The New Islamic Dynasties Clifford Edmund Bosworth Edinburgh University
'This indispensable reference work ... is clearly set out and easy to use and all students and scholars of Islamic studies, not just numismatists and historians, will need to keep it handy, no matter what their precise specialty. It will be the genealogical and chronological reference work of Islam par excellence for many, many years to come.' Journal of Semitic Studies 'A reference work which will be even more useful for coming generations of scholars than was its predecessor.' Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 'This manual answers the needs of students and scholars of the entire Muslim world.' Richard W. Bulliet, Professor of History, Columbia University Those coming to the study of Islamic history for the first time face a baffling array of rulers and dynasties in the many different areas of Islam. This book provides a comprehensive and reliable reference source for all students of history and culture. It lists by name the rulers of all the principal Islamic dynasties with Hijri and Common Era dates. Each dynastic list is followed by a brief assessment of its historical significance, and by a short bibliography. Fully updated and substantially revised and expanded for a modern audience, this handbook is based upon Bosworth's renowned Islamic Dynasties, first published in 1967 and revised in 1980. As well as increasing the number of dynasties covered from 82 to 186, innovations in the new edition include much more extensive listings of honorific titles and of filiations, allowing genealogical connections within dynasties to be made.
Contents
Abbreviations used / xiv Introduction / xv
Chapter One The Caliphs 1. The Rightly-Guided or'Patriarchal'or'Orthodox'Caliphs / 1 (al-Khulafâ’ al-Râshidûn) 2. The Umayyad Caliphs / 3 1. The Sufyânids 2. The Marwânids 3. The 'Abbâsid Caliphs / 6 1. The caliphs in Iraq and Baghdad 2. The caliph in Aleppo, Harran and northern Syria 3. The caliphs in Cairo
Chapter Two Spain 4. The Spanish Umayyads / 11 5. The Mulük al-Tawa’if or Reyes de Taifas in Spain / 14 1. The Hammüdids of Malaga 2. The Hammüdids of Ceuta 3. The 'Abbâdids of Seville 4. The Banü Birzâl in Carmona 5. The Banü Khazrün in Arcos 6. The Zirids of Granada 7. The Banü Sumâdih of Almeria 8. The Banü Mujahid of Dénia and Majorca 9. The rulers in Majorca during the eleventh and early twelfth centuries 10. The Jahwarids of Cordova 11. The rulers in Cordova of the Almoravid-Almohad interregnum 12. The Aftasids of Badajoz 13. The Dhu ’1-Nünids of Toledo 14. The 'Amirids of Valencia 15. The rulers in Valencia of the Almoravid-Almohad interregnum 16. The Tujibids in Saragossa 17. The Hüdids in Saragossa, Huesca, Tudela and Lérida, and, subsequently, Dénia, Tortosa and Calatayud 18. The rulers of Murcia, including the Tâhirids and Hüdids 6. The Banu Ghaniya / 21 7. The Nasrids or Banu ’1-Ahmar / 22
Chapter Three North Africa 8. The Idrisids / 25 9. The Rustamids / 27 10. The Midràrids / 29 11. The Aghlabids / 31 12. The Kalbids / 33 13. The Zïrids and Hammâdids / 35 14. The Almoravids or al-Murâbitûn / 37 15. The Almohads or al-Muwahhidûn / 39 16. The Marïnids / 41 17. The 'Abd al-Wâdids or Zayyânids or Ziyânids / 43 18. The Hafsids / 45 19. The Wattâsids / 48 20. The Sa'did Sharïfs / 50 21. The'Alawid or Filâll Sharifs / 53 22. The Husaynid Beys / 55 23. The Qaramânlîs / 57 24. The Sanusi Chiefs and Rulers / 58
