some rare early qarākhānid coins and rarly qarākhānid appanage rulers / michael n. fedorov,...

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUMISMATICS

24

Second Series, continuing

The American Numismatic Society Museum Notes

THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

NEW YORK

2012

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© 2012 The American Numismatic Society

ISSN: 1053-8356 ISBN 10: 0-89722-324-1

ISBN 13: 978-0-89722-324-9

Printed in China


Contents

Editorial Committee v

Alain G. Elayi, Maryse Blet-Lemarquand, and Josette Elayi.

Fluctuations in the Composition of the Silver Coinage of Byblos (Fifth-Fourth Century bc) i

Selene Psoma. Obols, Drachms, and Staters of Bronze during the Hellenistic Period 11

Catharine C. Lorber. An Egyptian Interpretation of Alexander s Elephant Headdress 21

Catharine C. Lorber. Dating the Portrait Coinage of Ptolemy I 33

Yoav Farhi and Catharine Lorber. A Note on Two Ptolemaic Bronze Coins

from Israel 45

Aurel Vîlcu and Emanuel Petac. The Second Syrian War and Gold Staters of Alexander Type struck at Istros 53

Thomas Landvatter. The Serapis and Isis Coinage of Ptolemy IV 61

Georges Abou Diwan. Le monnayage civique non datée de Sidon: Opportunisme civique et pragmastisme royal (169/8-111/0 av. J.-C.) 91

Khaled Kiwan. Cinq trésors romains de Syrie 123

B. E. Woytek, M. Rodrigues, F. Cappa, M. Schreiner, M. Radtke,

and U. Reinholz. Imitations of Roman Republican Denarii : New Metallurgical Data 133

Michael N. Fedorov, Ralph A. Cannito, and Andrew V. Kuznetsov.

Some Rare Early Qarâkhânid Coins and Early Qarâkhânid Appanage Rulers 163

Review Articles

Donald T. Ariel and Jean-Philippe Fontanille, The Coins of Herod. A Modern Analysis and Die Classification. David Hendin 175

E. Markou, L'Or des Rois de Chypre. Numismatique et histoire à lepoque classique. Andrew Meadows 187


AJN Second Series 24 (2012) pp. 163-174 © 2012 The American Numismatic Society

Some Rare Early Qarâkhânid Coins and Early Qarâkhânid Appanage Rulers

Plates 35-36 Michael N. Fedorov,* Ralph A. Cannito,** and Andrew V. Kuznetsov***

Early Qarâkhânid coins bring to light three Qarâkhânid appanage rulers not mentioned in the written sources ('Abd al-Rahman b. Mansùr, Ahmad b. Nasr, and Irtāsh) and allow us to trace their careers. Between ah 3 90-409/ ad 999-1019 they are named as as vassals or subvassals on coins struck at Ispījāb, Haftdeh, Khojende, Samarqand, Ilâq, and Kharachket.

The chronicles of the Qarâkhânid khaqanate do not survive. Likewise, information

on the Qaräkhänids in the contemporary chronicles of the Gaznavids, Saljùqids, and Khwärizmshähs, or in those written after the Qaräkhänids ceased to exist is

scarce, obscure, and sometimes contradictory. Therefore coins are an important, and sometimes the only, source for some periods in the history of the Qaräkhänids.

They provide information on the chronology and genealogy of the Qarâkhânid rulers, the composition of their appanage domains, and changes to the eastern and the western borders of the Qarâkhânid khaqanate as a whole through internecine conflict. Especially informative are the early Qarâkhânid copper coins minted by appanage rulers (junior members of the Qarâkhânid dynasty) not mentioned in the chronicles. This article is based on rare early Qaräkhänid fulūs from the col- lections of R. Cannito and A. Kuznetsov that name three rulers not mentioned in

the chronicles (Ahmad b. Nasr, Irtäsh, and Abd al-Rahman b. Mansùr). Using the

*Ida-Dehmehl-Ring 64, D-68309 Mannheim, Germany. **83 Mine Hill Road, Washington, NJ 07882-4147. ***16 Pechorskaia Street, flat 112, 29327 Moscow, Russia.

