes I Sinatruces Phraates III Mithridates IV Orodes II Phraates IV Tiridates II Musa Phraates V Orodes III Vonones I Artabanus II Tiridates III Artabanus II Vardanes I Gotarzes II Meherdates Vonones II Vologases I Vardanes II Pacorus II Vologases II Artabanus III Osroes I Vologases III Parthamaspates Sinatruces II Mithridates V Vologases IV Osroes II Vologases V Vologases VI Artabanus IV Eucratides I 141 BCE – 30 CE Yuezhi Agesiles Sapadbizes Heraios 30–224 CE Kushan Empire Kujula Kadphises Vima Takto Vima Kadphises Kanishka I Huvishka Vasudeva I Saka 224–350 CE Sasanian Empire Ardashir I Shapur I Hormizd I Bahram I Bahram II Bahram III Narseh Hormizd II Adur Narseh Shapur II Ardashir II Shapur III Bahram IV Yazdegerd I Shapur IV Khosrow Bahram V Yazdegerd II Hormizd III Peroz I Balash Kavad I Jamasp Kavad I Khosrow I Hormizd IV Khosrow II Bahram VI Chobin Vistahm Khosrow II Kavad II Ardashir III Shahrbaraz Khosrow III Boran Shapur-i Shahrvaraz Azarmidokht Farrukh Hormizd Hormizd VI Khosrow IV Boran Yazdegerd III Peroz III Narsieh Kushano-Sasanians Ardashir I Peroz I Hormizd I Hormizd II Peroz II Varahran Kangju Wanunkhur 320–467 CE Kidarites Yosada Kirada Peroz Kidara Grumbates Kungas Brahmi Buddhatala Varhran (II) Tobazini 370–540 CE Alchon Huns Khingila I Javukha Mehama Lakhana Udayaditya Aduman Toramana Mihirakula 440–560 CE Hephthalites Akhshunwar Kun-khi Ghadfar 560–651 CE First Turkic Khaganate (Ashina Tuwu) Bumin Qaghan Issik Qaghan Muqan Qaghan Taspar Qaghan Ashina Anluo Ishbara Qaghan Bagha Qaghan Tulan Qaghan (Istämi) (Empress Ashina) (Apa Qaghan) (Yangsu Tegin) (Tamgan) 560–625 CE Western Turkic Khaganate (vassal of the Tang dynasty 657–742) Niri Qaghan Heshana Qaghan Sheguy Tong Yabghu Qaghan 625–651 CE Tokhara Yabghus Tardush Shad Ishbara Yabgu Wu-shih-po Pantu Nili Külüg Sibir Sy Yabghu Khagan Duolu Qaghan Ishbara Tolis Yukuk Shad Irbis Seguy Ashina Helu 651–673 CE Muslim conquest of Persia 673–751 CE Muslim conquest of Transoxiana Second Turkic Khaganate Rulers of the ancient Near-East

• Farighunids
• Guzgan
• 1010s disestablishments in Asia