GHAZNIVIDES, gAeni-vidz. A celebrated Mohammedan dynasty of 21 rulers, named from their seat in Ghazni, a city of Afghanistan. In the height of its power it possessed an em pire extending from the Tigris to the Ganges, and from the Sihon or Sir-Darya to the Indian Ocean. The founder of the line was ALP-TIGIN, a freedman of Nasr I. of the Samani dynasty, who ruled over Ferghana, Kashgar, and Turke stan. Alp-Tigin, born in 880, was appointed Gov ernor of Khorassan. In 961 he took possession of Ghazni and for fifteen years successfully with stood the Samani (q.v.). On his death, in 977, his slave SAntrx-TmiN was unanimously chosen as his successor. He was distinguished for prudence and valor as well as for humanity and justice. By him the kingdom was extended from the Indus to Khorassan and from the Gulf of Oman to the Sir-Darya or Jihon. Sabuk-Tigin died in 997, and was succeeded by his younger son IsmAir.. 'The elder son, MAIIMUD YAMIN UD-DAULAH, the most famous of the dynasty, who had been ap pointed Governor of Nishapur in 994, hearing of his father's death, hastened to Ghazni. He de posed Ismail and assumed the reins of govern ment in 999, with the title of Sultan. In the year following he took complete possession of Khorassan, and in 1001 commenced a series of twelve destructive inroads into Hindustan. On the 8th of Muharram (27th of November) he de feated Jaipal, King of Kabul and Lahore, near Peshawar, with immense slaughter. In 1006, while on his second expedition to India, he was recalled by the news that I-lak Khan of Kash ,ghar, who in 999 had conquered the Samani, ravaging Transoxania. In 1007 and 1009 Mah mud made his third and fourth expeditions into Hindustan, and each time carried off an immense booty in money, jewels, and slaves. Returning to Ghazni, he made a liberal distribution from his treasures among the poor and the ministers of religion. Within the next few years he reduced Ghur, Jurjistan, and Khwarezm. In 1025 he was engaged in his last expedition against the Hin dus, the famous expedition to Somnath in South ern Gujarat, where he obtained an enormous booty. In 1029 he conquered Irak, but on April 30th of the following year he died at Ghazni, aged sixty-three years. At this time the Em pire of Ghazni was at the summit of its glory. Mahmud of Ghazni was a great conqueror and a patron of learning, but his cruelty and greed are dark blots on the short-lived empire which he founded as the first foreign dominion over India. He was succeeded by a younger son, Mo HAMMED, -rho in October of the same year was compelled to resign the sovereignty to his younger brother, MASUD I. This prince was in 1037 sig nally defeated by the Seljuks (q.v.), who had taken possession of Khorassan. Though an able and warlike prince, misfortunes crowded thickly around his declining years. He was deposed in
1041, and murdered in the following year. During his reign the Seljuks took possession of Balkh, Khorassan, Khwarezm, Herat, and Irak. The sov ereigns who in succession reigned in Ghazni were MAUDTJD (1042-48) ; MASUD II. (1048) ; un-DIN Am (1048) ; Aim UR-RASHID ( 1048-53 ) ; TUGHRIL ( 1053) ; and FARRUKH-ZAD ( 1053-59). In their reigns there is little besides internecine quarrels at Ghazni, and the encroachments of the Seljuks on the west and north. The reign of Far rukh-zad, however, shed a bright lustre over the expiring glory of Ghazni, for the Seljuk Prince Daud, who thought to take advantage of the dis sensions at Ghazni, and marched against it, was signally defeated by Nush-Tigin, the general of Farrukh-zad. Encouraged by this victory, the Ghaznivide forces marched into Khorassan and regained that province. On news of this second defeat, Alp-Arslan (q.v.) was sent by his uncle Tughril Beg (Togrul Bey) to stop the progress of the Ghaznivides. In the battle which ensued, fortune changed sides, and Nush-Tigin was totally defeated. A treaty of peace was then con cluded. Farrukh-zad was succeeded by IBRAHIM (1059-99) ; MASUD III. (1099-1114) ; SHIRZAD (1114-15) ; ARSLAN (1115-17) ; and BAHRAM (1117-50). During the reign of this last prince, the Ghuri, a tribe inhabiting the mountainous country of Ghur in Afghanistan between Ghazni and Herat, began to make inroads upon the terri tory of Ghazni, and growing bolder by success, attacked and took the capital itself, driving Bahram across the Indus. But on the retreat of part of the Ghuri to their own country. Bah ram retook his capital, and put to death the Ghuri prince, Saif ud-Din Suri. Learning this, the brother of the prince, Ala ud-Din Husain. hastened from Ghur, and having defeated Bah ram, gave up Ghazni to be pillaged by his fol lowers. Bahram was thus driven a second time across the Indus in 1149 and died in the follow ing year. His son KIIUSRU SHAH (1150-60) suc ceeded him, and took up his residence in Lahore. The many attempts which he made to repos sess himself of Ghazni and the surrounding territory were unsuccessful. KIEUSRU MALIK (1160-86), the twenty-first and last monarch of the dynasty, occupied himself in the first part of his reign (1160-66) in extending and consoli dating his Indian possessions, but subsequently his whole energies were required to repel the attacks of Shihab ud-Din Mohammed, Prince of Ghur, who, having conquered all the territory west of the Indus, now sought to drive the race of Sabuk-Tigin from their last possession. In 1184 Lahore was all that remained to Khusru Malik, and the taking of that city by the Ghur Prince in 1186 put an end to the power of the Ghaznivides.