163


164 M. N. Fedorov, R. A. Cannito, and A. V. Kuznetsov

evidence of the coins, it is possible to establish the place of these individuals in the genealogy of the Qarâkhànids and trace their careers. The new coins are described as follows:

1. Haftdeh, ah 390/AD 999-1000. Fais , 27.5 mm, 3.3 g. (A. Kuznetsov coll.; pl. 35, 1).

Obverse: In field: jhjjd Ja/Jj ^jo * Jj Mé Inner circular legend: (sic) -U1J4. "i m t jj ILo. áh (sic) li. Outer circular legend: o 4Ì1..-0-0L Uj ^ (sic) IJ. The legend is half obliterated, there are mistakes and distortions. The personal name yd. (Ilek) after -o-oi U, ^ is distinct but then follows something illegible.

Reverse : Within beaded circle: . Above the word 4Í1 between two letters JJ is the Turkic name (Irtāsh) written in small letters. The word JJ4. is placed within a crescent.

Circular legend: (sic) u, -a. The legend is half obliterated and features mistakes and distortions. The ruler s name is er-

roneously engraved as instead of -o^oj jj

This coin is probably a mule, minted by two different reverse dies, because it has two circular legends involving the formula u, *4. ("from he who ordered"). The liek (Nasr b. 4Alī) is named as suzerain, with his vassal and brother Muhammad (b). Ali, and his subvassal Irtāsh (see below).

2. Samarqand, ah 402/AD 1011-1012. Fais. Weight and diameter unknown. Cf. Kochnev 1995: 224, no. 295. 1

Obverse : Within triangle: i-xj. On its sides: tf .^¿1 J4/4Í} »»¿o tf 4Í1 I*.

Circular legend: Mint and date formula.

Reverse : In field:

Circular legend: .. ij^JjJ )*-*>>...

On this coin (Ilek) Nasr (b. All, brother of the future Arslān Khān Mansūr b. All), is named with his vassal, Nizām al-Daula Muhammad (b. Hasan), and his subvassal, Abd al-Rahman (b. Mansūr). The supreme suzerain, Khān Ahmad b. Ali, is not mentioned.

1 In his "Corpus of inscriptions on the Qaräkhanid coins: Anthroponyms and titles," Kochnev (1995) did not give full descriptions of coins, but confined himself to the names and titles placed on them. I have, however, seen an example of this coin (unfortunately in a poor state of preservation) in the collection of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan (no. 4926), which allows for a more precise description.


Early Qaräkhänid Coins and Early Qaräkhänid Appanage Rulers 165

3. Ilâq, ah 404/ ad 1013-1014. Fais. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-1631; pl. 35, 2).

Obverse : Four intersecting arcs form a lozenge in the center of the coin. The lozenge is inscribed within a small circle. Within the lozenge: I^lL^. On its sides: IJj^/Jä/jüjjL. All within large circle. Circular legend: (sic) lliJ^ I 4Í1 -*^1.

Reverse : Within a border of two circles (linear, beaded): . Above the word As is placed the title ->uio. engraved in small letters.

Circular legend: *+1^ U-y. ^oL

4. Ilāq, ah 404/AD 1013-1014. Fais , 27.5 mm, 3.03 g. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-362; pl. 35,3).

Obverse : Within a circle: u Double-edged sword (spike to left, hilt to right) above and bow with stringed arrow below. Circular legend: (sic) lüJ^ ^3. ^ùâ. 1^5. 9. i >»|û 4JJ il.

Reverse : Within a border of three circles (linear, beaded, linear): ¿1^ Ha JW A>-wOj/juuuLg J/ dJU.

Circular legend: il ^ q ^ m ¡l 11 ' j u julL^J. > ^ 1 j. 44I Uj >^.

5. Ilâq, ah 404/AD 1013-1014. Falsy 27.3 mm, 3.46 g. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-390; pl. 35.4)-

Obverse : Crescent with star between horns. Within crescent:

Inner circular legend within beaded circle: (sic) ¿>¿¿1 J4/4Í] pjo V ¿ÜJ IÏ. Outer circular legend within beaded circle: (?) lüJ^ u

Reverse: Within interlaced linear circle: J/¿í) . The letters ^ are placed within a crescent.

Circular legend: I A¿1 J um» .cJ^. ^iL -U»U -o-oL u,

The circular legends are embellished with decorations in the form of a ligatured lãm-alif. This ornament is placed in a bewildering number of inappropriate places, which considerably complicates the reading of the legends.

