88

The Muḥtājids

321–43/933–54

Governors in Khurasan and Amīrs of Chaghāniyān

321/933

Muḥammad b. al-Muẓaffar b. Muḥtāj, Abū Bakr, governor in Khurasan, d. 329/941

⊘ 327/939

Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, Abū ‘Alī, first governorship in Khurasan

333/945

Governorship of Ibrāhīm b. Sīmjūr

335/946

Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, second governorship

335/947

Governorship of Manṣūr b. Qaratigin

340–3/952–4

Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, third governorship, d. 344/955

late fourth/tenth

Muḥammad b. ?, Abu ’l-Muẓaffar Fakhr

and early fifth/eleventh

centuries

al-Dawla, Amīr of Chaghāniyān, ? a Muḥtājid

The Muḥtāj family were hereditary lords of the principality of Chaghāniyān on the north bank of the middle Oxus, but whether they were descendants of the indigenous, presumably Iranian, Chaghān Khudās from the time of the Arab invasions, or possibly Persianised Arabs, is unknown. They appear as commanders for the Sāmānids, and then as governors and commanders-in-chief in Khurasan for the Amīrs, in the second quarter of the tenth century. Abū ‘Alī Aḥmad was a dominant figure there, but eventually died in exile. It seems, however, that the Muḥtājids retained their local base in Chaghāniyān, possibly into the eleventh century, since local princes there are mentioned, although their affiliation to the original line is uncertain.

Zambaur, 204; Album, 33.

EI2 ‘Muhtādjids’ (C. E. Bosworth); EIr ‘Āl-e Moḥtāj’ (Bosworth).

C. E. Bosworth, ‘The rulers of Chaghāniyān in early Islamic times’, JBIPS, 19 (1981), 1–20.

If you find an error or have any questions, please email us at admin@erenow.org. Thank you!