The answer to the question “What title did viziers use in the Ghaznavid state?” is “khwaja-i buzurg”. In Persian this title means “great master” or “eminent lord”. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the vizier stood at the head of a government made up of several diwans (offices). The heads of the diwans, the commanders and the hajibs worked under his authority.
Quick Summary
- The title of the Ghaznavid vizier was “khwaja-i buzurg”.
- The vizier headed the Diwan-i Wizarat, and the other diwans were attached to him.
- The commander-in-chief of the army, by contrast, bore the title “hajib-i buzurg”.
- Before taking office, viziers signed an agreement with the sultan setting out their conditions.
- The most famous Ghaznavid vizier was Ahmad ibn Hasan al-Maymandi.
- The viziers of the Great Seljuks also used the title khwaja-i buzurg.
Contents
- Who were the Ghaznavids?
- The title of the viziers
- How was a vizier appointed?
- The vizier’s duties and powers
- Khwaja-i buzurg and hajib-i buzurg
- A dangerous office
- Famous Ghaznavid viziers
- Table of vizier titles
- Influence on the Seljuks
- Frequently asked questions
Who Were the Ghaznavids?
The Ghaznavids were a Turkic-Islamic state founded in the city of Ghazni in today’s Afghanistan. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Alptegin, commander of the Samanid army of Khurasan, withdrew to Ghazni in 961 after a failed attempt. Sebüktegin, regarded as the real founder of the state, came to power in 977. According to the encyclopedia, Sebüktegin had been born in the Barskhan region on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.
The state experienced its most brilliant period under Mahmud of Ghazni. Mahmud ascended the throne in 998 and led seventeen campaigns into India. The most famous of these was the Somnath campaign of 1025–1026. His son Mas’ud, however, was defeated by the Seljuks at Dandanaqan in 1040. According to the encyclopedia, the state was brought to an end by the Ghurids in 1186.
In 999 Mahmud sent envoys to the Abbasid Caliph al-Qadir bi’llah. According to the encyclopedia, the caliph confirmed his sovereignty and gave him the honorific “Yamin al-Dawla”. Because of this honorific, the dynasty is also called the Yaminids.
The Ghaznavid campaigns played an important role in the spread of Islam in northern India. We discussed the region’s earlier contacts with Islam in our article on India’s first contact with Islam.
What Title Did Viziers Use in the Ghaznavid State?
According to the “Vezir” (Vizier) entry of the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the vizier at the head of the Ghaznavid government was called “khwaja-i buzurg”. The title expressed the vizier’s superior position over all the diwans. The word “khwaja” in the title was used in Persian for a lord or a respected person. The diwan that the vizier presided over was also known as the Diwan-i Wizarat, the Diwan-i Khwaja or the Diwan-i Wazir.
The sultan, for his part, was the absolute ruler of the state. According to the encyclopedia, the Ghaznavid ruler was regarded as “God’s shadow on earth”. The vizier was the representative of this broad authority in day-to-day government. For a comparison with the titles of pre-Islamic Turkic states, see our article on Turkic ruler titles.
How Was a Vizier Appointed?
According to the encyclopedia, viziers were appointed by a patent bearing the sultan’s signature. Before taking office, they signed an agreement with the sultan setting out the conditions under which they would serve. They also signed an oath stating that they would not betray the ruler. This text was called the “sawgandnama”. According to the encyclopedia, Sultan Mas’ud sought the opinion of the leading men of the state before appointing a vizier.
At the appointment ceremony the sultan gave the vizier a ring with his name inscribed on it. The insignia of the vizierate included a robe of honour, a ring, an inkstand, a turban, a tent and a sword. According to the encyclopedia, the sultan would declare that in affairs of state the vizier’s command was valid next only to his own. This showed that the vizier was endowed with very broad powers.
Sebüktegin’s counsels also shed light on the choice of viziers. According to the encyclopedia, Sebüktegin had said that every task should be entrusted to those competent to do it. He had asked that no one be made vizier merely because of his father’s rank, without regard to his ability.
The Vizier’s Duties and Powers
According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, all the Ghaznavid diwans worked under the vizier. The link between the sultan and the vizier was provided by the head of the Diwan-i Risalat. The main diwans and their duties can be summarized as follows:
| Diwan | Main duty |
|---|---|
| Diwan-i Wizarat | General administration and finance |
| Diwan-i Risalat (Insha) | Official correspondence |
| Diwan-i Arz | Army affairs |
| Diwan-i Ishraf | Inspection |
| Diwan-i Wakalat | Palace and household affairs |
| Diwan-i Istifa | Financial records |
| Diwan-i Barid | Post and intelligence |
According to Bayhaqi’s records, securing revenue for the treasury was the vizier’s foremost duty. The vizier also determined the amount of salaries and when they were paid. Together with the head of the Diwan-i Arz, the vizier inspected the army and kept it ready for war. According to the encyclopedia, the vizier Ahmad ibn Abd al-Samad suppressed the revolts in Balkh and Tokharistan in 1035.
The vizier usually accompanied the sultan on his journeys. When the sultan set out on an Indian campaign, however, the vizier sometimes stayed behind in Khurasan in his place. According to the encyclopedia, the vizier insisted that diwan officials, deputies and inspectors be chosen from among trustworthy people. He also demanded that these officials be answerable to him.