6. Ilâq, ah 405/AD 1014-1015. Fais, 27.8 mm, 3.42 g. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-39ib; pl. 35, 5).

Obverse : Crescent with star between horns. Within crescent: Star below.

Inner circular legend within beaded circle: Waíi tf «¿J I*. Outer circular legend within beaded circle: lii)^ JUüü4 . m À ; itiļft 4Ü «bjji^jl.



Reverse : Within interlaced linear circle: JWu^j/jo^j/aíi. The letters ^ are placed within a crescent.

Circular legend: Lia jj jL^ju. -o-oL Uj -a.

The circular legends are embellished with decorations in the form of a ligatured lãm-alif. This ornament is placed in a bewildering number of inappropriate places, which considerably complicates the reading of the legends.

7. Ilâq, ah 406/AD 1015-1016. Fais. (R. A. Cannito coll. QK-361; pl. 35, 6).

Obverse : Central legend: Marginal legend forms a square: ^ lJ?t 0u ¿íi *¿¿1. In each corner of the square formed by the marginal legend there are three dots.

Reverse : Within a border of three circles (linear, beaded, linear): LLÜ.

Circular legend: (sic) -*>*.> Ijû 414^ $. Quran IX, 33.

8. Ilâq, ah 406/AD 1015-1016. Fais , 26.3 mm, 2.47 g. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-650; pl. 35>7).

Obverse : Central legend: Arabesque above. Marginal legend forms a square: 9. lj;t qU Jj

Three dots in each corner of the square.

Reverse: Within a border of three circles (linear, beaded, linear): I JLdL.

Circular legend: (sic) *Íí 9. j^> 11^3.. Quran IX, 33.

The types are overstruck on another coin, which was slightly larger than the dies used for the second strike.

9. Ilâq, ah 408/AD 1017-1018. Fais, 28.6 mm, 3.82 g. (R. A. Cannito coll., IS-459; pl. 35, 8).

Obverse : Within beaded circle: wJj ôo *i) I*. Circular legend: füJû jujlíâ Ij > 1 0 » ¿ ¿1j

Reverse: Within three circles (linear, beaded, linear): JW-oôj/jo^j

Circular legend: iUm.fr jj Jj -o-oL Uj ^4.. 10. Kharachket, ah 409/AD 1018-1019. Fais. Weight and diameter unknown.

Ashirov and Kuznetsov 2009: no. 51. PI. 35, nos. 9-10).

Obverse. Beaded triangle. On the sides: .¿»¿¿¿J Waíi *>oo <Jj I*. Circular legend: (sic) liiJ^ ^4. 9. Ļ al)


Early Qarâkhânid Coins and Early Qarâkhânid Appanage Rulers 167

Reverse : Within linear circle: Jj.

Circular legend: ISUj, (U-gJàÂj.?) £ ifc'iVi o i -o-oL l-Oj +4-

One may suppose that the word L^lai in the obverse central legend is an erroneous rendering of the name Irtāsh. As they were alien to Arabs and Iranians, Turkic names and titles were written by die engravers and chroniclers in many different ways. For example, the Turkic name and title Ināl was written variously with a long or short initial vowel: Lilj. (īnāl) or LĻJ. (Ināl). In the same way, Irtāsh might be written with long or short initial vowel: (īrtāsh) or Ļi (Irtāsh).

The Turkic honorific title Tongha ("Valiant" or "Hero") also appears written in different ways in the titulature of the same ruler, sometimes in the same

town and year. On Farghāna coins of ah 385, the title appears as Tonghā (U;«') or Toghā (JûjlL) Tegin; in ah 387, it is Tonghā (laJLii) or Tonghān (laJLilo-) Tegīn. On Farghāna coins of ah 384-385» the title is written as Tonga Tegin in Uigur. In AH 403 Shāsh it is Tongā (SajSi). Clearly the written form of this title varied by indi- vidual engraver (Fedorov 2001: 38). Just as Tonga could be written Tonghā (laJLil with the letter ±) or Tongā (Ixlsll with the letter i), so could īrtāsh be written īrtāsh (Ly-L.ljjuL with the letter !*) or īrtāsh (ļ^iJul with the letter 2).