Chapter Four Egypt and Syria 25. The Tûlûnids / 60 26. The Ikhshidids / 62 27. The Fâtimids / 63 28. The Mirdasids / 66 29. The chief dâ'ïs of the Nizârî Isma'ïlïs or Assassins in Syria / 68 30. The Ayyûbids / 70 1. The line in Egypt 2. The line in Damascus 3. The line in Aleppo 4. The line in Hirns 5. The line in Hamât 6. The line in Diyâr Bakr (Mayyâfâriqîn and Jabal Sinjar) 7- The line in Diyâr Bakr (Hisn Kayfâ, Amid and Akhlât) 8. The line in Yemen 9. The minor branches of the family in Ba'lbakk, Karak, Bâniyâs and Subayba, and Busrâ 31. The Mamluks / 76 1. The Bahrî line 2. The Burjî line 32. The Ma'n Amirs of Lebanon / 81 33. The Shihâb Amirs of Lebanon / 82 34. The house of Muhammad 'All / 83
Chapter Five Iraq and Jazlra before the Seljuqs 35. The Hamdânids / 85 1. The line in Mosul and Jazlra 2. The line in Aleppo and northern Syria 36. The Mazyadids / 87 37. The Marwânids / 89 38. The 'Uqaylids / 91 1. The line in Jazirat Ibn 'Umar, Nislbln and Balad of Muhammad b. al-Musayyab al-'Uqayll 2. The line in Mosul and later in Jazirat Ibn 'Umar, Nislbln and Balad, also of the al-Musayyab line 3. The line in Takrit of Ma'n b. al-Muqallad's descendants 4. The line in Hit 5. The line in 'Ukbarâ of Ma'n b. al-Muqallad's descendants 6. The other minor branches at Àna and al-Hadltha and at Qal'at Ja'bar 39. The Numayrids / 93
Chapter Six The Arabian Peninsula 40. The Carmathian or Qarmatî Rulers of the line of Abu Sa'ïd al-Jannâbï / 94 41. The Zaydï Imams of Yemen / 96 1. The early period: the Rassid line 2. The more recent period: the Qâsimid line 42. The Ziyâdids / 99 43. The Yu'firids or Ya'furids / 100 44. The Najâhids / 101 45. The Sulayhids / 102 46. The Zuray'ids or Banu’l-Karam / 104 47. The Hamdânids / 106 1. The first line of the Banü Hâtim 2. The line of the Banu ’1-Qubayb 3. The second line of the Banü Hâtim 48. The Mahdids / 107 49. The Rasûlids / 108 50. The Tâhirids / 110 51. The Al al-Julandâ / 111 52. The Mukramids / 112 53. The Ya'rubids / 113 54. The Al Bû Sa'ïd / 114 1. The united sultanate 2. The line of sultans in Oman 3. The line of sultans in Zanzibar 55. The Al Su'üd (Sa'üd) / 116 56. The Hâshimite Sharifs of Mecca from the 'Awn family / 118 1. The original line in Western Arabia 2. The post-First World War branches of the Hâshimite family in the Fertile Crescent countries (a) The line in Syria (b) The line in Iraq (c) The line in Transjordan and then Jordan 57. The Al Rashid / 120
Chapter Seven West Africa 58. The Keita Kings of Mali / 122 59. The Kings of Songhay / 124 1. The Zas or Zuwas of Gao 2. The Sis or Sonnis 3. The Askiyas 60. The Rulers of Kanem and Bornu or Borno / 126 1. The 'red' (i.e. white) Sayfï (Sefuwa) or Yazanï rulers of Kanem 2. The 'black' Sultans of Kanem 3. The new line of Sultans in Bornu, the Mais or rulers, claiming Sayfï descent 4. The Kanembu line of Shaykhs or Shehus of Bornu and Dikwa (a) The Shehus in Bornu, reinstated by the British (b) The Shehus and Mais in Dikwa, reinstated by the French 61. The Fulani Rulers in Hausaland, as Sultans and Caliphs of Sokoto / 130
Chapter Eight East Africa and the Horn of Africa 62. The Sultans of Kilwa / 132 1. The Shïrâzï dynasty 2. The Mahdali Sayyids 63. The Nabhânï Rulers of Pate / 134 64. The Mazrui (Mazrü'ï) Liwalis or Governors of Mombasa / 136 65. The Al Bü Sa'ïd in East Africa / 137 66. The Sultans of Harar / 138 1. The line of Ahmad Gran in Harar and Ausa 2. The line of 'Alî b. Dâwüd in Harar, independent of Ausa