Khwaja-i Buzurg Should Not Be Confused with Hajib-i Buzurg
A common mistake in exams is to confuse the titles khwaja-i buzurg and hajib-i buzurg. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the office of hajib passed to the Ghaznavids from the Samanids. The commander-in-chief of the Ghaznavid army bore the title “hajib-i buzurg”. The other hajibs were chosen from among the emirs. In short, khwaja-i buzurg was the title of the vizier, and hajib-i buzurg that of the army commander.
According to the encyclopedia, after Sultan Mahmud’s death this post was held by Ali Qarib. Altuntash, Sebüktegin’s favourite mamluk, had also risen in the Ghaznavid army all the way to the office of grand hajib.
A Dangerous Office
The vizierate was an office with risks as great as its powers. According to the encyclopedia, because viziers tried to supervise commanders and statesmen, they often faced intrigues. Viziers who committed offences were punished by the amir-i haras, the chief of the guard.
Ghaznavid history has no shortage of viziers who were dismissed, arrested and had their property confiscated. According to Ibn al-Athir, Sultan Mahmud seized al-Maymandi’s property worth 15 million dinars. According to the encyclopedia, this is why al-Maymandi at first declined Mas’ud’s offer of the vizierate. He took up the post only at the sultan’s insistence.
Who Were the Famous Ghaznavid Viziers?
Sultan Mahmud’s first important vizier was Abu’l-Abbas Fadl ibn Ahmad al-Isfara’ini. According to the encyclopedia, Mahmud dismissed him and had him arrested. Under Abu’l-Abbas, the correspondence of the diwans had switched from Arabic to Persian.
The most famous Ghaznavid vizier, however, was Ahmad ibn Hasan al-Maymandi. According to the encyclopedia, al-Maymandi was Sultan Mahmud’s foster brother and had grown up together with him. He first headed the Diwan-i Insha and the Diwan-i Rasa’il, and later ran the Diwan-i Arz. Al-Maymandi became vizier in 1014 and switched the correspondence of the diwans back to Arabic. When he fell out with the sultan over Khwarazm policy, he was arrested in 1024.
When Sultan Mas’ud came to the throne, he had al-Maymandi released and offered him the vizierate again. Al-Maymandi first pleaded his old age, then accepted the post with an agreement defining his powers. The agreement was made on 4 February 1031. Al-Maymandi died in Herat on 31 December 1032. According to the encyclopedia, Nizam al-Mulk also mentions him in the Siyasatnama as a successful vizier.
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Samad, who served as vizier after al-Maymandi, was also a powerful statesman. Al-Maymandi’s son Abd al-Razzaq became vizier to Sultan Mawdud. According to the encyclopedia, al-Maymandi also protected scholars and poets. Utbi dedicated his work Kitab al-Yamini to him.
Vizier Titles in the Turkic-Islamic States
The office of vizier was known by different names in different Turkic-Islamic states. The table below summarizes titles that are often confused in exams.
| State | Title of the vizier |
|---|---|
| Karakhanids | Yughrush |
| Ghaznavids | Khwaja-i buzurg |
| Great Seljuks | Khwaja, khwaja-i buzurg, sahib, sadr |
| Ottomans | Vezir-i azam, sadrazam (grand vizier) |
According to the encyclopedia, among the Karakhanids the vizier, called yughrush, ran the affairs of state on the ruler’s behalf. Yusuf Khass Hajib relates in the Kutadgu Bilig that the vizier was given a horse-tail standard, a drum, armour and the seal of the vizierate.
Influence on the Seljuks
The Ghaznavid state order also influenced the Great Seljuks. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the viziers of the Great Seljuks also used the titles “khwaja” and “khwaja-i buzurg”. Alongside these there were also titles such as “sahib”, “sadr” and “dastur”. We described the Seljuks’ struggles with the powers of their time in our article on the wars of the Great Seljuks.
This tradition reached as far as the Ottomans. In the Ottoman state, the highest administrator of the state eventually took the title “vezir-i azam” or “sadrazam”. We discussed Ottoman viziers in our article on the dome viziers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What title did viziers use in the Ghaznavid state?
Ghaznavid viziers used the title “khwaja-i buzurg”. The title means “great master”.
How does the question “what title did viziers use in the Ghaznavid state” come up in exams?
The question is usually asked under the topic of the organization of the Turkic-Islamic states. The options may also include titles such as sadrazam, hajib and atabeg. The correct answer is khwaja-i buzurg.
Who was the most famous Ghaznavid vizier?
The most famous Ghaznavid vizier was Ahmad ibn Hasan al-Maymandi. He served as vizier to both Sultan Mahmud and Sultan Mas’ud.
To which diwan were the viziers attached?
The vizier stood at the head of the Diwan-i Wizarat. The other diwans also worked under him. The other names of this diwan were the Diwan-i Khwaja and the Diwan-i Wazir.
Conclusion
The answer to the question “What title did viziers use in the Ghaznavid state?” is “khwaja-i buzurg”. The vizier who bore this title was a powerful statesman who ran all the diwans and supervised the army. The office was, however, open to intrigue, and many viziers lost their posts. The Ghaznavid order later served as a model for the organization of the Great Seljuks as well. This title should not be confused with hajib-i buzurg, the title of the army commander.
Sources
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Vezir” (Vizier)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Gazneliler” (Ghaznavids)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Meymendî” (al-Maymandi)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Mahmûd-ı Gaznevî” (Mahmud of Ghazni)
- Erdoğan Merçil, Gazneliler Devleti Tarihi [History of the Ghaznavid State].
1 thought on “What Title Did Viziers Use in the Ghaznavid State?”