Having engraved the name īrtāsh with the long initial vowel L (Ī) and broad ia. (t), instead of i (t), the engraver seems to have had no place left for the final letter (sh). While this explanation of the peculiar legend seems plausible one fact speaks against it. At Imlak-tepe (ancient Tunket) were found two coins with this legend, but struck from different dies (cf. Pl. 35, 9-10). Repetition of the same

spacing error on two different dies hardly seems likely. The Kharachket coin of ah 409 gives the full name of the ruler as Abù

Muhammad (the kunya, "Father of Muhammad") Abd al-Rahman ibn Mansùr. So this Qarâkhânid was a son of the supreme ruler of the Western Qarâkhânids, Arslān Khān (Khâqân, Qarâkhàn, Qarâkhâqân) Mansùr b. Alï, who appears on coins as Arslān Khān in ah 405-406/ ad 1015 and died in ah 415/AD 1024-1025 (Fedorov 2001a: 21-22).

Judging by the fact that Abd al-Rahman is cited after the formula -*ol Uj he

was, in ah 409/AD 1018-1019, both the ruler of Kharachket, with the right to mint coins there, and the vassal of a senior Qarâkhânid who gave him this appanage. As for īrtāsh (L^iai), there are two possibilities: it is either the Turkic name of Abd al-Rahman or the name of a subvassal.

Historical Background

In October ad 999, Nasr b. Alī captured Bukhārā and put an end to the Sāmānid state (Baihaki 1962: 566). The greater part of the conquered Sāmānid lands went to Nasr, who gave some of his towns to vassals and subvassals as appanages. Ilek Nasr died in ah 403/AD 1012-1013. The coins struck in this year suggest that his domain, consisting of Ferghāna, Khojende, Usrùshana, and Soghd, was divided



among the other Qaràkhânids. Ferghāna was included in the domain of Ahmad, which had previously included the Chu Valley with its capital, Balāsāghūn (Quz Ordū). In the towns of Ferghāna (Uzgend and Akhsiket) coins were minted in the name of Ahmad. Other towns were either left to old appanage rulers who possessed them before ah 403, as vassals of Ahmad, given to new vassals of Ahmad, or to vassals of his vassals (subvassals). Shāsh was left to Yûsuf b. Abd Allāh, an

old vassal of Ahmad. Ispljāb was left to another former vassal of Ahmad, Muizz ad-Daula Mut, from the local Mutid dynasty. In Chaghâniyân, a ruler from the local Muhtadjid dynasty also recognized Ahmad as suzerain. Ahmads younger brother, Muhammad b. All, had possessed Tarāz as vassal of his elder sibling since ah 393/AD 1002-1003. Muhammad also controlled īlāq, which he, as ally of Nasr, had captured in the war of ah 401-402 between Nasr and Ahmad, and retained after the peace was made. In ah 403, he received Usrūshana, Zāmin, and Khojende as appanages. The coin evidence suggests that he had not possessed these towns earlier. Abd al-Rahman disappears from the coins of Samarqand and is replaced by Tonghā Tegīn Muhammad b. Hasan, now vassal of Ahmad. Bukhārā and Kesh minted coins in the name of Mansùr b. All, father of Abd al-Rahman (Fedorov

2007:8-11). In ah 404/ ad 1014 a war broke out. Ahmad b. Ali attacked his brother Mansùr

and took Bukhārā and Kesh from him. However, in the following year, a horde of

infidel nomads appeared, devastating and pillaging the eastern frontiers of Ahmaďs domain. In order to protect his territories, Ahmad marched against the nomads, thereby giving Mansùr some respite. The nomads from the borders of China were within eight days journey from Balāsāghūn, when Ahmad advanced against them. They began to retreat, but Ahmad pursued them for three months and completely routed them. In his absence (about half a year), Mansùr captured many towns of Ahmad and won allies, including the fourth of the brothers, Muhammad b. All. In ah 407/AD 1016-1017, Mansùr campaigned near Uzgend, the last stronghold of Ahmad. Only the interference of Khwârizmshâh Mâmùn who offered his media- tion and reconciled the warring factions saved Ahmad from defeat. Tonghā Khān I Ahmad b. All died at the beginning of ah 408/AD 1017-1018 (Fedorov 2007: 1, 19). Mansùr b. All, who had claimed the title Arslān Khān already in ah 405/AD 1014-1015, became the supreme ruler of the Western Qarâkhânid khaqanate and reigned well into ah 415/AD 1024-1025.

