The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.95

v3.c20.95

THE history of the Ghaznavids has given us occasional glimpses of the princes of Ghūr and of the circumstances in which, during the conflicts of their powerful neighbours, they gradually rose to prominence. They have usually been described, on insufficient grounds, as Afghāns, but there is little doubt that they were, like the Sāmānids of Balkh, eastern Persians. In 1163 Saif-ud-dīn Muhammad, son and successor of the World-burner, was slain in battle against the Ghuzz Turkmāns, and was succeeded by his cousin, Ghiyās-ud-dīn Muhammad, son of Bahā-ud-dīn Sām, who in 1173 expelled the Ghuzz Turkmāns from Ghaznī and appointed his younger brother Shihāb-ud-dīn, afterwards known as Muʻizz-ud-dīn Muhammad, to the government of that province.