Chapter Nine The Caucasus and the Western Persian Lands before the Seljuqs 67. The Sharwân Shahs / 140 1. The first line of Yazïdï Shahs 2. The second line of Shahs 68. The Hâshimids / 143 69. The Justânids / 145 70. The Sâjids / 147 71. The Musâfirids or Sallarids / 148 1. The line in Azerbaijan 2. The line in Daylam 72. The Rawwâdids / 150 73. The Shaddadids / 151 1. The main line in Ganja and Dvin 2. The line in Ànï 74. The Dulafids / 153 75. The Büyids or Buwayhids / 154 1. The line in Jibal (a) The branch in Hamadan and Isfahan (b) The branch in Rayy 2. The line in Fars (Fars) and Khûzistân • 3. The line in Kirman (Kirmân) 4. The line in Iraq 5. The rulers of the dynasty acknowledged by local chiefs in Oman 76. The Hasanuyids or Hasanawayhids / 158 77. The 'Annâzids / 159 78. The Kâküyids or Kâkawayhids / 160 79. The Dâbüyid Ispahbadhs / 162 80. The Bâwandid Ispahbadhs / 164 1. The line of the Kâwüsiyya (Tabaristân), with their centre at Firrïm 2. The line of the Ispahbadhiyya (Tabaristân and Gllân), with their centre at Sari 3. The line of the Kînkhwâriyya (vassals of the II Khânids), with their centre at Amul 81. The Ziyârids / 166
Chapter Ten The Eastern Persian Lands, Transoxania and Khwârazm before the Seljuqs 82. The Tâhirids and Mus'abids / 168 1. The governors in Khurasan and its administrative dependencies 2. The military governors (Ashâb al-Shurta) in Baghdad and Iraq 83. The Sâmânids / 170 84. The Saffarids / 172 1. The Laythid branch 2. The Khalafid branch 85. The Bânïjürids or Abu Dâwüdids / 174 86. The Sïmjürids 175 87. The Ilyâsids / 176 88. The Muhtâjids 177 89. The Khwârazm Shâhs / 178 1. The Afrïghids of Kâth 2. The Ma’münids of Gurgânj 3. The Ghaznawid governors with the title of Khwârazm Shâh 4. The line of Anüshtigin Shihna, originally as governors for the Seljuqs with the title of Khwârazm Shâh, from towards the mid-twelfth century often in practice largely independent rulers in Khwârazm and, at times, in Transoxania and Persia 90. The Qarakhânids / 181 1. The Great Qaghans of the United Kingdom 2. The Great Qaghans of the western kingdom (Transoxania, including Bukhara and Samarkand, and Farghâna at times), with its centre at Samarkand 3. The Great Qaghans of the eastern kingdom (Ilaq, Talas, Shâsh, at times Farghâna, Semirechye, Kâshghar and Khotan), with its centre at Balâsâghûn, later Kâshghar 4. The Qaghans in Farghâna, with their centre in Uzgend chapter eleven The Seljuqs, Their Dependants and the Atabegs 91. The Seljuqs / 185 1. The Great Seljuqs in Persia and Iraq 2. The Seljuqs of Syria 3. The Seljuqs of Kirman 92. The Bonds or Burids / 189 93. The Zangids / 190 1. The main line in Mosul and Aleppo 2. The line in Damascus and then Aleppo 3. The line in Sinjar 4. The line in Jazlra 5. The line in Shahrazür 94. The Begtiginids / 192 95. The Lu’lu’ids / 193 96. TheArtuqids / 194 1. The line in Hisn Kayfâ and Amid 2. The line in Khartpert 3. The line in Mârdïn and Mayyâfâriqîn 97. The Shâh-i Armanids / 197 1. The Sôkmenids 2. The Sokmenid slave commanders 98. The Ahmadîlls / 198 99. The Eldigüzids or Ildegizids / 199 100. The Bâdüspânids / 201 1. The rulers of the united principality 2. The rulers in Kujûr (with the title of Malik) 3. The rulers