Discussion

I. Ahmad son of Ilek Nasr b. All

In addition to the well-known Qaräkhänids, Ahmad b. Ali, Nasr b. Ali and Muhammad b. Ali, early Qarâkhânid coins also name Ahmad b. Nasr and Irtāsh. To whom belongs the Turkic name Irtāsh? Ahmad b. Ali possessed 21 towns, but he is cited with Irtāsh only once, on coins of Ilàq, in ah 404-405. Nasr b. Ali


Early Qarâkhânid Coins and Early Qarâkhânid Appanage Rulers 169

controlled 19 towns (Fedorov 1990: 7), but he is named with Irtāsh only on coins of Haftdeh, in ah 390. Muhammad b. All held 18 towns (Fedorov 2001a: 22), but

he is cited with Irtāsh only on coins of Haftdeh, in ah 390, and Iläq, in ah 404- 406. Clearly the Turkic name Irtāsh cannot have belonged to any of these rulers. Therefore Irtāsh must have been a Qarâkhânid vassal or subvassal.

Ahmad b. Nasr is named, in ah 389/AD 998-999, on a coin of Ispïjâb (Kochnev 1995: 208, no. 75). On its obverse, above and below the kalima , are cited Mut (the

hereditary ruler of Ispījāb, a vassal of Qarâkhânids) and Ahmad b. Nasr. On its reverse, the last Samanid amir, Abd al-Malik b. Nūh, is named. This coin is a mule

minted by dies from different series. Abd al-Malik was enthroned by conspiring Sāmānid generals in Safar ah 389/February ad 999 and dethroned, on 14 Dhu-1- Qada ah 389/23 October ad 999, by Ilek Nasr, the conqueror of Bukhārā (Bartold 1963: 327, 329). For nine months in ad 999, Mut was a vassal of the Sāmānids. For the last two months of ad 999, he was a vassal of Qarâkhânids: first of Ahmad

b. Nasr, then of Ahmad b. All, to whom Nasr ceded Ispījāb (Fedorov 2000: 13). It has been argued that Ahmad b. Nasr was a son of Ilek Nasr (Fedorov 1972: 142; Kochnev 1987: 158).

Irtāsh appears, in ah 390/AD 999-1000, on a coin of Haftdeh (cat. no. 1). It names the Ilek (Nasr b. All) as suzerain, his vassal and brother Muhammad (b.) All, and his subvassal Irtāsh. Haftdeh (literally "the Seven Settlements") was situ- ated on the easternmost outskirts of the Ferghana Valley and was conquered by the Muslims from the infidel Turks only in the tenth century ad (Bartold 1963: 212, 317).

In ah 390/AD 999-1000, fulüs of three types were minted at Khojende. The first two types (Kochnev 1995: 210, nos. 103-104) cite the direct ruler (owner) of Khojende, al-Muayid al- Adi Ilek Nasr b. All, as well as his suzerain and brother, Nāsir al-Haqq Khān Abū Nasr (Ahmad b. All). The fais in the British Museum (Lane-Poole 1876: 121, no. 434) is a mule. It has the same reverse as a fais pub- lished by Kochnev (1995: 210, no. 103), which names Ahmad b. Nasr, a vassal and son of Ilek Nasr, in a circular legend. The supreme ruler, Ahmad b. All, is not named and Muhammad b. All appears to have been compensated with another town, most probably Tarāz.

Apart from the right to be named on coins of Khojende, Ahmad b. Nasr received a share of the taxes collected there. Subvassalship did not require him to live in Khojende. He could live like a nomad, appearing before the town only to demand his share of the taxes. However, when he became a full vassal, he was

required to live in Khojende in order to govern it, while his nomadic fellow tribes- men policed and defended the town.

In ah 392/AD 1001-1002, Ahmad b. Nasr is again cited on coins of Ispījāb (Kochnev 1995: 211, no. 114). This time he appears as suzerain, with Mut as his vassal, and Tāhir Rāzī as his subvassal. After this, Ahmad b. Nasr disappears from the coins for a long period.



