ABSTRACT
THE GHAZNAWF PERIOD, UNTIL THE DEATH OF SULTXN
MAHMTJD
TOWARDS the end of the tenth century of our era Persia,
though still nominally subject to the Caliph of Baghdid (at
this time al-Oadir bi'llah, whose lone reign State of Persia at . f . ^ \ r ,. . , . the close of the lasted from A.D. o o i to 1071), w a s in fact divided tenth century. y t 7 . , • , «
between the Samanids, whose capital was at Bu-
khdri, and the Daylamite House of Buwayh, who dominated
the southern and south-western provinces and were practically
absolute in Baghddd itself, the Caliph being a mere puppet in
their hands.1 Besides these, two small dynasties, the Houses
of Ziydr and Hasanawayh, ruled respectively in Tabaristdn
(the modern Gil an and Mazandaran, lying between the
southern shore of the Caspian and the Elburz Mountains) and
Kurdistan. All of these dynasties appear to have been of
Iranian (Persian or Kurdish) race, and none of their rulers
claimed the title of Sultan, but contented themselves generally
with those of Amlry Ispahbad, or Malik : in other words, they
regarded themselves as princes and governors, but not as kings.