in Nür (with the title of Malik) 101. The Nizârî Ismâ'ïlïs or Assassins in Persia / 203 102. The Hazaraspids / 205 103. The Salghurids / 207 104. The Atabegs of Yazd / 209 105. The Qutlughkhânids / 210 106. The Maliks of Nimruz / 211 1. The Nasrids 2. The Mihrabânids chapter twelve The Turks in Anatolia 107. The Seljuqs of Rüm / 213 108. The Danishmendids / 215 1. The line in Sivas 2. The line in Malatya and Elbistan 109. The Mengüjekids / 217 1. The line in Erzincan and Kemakh 2. The line in Divrigi 110. The Saltuqids / 218 111. The Qarasï (Karasï) Oghullarï / 219 112. The Sarukhân Oghullarï / 220 113. The Aydïn Oghullarï / 221 114. The Menteshe Oghullarï / 222 115. The Inanj Oghullarï / 223 116. The Germiyan Oghullarï / 224 117. The Sâhib Ata Oghullarï / 225 118. The Hamïd Oghullarï and the Tekke Oghullarï / 226 1. The Hamïd Oghullarï line in Egridir 2. The Tekke Oghullarï line in Antalya 119. The Beys of Alanya / 227 120. The Ashraf (Eshref) Oghullarï / 228 121. The Jândâr Oghullarï or Isfandiyâr (Isfendiyâr) Oghullarï / 229 122. The Parwâna Oghullarï / 230 123. The Chobân Oghullarï / 231 124. The Qaramân Oghullarï or Qaramânids / 232 125. The Eretna Oghullarï / 234 126. The Qâdî Burhân al-Dîn Oghullarï / 235 127. The Tâj al-Dïn Oghullarï / 236 128. The Ramadan Oghullarï / 237 129. The Dulghadïr Oghullarï or Dhu’1-Qadrids / 238 130. The Ottomans or Osmanlis / 239
Chapter Thirteen The Mongols and their Central Asian and Eastern European Successors The Mongols or Chingizids 131. The Mongol Great Khans, Descendants of Ôgedey and Toluy, later the Yüan Dynasty of China / 246 132. The Chaghatayids, Descendants of Chaghatay / 248 133. The II Khânids, Descendants of Qubilay's brother Hülegü / 250 134. The Khans of the Golden Horde, Descendants of Jochi / 252 1. The line of Batu’ids, Khans of the Blue Horde in South Russia, Khwârazm and the western part of the Qïpchaq steppe 2. The line of Orda, Khans of the White Horde in western Siberia and the eastern part of the Qïpchaq steppe, and, after 780/1378, of the Blue and White Hordes united into the Golden Horde of South Russia 135. The Giray Khans of the Crimea, Descendants of Jochi / 255 1. The Khans of the Crimea 2. The Khans of the Tatars of Bujaq or Bessarabia, as Ottoman nominees 136. The Khans of Astrakhan (Astrakhan, Ashtarkhân) / 258 137. The Khans of Kazan (Qâzân) / 259 1. The line of Ulugh Muhammad 2. Khans from various outside lines 138. The Khâns of Qâsimov / 261 1. The Khâns from the line of rulers of Kazan 2. The Khâns from the line of the rulers of the Crimea 3. The Khâns from the line of the rulers of Astrakhan 4. Kazakh Khân 5. The Khâns from the line of the rulers of Siberia
Chapter Fourteen Persia after the Mongols 139. The Karts or Kurts / 263 140. The Muzaffarids / 264 141. Thelnju’ids / 266 142. The Jalâyirids / 267 143. The Sarbadârids / 269 144. The Tïmürids / 270 1. The rulers in Samarkand 2. The rulers in Khurasan after Ulugh Beg's death 3. The rulers in western Persia and Iraq after Timur 145. The Qara Qoyunlu / 273 146. The Aq Qoyunlu / 275 147. The Musha'sha'ids / 277 148. The Safawids / 279 149. TheAfshârids / 281 150. The Zands / 283 151. The Qâjârs / 285 152. The Pahlawis chapter fifteen Central Asia after the Mongols / 287 153. The Shïbânids (Shaybânids) or Abu ’1-Khayrids / 288 154. The Toqay Temürids or Jânids or Ashtarkhânids / 290 155. The Mangïts / 292 156. The Qungrats or Inaqids / 293 157. The Mings chapter sixteen Afghanistan and the Indian Subcontinent / 295 158. The Ghaznawids / 296 159. The Ghürids / 298 1. The main line in Ghür and then also in Ghazna 2. The line in Bâmiyân, Tukhâristân and Badakhshan 160. The Delhi Sultans / 300 1. The Mu'izzi or Shamsi Slave Kings 2. The Khaljis 3. The Tughluqids 4. The Sayyids 5. The Lôdïs 6. The Suris 161. The Governors and Sultans of Bengal / 306 1. The governors for the Delhi Sultans, often ruling as independent sovereigns 2. The governors, and then independent rulers, of Balban's line 3. The line of Ilyâs Shâh 4. The line of Râjâ Ganesa (Ganesh) 5. The line of Ilyâs Shâh restored 6. The domination of the Habashis 7. The line of Sayyid Husayn Shâh 8. The Suris 9. The Kararanis 162. The Sultans of Kashmir / 310 1. The line of Shâh Mir Swâti 2. The line of Ghâzi Shâh Chak 163. The Sultans of Gujarat / 312 164. The Sharqï Sultans of Jawnpur / 314 165. The Sultans and Rulers of Mâlwa / 316 1. The line of the Ghürïs 2. The line of the Khaljis 3. Various governors and independent rulers 166. The Sultans of Ma'bar or Madura / 318 167. The Bahmanids / 319 1. The rulers at Ahsanâbâd-Gulbargâ 2. The rulers in Muhammadâbâd-Bîdar 168. The Fârüqï Rulers of Khândesh / 322 169. The Barïd Shâhîs / 324 170. The'Adil Shâhis / 325 171. The Nizam Shâhîs / 326 172. The 'Imâd Shâhîs / 327 173. The Qutb Shâhîs / 328 174. The Arghüns / 329 1. The line of Dhu ’1-Nûn Beg 2. The line of Muhammad 'ïsâ Tarkhân 175. The Mughal Emperors / 331 176. The Nawwâb-Viziers and Nawwâb-Nâzims of Bengal / 335 177. The Nawwâb-Viziers and Kings of Oudh (Awadh) / 337 178. The Nâzims of Hyderabad (Haydarâbâd) / 339 179. The Muslim Rulers in Mysore (Mahisur, Maysür) / 340 180. The Abdâlï or Durrani Rulers and Kings of Afghanistan / 341 1. The Sadozays or Popalzays 2. The Bârakzays or Muhammadzays
Chapter Seventeen South-East Asia and Indonesia 181. The Rulers of Malacca (Melaka) / 344 182. The Sultans of Acheh (Atjèh, Aceh) / 346 183. The Rulers of Mataram / 348 184. The Susuhunans of Surakarta / 350 185. The Sultans of Jogjakarta / 351 186. The Sultans of Brunei / 353
Indexes / 357 (a) Personal names (b) Dynasties, peoples, tribes, etc. (c) Places
INTRODUCTION
The precursor of this present book, The Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Handbook, was published by Edinburgh University Press in 1967 as no. 5 in the Islamic Surveys series, and speedily established itself as a convenient reference work for the chronology of Islamic dynasties of the Middle Eastern and North African heartlands and of Central and South Asia and for their historical backgrounds. It has proved useful not only for Islamic historians but also for Islamic art historians and numismatists. Nevertheless, all these groups of scholars remain much less well provided with such Hilfsmittel as chronologies of events, genealogical tables, historical atlases, etc., than their colleagues in the fields of British or European history.1 Some of the subsequent writers of general histories of the Islamic world or its component regions and peoples, and writers of reference works covering the world in general or the Islamic lands in particular, who have given lists of dynasties and rulers, have obviously drawn upon the original Islamic Dynasties - sometimes with due acknowledgement,2 sometimes not.