Irtāsh resurfaces again, in ah 404-406, at Ilâq (cat. nos. 3-8). On coin no. 3 (ah 404) Kháqân Ahmad b. All is cited as supreme suzerain, although his name appears in an unusual location. Normally the suzerain is named in the most symbolically important place, in the reverse field after the name of the Caliph). Ahmaďs vassal Sanā al-Daula Ināl Tegīn Muhammad b. All and Irtāsh are also named. On this coin, Muhammad b. Ali bears the title Tegïn, although later in ah 404 he became Ilek, second only to the title of Khān (Fedorov 2001a: 22). As Muhammad b. Ali possessed many other towns, the actual ruler of Ilâq must have been Irtāsh, who held it as an appanage from Muhammad, citing on his coins his suzerain (Muhammad b. All) and supreme suzerain Khäqän (Ahmad b. All).

On coin no. 4 (Ilâq, ah 404), the supreme suzerain Qutb al-Daula Khān (Ahmad b. Ali), his vassal Sanā al-Daula Ināl Tegin (Muhammad b. Ali), and his subvassal Sakhā al-Daula are named.

On coin no. 5 (Ilâq, ah 404), Sanā al-Daula Ilek Muhammad b. Ali appears as suzerain with his vassal, Irtāsh. Muhammad b. Ali here bears the higher title of Ilek and Irtāsh seems to have risen from the status of subvassal to vassal. The coins

of Ilâq show that the laqab Sakhā al-Daula ("Generosity of the State") belonged to Irtāsh. On some of the coins of ah 404-406 Irtāsh is named in the center of the obverse, while on others of the same period Sakhā al-Daula appears in the same position. This very rare laqab , found only on coins of Ilâq, disappears after ah 404-406.

Coin no. 6 (Ilâq, ah 405) shows that the political situation in Ilâq, in ah 405, was the same as it had been in ah 404/ ad 1013-1014.

On coin no. 7 (Ilâq, ah 406), the Khān (suzerain) and the Ilek (vassal) are cited, but Irtāsh appears as a subvassal holding Ilâq as an appanage from the Ilek (Muhammad b. Ali). During the war of ah 405-407 in the Western Qaräkhänid khaqanate there were two khāns: Tonghā I Khān Ahmad b. Ali and Arslān Khān I Mansùr b. Ali. Most probably this coin refers to Arslān Khān I Mansùr.

Coin no. 8 (Ilâq, ah 406) reflects the same political situation as coin no. 7. After this, Irtāsh disappears from the coins.

No coins of Ilâq are known for ah 407/AD 1016-1017 and therefore we cannot judge the political situation there in that year. However, in ah 408/1017-1018 new appanage rulers appeared at Ilâq. It would seem that the death of Tonghā Khān I Ahmad b. Ali, at the beginning of ah 408, led to a reshuffling of appanages and appanage rulers.

On coin no. 9 (Ilâq, ah 408), suzerain Arslān Khān I Mansùr b. Ali, vassal Husain b. Shihāb al-Daula, and subvassal Būri Tegin are named. Judging by the fact that Husain is mentioned after the formula -0-0L U, ("from he who ordered"),

he possessed Ilâq and the right to mint there. Husain was vassal holding Ilâq as an appanage given him by Arslān Khān. Subvassal Būri Tegin had the right to be cited on coins of Ilâq and to get part of taxes collected there. Būri Tegin was the title of the Qaräkhänid prince, Ibrahim b. Nasr, son of Ilek Nasr. In ah 432-460/


Early Qaräkhänid Coins and Early Qaräkhänid Appanage Rulers 171

ad 1041-1068 he was the supreme ruler of the Western Qaräkhänid khaqanate with the title of Tafghāch Khān (Fedorov 2001a: 23).

Ahmad b. Nasr reappears in ah 411/AD 1020-1021 in Bukhārā. A Bukhārā fais of this year (Kochnev 1995: 243, no. 552) names him as Ahmad b. Ilek Nasr. The legends stress that Ahmad was a son of Ilek Nasr because, in the Western Qaräkhänid khaqanate in ah 411, the title of Ilek belonged to Muhammad b. All, who also had a son named Ahmad (Fedorov 2001a: 23-24). No suzerain is named on this particular coin, but another Bukhārā fais of ah 411 (Kochnev 1995: 243, no. 551) names Ahmad (viz. Ahmad b. Nasr) and his suzerain, Ilek. After this, Ahmad b. Nasr disappears from the coins.

