Ghurids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ghurids (or Ghoris; self-designation: Shansabānī) were a Sunni Muslim dynasty in Khorasan, most likely of Eastern Iranian Tājīk[1][2] origin. The Ghurid's empire was based in Ghor (now a province in modern Afghanistan), and stretched over a vast area including modern Iran and Afghanistan, modern Pakistan, the northern parts of India, parts of Turkistan, modern Iraq and parts of other Arab countries.
Between 1175 and 1192 under the leadership of Muhammad of Ghor, they occupied Uch, Multan, Peshawar, Lahore, and Delhi. In 1206, one of the Ghurid generals, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the conqueror of Delhi, made himself independent and founded the first of a succession of dynasties collectively known as the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526).[3]
The Ghoris were great patrons of the arts and literature, although many of the written works have been lost. In the arts they transfered the Khurasanian architechture of their native lands to India - with great examples of it in the Minars they built.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References and footnotes
- ^ Encyclopaedia Iranica, "Ghurids", C.E. Bosworth, (LINK): "... The Ghurids came from the Šansabānī family. The name of the eponym Šansabānasb probably derives from the Middle Persian name Wišnasp (Justi, Namenbuch, p. 282). [...] Nor do we know anything about the ethnic stock of the Ghori's in general and the Sansabanis in particular; We can only assume that they were eastern Iranian Tajiks ... The sultans were generous patrons of the Persian literary traditions of Khorasan, and latterly fulfilled a valuable role as transmitters of this heritage to the newly conquered lands of northern India, laying the foundations for the essentially Persian culture which was to prevail in Muslim India until the 19th century. ..."
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam, "Ghurids", C.E. Bosworth, Online Edition, 2006: "... The Shansabānīs were, like the rest of the Ghūrīs, of eastern Iranian Tājīk stock. ..."
- ^ Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press 2002
[edit] External links
- Encyclopaedia Britannica (Online Edition) - Ghurid Sultanate
- Encyclopaedia Britannica (Online Edition) - Muizz-ud-Din-Muhammad a.k.a. Mohammad of Ghor
- Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition) - Muhammad of Ghor