To my knowledge, four translations into East European and Middle Eastern languages have been made. In 1971, there appeared in Moscow an authorised translation by P. A. Gryaznevich, under the overall editorship of I. P. Petrushevskiy, Musulmanskie dynastii. Spravochnik po khronologii i genealogii, Izdatel'stvo «Nauka» Glavnaya Redaktsiya Vostochnoi Literaturi, 324 pp., to which I contributed a Preface. The text is a straight translation, but the bibliographical indications at the end of each dynasty's entry have been enriched by references to works in Russian, obviously valuable for such regions as the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Iranian world in general. In 1980, there appeared in Istanbul Islâm devletleri tarihi (kronoloji ve soykütügü elkitabi), Oguz Press, xxvii + 385 pp., an authorised Turkish translation by Erdogan Merçil and Mehmet Ipgirli. This has additional material in that Dr Merçil appended an additional, eleventh chapter 'Anadolu beylikleri' dealing in detail with the principalities of Anatolia during the interim between the decay of the Rüm Seljuqs and the rise of the Ottomans. I have, in fact, drawn upon this useful additional chapter for my own, widely expanded Chapter Twelve 'The Turks in Anatolia'. In 1371/1982 there appeared Silsilahâ-yi Islam!, an unauthorised Persian translation by one Farïdün Badra’ï, Mu’assasa-yi Mutâla'at wa Tahqïqât Farhangï, 358 pp. In 1994, there appeared at Kuwait an authorised Arabic translation by the late Husayn 'All al-Lubûdi, under the general supervision of Dr Sulaymân Ibrâhîm al-'Askarï, al-Usar al-hâkima fi ’1-lslâm. Dirâsa fi ’1-ta’rîkh wa ’1-ansâb, Mu’assasat al-Shirâ' al-'Arabî, 293 pp.
The original book is thus still proving useful in these parts of the world through translations, although the Edinburgh University Press original is now out of print in both the original hardback and the paperback versions (the latter, of 1980, contained some slight corrections, all that the process of largely verbatim reproduction allowed). But well before the book became finally out of print, I had been noting corrections and gathering fresh information for a new, considerably expanded version. It would be strange if the explosion of knowledge over the last thirty years had not brought much fresh information for the Islamic chronologist and genealogist, from such disciplines as historical research, epigraphy and numismatics. Much of the relevant information is, however, scattered, and, in regard to epigraphy and numismatics in particular, often appears in the local publications of the countries concerned and is not easily accessible in Britain and Western Europe. I have nevertheless endeavoured, with assistance and advice from specialist colleagues and friends (who are detailed and appropriately thanked at the end of this Introduction), to incorporate as much of this new information as possible, though certain periods and areas remain - and perhaps always will remain - dark.
Most obvious to the reader of this present book will be the fact that it is much bigger than the 1967 book. There are now seventeen chapters, covering 186 dynasties, whereas the original Islamic Dynasties had only ten chapters, covering 82 dynasties. The new or vastly expanded chapters include ones dealing with Muslim Spain, with much more detailed coverage of the Mulûk al-Tawâ’if (Chapter Two); the Arabian peninsula, again with much greater detail (Chapter Six); West Africa, and East Africa and the Horn of Africa, both entirely new chapters (Chapters Seven and Eight); the Turks of Anatolia, now with detailed coverage of the Beyliks there (Chapter Twelve); Central Asia after the Mongols, a substantially new chapter which includes the Khanates arising there out of the Turco-Mongol domination of Inner Asia and persisting until the extension of Russian imperial power through Central Asia (Chapter Fifteen); Afghanistan and the Indian Subcontinent, with increased coverage of, for example, the Sultanates of the Deccan and the Indian dynasties of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Chapter Sixteen); and South-East Asia and Indonesia, again dealing with an entirely new region (Chapter Seventeen). But apart from these ones specifically mentioned, virtually all chapters are enlarged to some extent or other.
Thus the coverage of the new book approaches much more closely to coverage of the whole Islamic world, from Senegal to Borneo, than did the 1967 book, since it has often in the past been noted that works purporting to deal with Islam or the Islamic world have tended to concentrate on the Arab-Persian-Turkish heartlands to the neglect of the fringes, even though such peripheral regions as South and South-East Asia and Indonesia now contain the majority of Muslim peoples. Yet somewhat in extenuation of this concentration in the past on the heartlands, it must be admitted that the historian and chronologist of the peripheries is on much shakier ground. The heartlands have been long Islamised; many of their lands possess ancient historiographical traditions, with reliable dynastic histories and clearly-dated coins inscribed with a plethora of information on names and titulature. Whereas in regions far from the heartlands such as sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Indonesia, there may well be a care for local tribal or dynastic traditions, their recording in clearly-dated written form has nevertheless been patchy, and the task of making such records has often been complicated by attempts, of a mythic nature, to prove the ancient reception of the Islamic faith by families and classes ruling over lands and subjects which remained largely pagan for lengthy periods subsequently. The coinage of such ruling strata is nearly always much less complete in dated series, and in actual information on the coins, than for the Islamic heartlands and the Indian Subcontinent. The difficulties involved in constructing king-lists and chronologies in such circumstances may be discerned below, with reference to, for example, the kings of Songhay (no. 59), the rulers of Kanem and Bornu (no. 60), the Sultans of Kilwa (no. 62) and the Sultans of Brunei (no. 186).