II. Abù Muhmmad Abd al-Rahman, son of Arslān Khān Mansùr b. All

The Qaräkhänid Abù Muhammad Abd al-Rahman was a son of the supreme ruler of the Western Qaräkhänid khaqanate, Arslān Khān Mansùr b. All, who appears on coins as Arslān Khān in ah 405/AD 1014-1015. He ruled until ah 415/AD 1024-1025.

Abd al-Rahman is cited as a vassal or subvassal of senior Qaräkhänid rulers on

coins of Samarqand, in ah 402, and of Kharachket, in ah 409. In ah 402/AD 1011-1012, Samarqand was ruled by a vassal of Ilek Nasr b. Ali,

Tonghā Tegïn Muhammad b. Hasan, the future Tonghā Khān II of the Western Qaräkhänid khaqanate (Fedorov 2001a: 25). Evidently, Samarqand was an appanage given him by Nasr. Nevertheless, some part of the feudal rights to Samarqand were given to the nephew of Ilek Nasr, Abd al-Rahman (b. Mansùr). The taxes collected in Samarqand were divided among Ilek Nasr, Tonghā Tegln Muhammad, and Abd al-Rahman. Tonghā Khān I Ahmad b. All, the leader of the Western Qaràkhânids and brother of Nasr and Mansùr is not mentioned on this Samar- qand issue.

After this, Abù Muhmmad Abd al-Rahman disappears from the coins until ah 409/AD 1018-1019, when he is named as vassal of an unknown senior Qaräkhänid

on coins of Kharachket. It is not entirely uncommon for the name of the suzerain to be omitted from copper coins of the period, as they were produced only to meet the small change needs of the issuing town and its sububurbs. Kharachket (the archaeological site of Kanka) is about 8 km south of the Angren River, near its confluence with the Syr Darya.

In ancient and early medieval times, the valleys of the Angren and Chirchik (a tributary of the Syr Daria, north of the Angren River) rivers comprised the Chāch realm, now Tashkentskaia oblasť in Uzbekistan. Iu. Buriakov localized the

Yuni kingdom in Chāch, which, according to the Han chronicle (206 bc-ad 252) was a vassal of the Kangui nomad state. He established its location by citing the description of Chāch in the Tang Chronicle (ad 618-906): "ruler Shi resides in Chjesi. This place belonged (in ancient times) to the town Yuni of the Small Kan- gui ruler" (Bichurin 1950: 313). Proceeding from the fact that the other towns



of Chāch sprang up later than Kanka, which has archaeological strata dated to the third-second century bc, Buriakov (1975: 32-35) identified Yuni with Kanka. After the Arab conquest of Central Asia, ancient Chāch split into two provinces: Shāsh (Chirchik Valley), with its capital at Binket, and Ilàq (Angren Valley), with its capital at Tunket. It is not clear whether Yuni/Chjesi became known as Karach- ket before or after the Arab conquest. However, Arab and Persian geographers of the tenth-eleventh century ad certainly used the name Karachket or Kharashket. Kharachket was the largest town of Shāsh-Ilāq (covering about 200 hectares), second in importance only to Binket, but its mint was insignificant, working only sporadically and for short periods. The coins of Kharachket are rare.

III. Genealogy

Previously, only three sons (Husain, Ahmad, Yùsuf) were known to Arslān Khān I Mansùr b. 'All, who appeared for the first time in Usrùshana, in ah 400/ ad 1009-1010, as a vassal of Ilek Nasr (Fedorov 2001a: 23, table 3; Cannito and Fe- dorov 2008: 573). We can now add a fourth son of Mansùr, Abd al-Rahman. to the

Qarâkhânid genealogy. The full stemma of the dynasty, as it is presently known, appears below:

Arslān Khān ťAlI, Ruler of Kashghār (fell in war with infidel nomads in early ah 3 88/ ad 998)

i

Ahmad Nasr Muhammad Mansùr

(AH 382-408/ (AH 383-403/ (AH 386-415/ (AH 400-415/ AD 992-1018) AD 993-1013) AD 996-1025) AD IOO9-IO25)

