Samanid dynasty

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History of Greater Iran
Empires of Persia · Kings of Persia
Pre-modern
Before Islam  BCE Zayandeh Rud civilization prehistoric–? Sialk civilization 7500–1000 Jiroft civilization (Aratta) 3000–? Proto-Elamite civilization 3200–2800 Bactria-Margiana Complex 2200–1700 Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Kingdom of Mannai 10th–7th cent. Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire 550–330 Seleucid Empire 330–150 Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250-125 Parthian Empire 248–CE 224 CE Kushan Empire 30–275 Sassanid Empire 224–651 Hephthalite Empire 425–557 Kabul-Shahi dynasty 565–670
After Islamic Conquest  Patriarchal Caliphate 637–651 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258 Tahirid dynasty 821–873 Alavid dynasty 864–928 Saffarid dynasty 861–1003 Samanid dynasty 875–999 Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043 Buyid Dynasty 934–1055 Ghaznavid Empire 963–1187 Ghori dynasty 1149–1212 Seljuk Empire 1037–1194 Khwarezmid dynasty 1077–1231 Ilkhanate 1256–1353 Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393 Chupanid dyansty 1337–1357 Jalayerid dynasty 1339–1432 Timurid Empire 1370–1506 Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468 Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508 Safavid Empire 1501–1722* Mughal Empire 1526–1857 Hotaki Ghilzai dynasty 1722–1729 Afsharid dynasty 1736–1802 * or 1736
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Tajikistan  Emirate of Bukhara 1785–1920 Bukharan / Uzbek SSR 1920–1929 Tajik Autonomous SSR 1929 Tajik SSR 1929–1991 Republic of Tajikistan 1991 to date
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The Samanids (875-999) (Persian: سامانیان‎ Sāmāniyān) were a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and eastern Iran, named after its founder Saman Khuda. It was among the first native Iranian dynasties in Iran and Central Asia after the Arab conquest and the collapse of the Sassanid Persian empire.

The Samanid period is considered the beginning of the Tajik nation. Their rule lasted for 102 years and 10 days, and their territory encompassed Khorasan, Ray, Transoxiania, Tabaristan, Kerman, Gorgan, and the area west of these provinces up to Isfahan. To legitimize the dynasty, the Samanids claimed to be descendants of the Sassanid spahbod and Emperor Bahram Chobin, and thus descendants of the royal Mihran Clan, one of the ancient Seven Parthian Clans who governed mainland Iran for centuries. Their capitals were Bukhara, Samarqand and Herat^{[citation needed]}.

They not only revived Persian culture but they also determinedly propagated Islam. The Samanid state became a staunch patron of Islamic architecture and spread the Islamo-Persian culture deep into the heart of Central Asia. The population within its areas began firmly accepting Islam in significant numbers, notably in Taraz, now in modern day Kazakhstan. According to historians, through the zealous missionary work of Samanid rulers, as many as 200,000 tents of Turks came to profess Islam. ^[1]. The mass conversion of the Turks to Islam eventually led to a growing influence of the Ghaznavids, who would later rule the region. Another lasting contribution of the Samanids to the history of Islamic art is the pottery known as Samanid Epigraphic Ware: plates, bowls, and pitchers fired in a white slip and decorated only with calligraphy, often elegantly and rhythmically written. The Arabic phrases used in this calligraphy are generally more or less generic well wishes, or Islamic admonitions to good table manners. In 999 their realm was conquered by the Karakhanids.

Under Samanid rule, the Shahnameh, was completed. In commending the Samanids, the epic Persian poet Ferdowsi says of them:

کجا آن بزرگان ساسانیان
زبهرامیان تا بسامانیان

"Where have all the great Sassanids gone?
From the Bahrāmids to the Samanids"

Contents 1 Samanid Amirs 2 See also 3 External links 4 References and footnotes

[edit] Samanid Amirs

• Nasr I (864 - 892) (Effectively independent 875)
• Ismail (892 - 907)
• Ahmad II (907 - 914)
• Nasr II (914 - 943)
• Hamid Nuh I (943 - 954)
• Abdul Malik I (954 - 961)
• Mansur I (961 - 976)
• Nuh II (976 - 997)
• Mansur II (997 - 999)
• 'Abd al-Malik II (999)

[edit] See also

• Full list of Iranian Kingdoms

[edit] External links

• To the Question of the Origin of the Samanids by Shamsiddin S. Kamoliddin, in Transoxiana 10, July 2005.
• M. Ismail Marcinkowski, Persian Historiography and Geography: Bertold Spuler on Major Works Produced in Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India and Early Ottoman Turkey, with a foreword by Professor Clifford Edmund Bosworth, member of the British Academy, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 2003, ISBN 9971-77-488-7.They were overthrown by the Ghaznavid Empire. And THE former Foreign Minister, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali is a descendant of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi.

[edit] References and footnotes