Even so, the position in such a region, comparatively near to the heartlands, as early Islamic Central Asia is far from crystal-clear. Zambaur confessed seventy years ago regarding the Qarakhanids of Transoxania and eastern Turkestan that this was 'la seule grande dynastie musulmane dont la généalogie est restée obscure' [Manuel, 206 n. 1). Much elucidation has meanwhile come from such scholars as Omeljan Pritsak and Elena A. Davidovich, but significant problems remain; the substantially increased numbers of coins now finding their way from Central Asia and Afghanistan to the West since the demise of the ussr may possibly resolve some of these remaining obscurities.
In the Introduction to the 1967 book, I traced the development of Islamic chronological and genealogical studies and listings from Stanley Lane-Poole's seminal The Mohammadan Dynasties ( 1893 ), through the more specific work of F. Justi in his Iranisches Namenbuch (1895) and the expansions and improvements upon Lane-Poole by W. Barthold in his Musulmanskiy dynastii (1899), E. Sachau in his 'Ein Verzeichnis Muhammedanischer Dynastien' (1923), and Khalil Ed’hem in his Diiwel-i Islamiyye (1345/1927), to E. de Zambaur's almost entirely new and monumental Manuel de généalogie et de chronologie pour l’histoire de l’Islam (1927).3 It does not seem necessary to repeat here all these details, except to note that no-one has attempted since the publication of Zambaur's work to update it as a whole; although a stupendous work for its time, its inaccuracies and erroneous renderings of names appear more and more obvious with the lapse of time. I opined in 1967 that such an updating and rewriting could probably only be done as a cooperative effort by historians who are specialists in various sectors of the Islamic world, aided by epigraphists and numismatists. The prospects of such a collaboration seem no nearer in 1995 than they did twenty-nine years ago. Hence my New Islamic Dynasties, here presented to the scholarly world, does not aim at such overall completeness as Zambaur essayed (although he did not in fact achieve it; his attempts at covering dynasties in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean islands and Indonesia were fragmentary and feeble to the point of uselessness); but I think I may venture to say that it represents as extensive a coverage of Islamic dynasties as one person is likely to achieve in our present day. I have endeavoured to cover what might be termed the first, second and third ranks of dynasties and to give as up-to-date and accurate information on them as possible. There remains the fourth rank and beyond, and readers may well have pet dynasties and ruling houses in which they are especially interested and which they consider ought to have been included. I can only plead that one must draw the line somewhere, and that I have left plenty of opportunities for other researchers; such readers might, for instance, care to get their teeth into elucidating the Sudûr of Bukhara, the Walls of Badakhshan, the Khans of Sibir, the sultans of the Sulu archipelago and the Moro rulers of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, etc. Moreover, an extensive field remains open for future scholars, one which Zambaur tackled valiantly and to some extent successfully, namely that of elucidating the lines of viziers to the rulers of such dynasties as the 'Abbâsids, the Fâtimids, the Büyids, the Great Seljuqs and their related branches, and the Ottomans. Zambaur also set forth the series of provincial …
Clifford Edmund Bosworth
The New Islamic Dynasties
Edinburgh University
Edinburgh University Press The New Islamic Dynasties A Chronological and Genealogical Manual Clifford Edmund Bosworth
The New Edinburgh Islamic Surveys Series Editor: Carole Hillenbrand
Edinburgh University Press Ltd 22 George Square, Edinburgh
Typeset in Linotype Trump Medieval by Koinonia, Manchester, and printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wilts
A CIP Record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 7486 2137 7 (paperback)
The right of Clifford Edmund Bosworth to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published with the support of the Edinburgh University Scholarly Publishing Initiatives Fund.