I I I Husain2 Ahmad3 Yùsuf* Abd al-Rahman5

i Muhammad6

One more representative of this family is known: Abù-1-Qasim Mahmūd Tafghāch Khān, the supreme ruler of the Western Qarâkhânid khaqanate. He

2 Named on coins of Bukhārā, Tùnket, Nauket, and Shāsh, in ah 404-418/ad 1013-1028. 3 Named on coins of Uzgend and Akslket, in ah 409-410/ad 1018-1020 4 Named on coins of Sheljï, in ah 413-414/ad 1022-1024, and of Usrùshana, in ah 4i3(or

423?). 5 Named on coins in 402-409/1011-1019 in Samarqand and Kharachket. 6 Judging by his kunya, Abù Muhammad Abd al-Rahman had a son, Muhammad.


Early Qaräkhänid Coins and Early Qaräkhänid Appanage Rulers 1 73

minted coins in Samarqand and Bukhārā, in ah 490/ ad 1096-1097. According to 0. Pritsak (1953: 49), Mahmūd was a grandson of Arslān Khān Mansùr b. 'All. The name of his father is not known.

List of Illustrations

Plate 35. Qaräkhänid fulūs of ah 390-409.

1.Haftdeh, ah 390/ ad 999-1000. (A. Kuznetsov coll.).

2.11āq, ah 404/ ad 1013-1014. (R. Cannito coll., IS-1631).

3.11äq, ah 404/AD 1013-1014. (R. Cannito coll., IS-362).

4.11āq, ah 404/AD 1013-1014. (R. Cannito coll., IS-390).

5.11āq, ah 405/AD 1014-1015. (R. Cannito coll, IS-391I5).

6.11āq, ah 406/AD 1015-1016. (R. Cannito coll.).



9-10. Kharachket, ah 409/AD 1018-1019. (A. Kuznetsov coll.).

References

Ashirov, S. A. and A. V. Kuznetsov. 2009. Klady i kladoiskateli. Tashkent: Fan.

Baihaki, Abū-1-Fazl. 1962. Istoriia Masuda 1030-1041. A. K. Arendsa, trans. Tash- kent: Izd-vo Akademií nauk Uzbekskoī SSR.

Bartold, V. V. 1963. Turkestan v epokhu mongoVskogo nashestviia. Sochineniia 1. Moskva: Nauka

Bichurin, N. Ia. 1950. Sobranie svedenii o narodakh, obitavshikh v Srednei Azii v

drevnie vremena , 2. Moskva/Leningrad: Nauka.

Buriakov, lu. F. 1975. Istoricheskaia topografiia drevnikh gorodov Tashkentskogo oa~ zisa. Tashkent: Fan.

Cannito, R. A. and Fedorov, M. N. 2008. On some rare early Qaräkhänid fulüs. A/N 20: 555-578.

Fedorov, M. N. 1972. Politicheskaiia istoriia Karakhanidov v kontse X-nachale XI

v. (Karakhanidskie monety kak istoricheskii istochnik). Numizmatika i Epi- grafika 10: 131-154.

kontsa X-nachala XIII vv. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskanie uchenoi stepeni doctora istoricheskikh nauk, Novosibirsk.



plement 165: 12-15.

38-44.

(Qarâkhânid coins as historical sources). Central Asiatic Journal 51.1: 1-22.

Kochnev, B. D. 1987. Zametki po srednevekovoi numizmatike Srednei Azii. 8. (Karakhanidy). Istoriia materialnoi kuYtury Uzbekistana 21: 155-171.

latura. 1. Vostochnoe Istoricheskoe Istochnikovedenie i spetsialnye istoricheskie distsipliny 4: 201-279.

latura. 3. Vostochnoe Istoricheskoe Istochnikovedenie i spetsialnye istoricheskie distsipliny 6: 261-291.

Lane-Poole, S. 1876. Catalogue of Oriental coins in the British Museum. Vol. 2. Lon- don: British Museum.

Pritsak, 0. 1953. Die Karachaniden. Der Islam 31.1: 17-68.


Plate 35


Plate 36


some rare early qarākhānid coins and rarly qarākhānid appanage rulers / michael n. fedorov,...

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