page_title: Muslim conquests of Afghanistan
section_title: Sultan Mahmud
hierarchical_section_title: Muslim conquests of Afghanistan / Post-Arab rule / Ghaznavids / Sultan Mahmud
caption_attribution_description: English: Mahmud of Ghazni receiving a richly decorated robe of honor from the caliph al-Qadir in 1000. Miniature from the Rashid al-Din’s Jami‘ al-Tawarikh. Edinburgh University Library. فارسی: محمود غزنوی در حال پوشیدن ردای هدیه گرفته شده از جانب القادر خلیفهٔ عباسی Русский: Махмуд Газневи получает богато украшенные почётные одежды от халифа аль-Кадира в 1000 г. Миниатюра из Джами ат-таварих Рашид ад-Дина. Библиотека Эдинбургского университета.
context_page_description: The Muslim conquests of Afghanistan began during the Muslim conquest of Persia as the Arab Muslims migrated eastwards to Khorasan, Sistan and Transoxiana. 15 years after the Battle of Nahāvand, they controlled all Sasanian domains except southern and eastern Afghanistan. Fuller Islamization wasn't achieved until the period between 10th and 12th centuries under Ghaznavid and Ghurid dynasty's rule who patronized Muslim religious institutions.
  Khorasan and Sistan, where Zoroastrianism was well-established, were conquered, but Qandahar remained unconquered. The Arabs had begun to move towards the lands east of Persia and in 652 they captured the city of Herat, establishing an Arab governor there. The Muslim frontier in modern Afghanistan had become stabilized after the first century of Hijri calendar as the relative importance of the Afghan areas diminished. From historical evidence, it appears Tokharistan was the only area heavily colonized by Arabs where Buddhism flourished. Balkh's final conquest was undertaken by Qutayba ibn Muslim in 705. Hui'Chao, who visited around 726, mentions that the Arabs ruled it and all the inhabitants were Buddhists.
context_section_description: The Samanid amir Mansur II appointed Bektuzun as Khorasan's governor after Sabuktigin's death. Mahmud however wished to reacquire the governorship after defeating his brother Ismail and his allies. Bektuzun and Fa'iq, the de facto power behind the Samanid throne, toppled Mansur II as they did not trust him and replaced him with Abu'l Fawaris 'Abd al-Malik. Their forces were however defeated in 999 by Mahmud, who acquired all the lands south of Oxus with even those to the north of the river submitting to him. The Samanid dynasty was later ended by the Karakhanids. In 1002, Mahmud also defeated the Saffarid Amir Khalaf ibn Ahmad and annexed Sistan.
caption: Mahmud receives a robe from Caliph Al-Qadir; painting by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani
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