Mas'ud III of Ghazni

Mas'ūd III of Ghazna
Ghaznavid Sultan
Ala ad-Dawlah
علاء الدولہ (Blessing of the State)
Jalāl ad-Dīn[1]
Nizam ad-Dīn wa-d-Dunyā[1]
Nāsir Khalīfat Allāh
[1]
Sultan of Ghaznavid Empire
Reign25 August 1099 – March 1115
PredecessorIbrahim
SuccessorShir-Zad
Bornc. 1061
Ghazni
Ghaznavid Empire
DiedMarch 1115
(aged 53–54)
Ghaznavid Empire
SpouseFülane Khatun
Gawhar Khatun
IssueShir-Zad of Ghazna
Arslan-Shah of Ghazna
Bahram-Shah of Ghazna
Names
Mas'ūd bin Ibrahim
HouseGhaznavid Dynasty
FatherIbrahim
ReligionSunni Islam

Mas'ūd III of Ghazna (b. 1061 – d. 1115), was a sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire and son of the Ghaznavid sultan, Ibrahim of Ghazna

Life

Mas'ūd bin Ibrahim was born in 1061 in Ghazni.[2] Prior to his reign, in 1082-83, Mas'ūd III married Seljuk princess Mahd-i 'Iraq Jauhar Khatun bint Malik Shah.

Reign

Mas'ud III's reign spanned 16 years (1099-1115). He primarily ruled over the territories of Afghanistan, Northwest India, and Pakistan. He struck coins in the name of Caliph Al-Mustazhir and continued the Ghaznavid policy of acknowledging the supremacy of the Abbasid Caliphate, with its capital in Baghdad. Friendly relations were maintained with the eastern Seljuks during his reign.[3][4]

In 1112, Mas'ūd III built the Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Mas'ūd III was also responsible for the construction of one of the two "Towers of Victory",[5] also known as the Minarets of Ghazni.[6][7][8]

Following Sultan Mas'ūd III's death in 1115, a four-year period of increased instability ensued due to the internal struggle for succession amongst his sons, Shīr-Zād (r. 1115-1116), Malik Arslan (r. 1116-1117), and Bahrām Shāh (r. 1117-1157)[3]. With the assistance and political backing of the eastern Seljuk sultan Sunjar Bahram, Shāh defeated his brother Arslan and ascended the throne as a Seljuk vassal following the Battle of Ghazni in 1117. [9][3]

Architecture

Minaret of Mas'ud III in Ghazni

Palace of Mas'ud III in Ghazni

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Bosworth 1977, p. 83.
  2. ^ Dupree, Nancy (1979). An Historical Guide To Afghanistan. p. 184.
  3. ^ a b c C. E. Bosworth. The Later Ghaznavids: Splendour and Decay. pp. 82–83.
  4. ^ Bosworth, C.E. (2007). "GHAZNAVIDS". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  5. ^ Dupree, Louis (2014-07-01). Afghanistan. Princeton University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt7zv45h.24. ISBN 978-1-4008-5891-0. JSTOR j.ctt7zv45h.
  6. ^ "Qasr-i Mas'ud-i Sivvum". Archnet. Archived from the original on 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  7. ^ "Sites and buildings". ghazni.bradypus.net. Archived from the original on 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  8. ^ "Manar-i Mas'ud III". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  9. ^ Bosworth 2006.

Sources

  • Media related to Mas'ud III of Ghazni at Wikimedia Commons
  • Quotations related to Mas'ud III of Ghazni at Wikiquote