Buraq Hajib, also spelt Baraq Hajib (died 1234), Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. . was a Khitan who founded the Qutlugh-Khanid dynasty in the southern Persian province of Kirman the early 13th century after the conquest of the sinicised

Qara Khitai The Qara Khitai, or Kara Khitai (), also known as the Western Liao (), officially the Great Liao (), was a Sinicized dynastic regime based in Central Asia ruled by the Khitan Yelü clan. The Qara Khitai is considered by historians to be an ...

(Western Liao dynasty) by the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

. The dynasty founded by Buraq Hajib ended in the 14th century.

Origin

The

Khitans The Khitan people (Khitan small script: ; ) were a historical nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. As a people desce ...

in northern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

were known as خطا in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

(''Khata'') and are mentioned by

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

chroniclers as having fought against Muslims and founded the

(Western Liao dynasty). After the destruction of the Qara Khitai realm by the Mongols under

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...

in 1218, the former land of the Qara Khitai became absorbed into the

. A small part of the population under Buraq Hajib settled in the Persian province of Kirman, converted to Islam, and established a local dynasty there.

Early years

Buraq Hajib is thought to be a member of Qara Khitai dynasty and a son of a Khitan noble Kulduz. Buraq Hajib and his brother Hamīd Pur (or Khan Temür) Tayangu were detained or captured by

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...

Khwarezm Khwarazm (; Old Persian: ''Hwârazmiya''; fa, خوارزم, ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the ...

in 1210, and were given important posts. He was initially in the service of Khwarazm prince Ghiyas-ad-Din Purshah, under whom he was nicknamed ''Qutlugh Khan''. He was soon appointed as the commander of

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...

for Khwarazmshahs. He arrived at Kerman at first as a commander of Purshah's army, joining him in the battle against Salghurid atabeg Sa'd I. However, he had an argument with Purshah's vizier Tajaddin Karim ash-Sharq and left for India hearing approachment of a

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

army under command of Tolun Cherbi (step-son of

Hoelun Hoelun (also Hoelun Üjin; Mongolian: ; Cyrillic: Өэлүн үжин, Өэлүн эх, ''Mother Hoelun'', Öülen/Oulen; ), 1140-1221 was the mother of Genghis Khan and the wife of his father Yesügei, the chief of the Khamag Mongol confederat ...

). While on his way to India, Buraq was attacked by the local governor of Kirman - Shuja ad-Din Abul-Qasim, but Buraq managed to defeat him thanks to defection of Turks and decided to start a siege of Kirman. He had submit to Jalal ad-Din at first, offering her daughter's hand, who in turn helped him to conquer Kirman. He quickly got involved in local politics, aiding

Nasrid The Nasrid dynasty ( ar, بنو نصر ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; Spanish: ''Nazarí'') was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula, ruling the Emirate of Granada from 1230 until 1492. Its members claimed to be of Arab ...

emir Ali b. Harb in his struggle to throne in 1225.

Reign

In 1228 Khwarazm prince Ghiyas-ad-Din Purshah sought refuge in Kirman after incurring the wrath of his brother, Sultan Jalal ad-Din. Using favorable situation, Buraq forced him to give his mother's hand, marrying her. After a revelation of conspiracy involving two Khitan nobles and Ghiyas-ad-Din. he and his mother was soon murdered by Buraq. Sometime later Buraq converted to Islam and requested the

Abbasid Caliph The Abbasid caliphs were the holders of the Islamic title of caliph who were members of the Abbasid dynasty, a branch of the Quraysh tribe descended from the uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. The family came ...

for investiture and was granted a title of Qutlugh Sultan. His next action was to ally to Atabegs of Yazd through marriage. Buraq later submitted to the

, and he and his successors were conferred the title of Qutlugh Khan, and allowed to ruled as vassal of the Mongols. Throughout its rule the dynasty continued to be known as Qara Khitai. There were a total of 9 rulers of the Kirmanid dynasty, two of whom were female. He sent his son Rukn al-Din Mubarak Khwaja to Ögedei's court just before his death in 1234/5. He was succeeded by his nephew

Qutb al-Din Mohammad Qutb al-Din Mohammad — was Qutlughanid ruler of Kerman and a nephew of Buraq Hajib, founder of dynasty. Life He was a son of Hamīd Pur (or Khan Temür), thus a nephew of Buraq Hajib. His father was an emir in service of Khwarazmshah dynas ...

Family

He had at least two wives - a widow of Muhammad II of Khwarazm and Uka Khatun. His only son was Rukn al-Din Mubarak Khwaja who was born of Uka Khatun.

Kutlugh Turkan Kutlugh Turkan (c.1208/1213 – 1283), was a ruler of Kirman from 1257 until 1282. Early life Different accounts exist regarding her early life. According to "History of Qara-Khitai Shahs" (''Tāriḵ-e šāhi-e Qarāḵtāʾiān'') by anony ...

was probably one of his concubines, although according to

Fatema Mernissi Fatema Mernissi ( ar, فاطمة مرنيسي, Fāṭima Marnīsī; 27 September 1940 – 30 November 2015) was a Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist. Biography Fatema Mernissi was born on 27 September 1940 in Fez, Morocco. She grew up in ...

she was his daughter Khan Turkan (see below). He had at least 4 daughters: * A daughter - married to Jalal ad-Din * Sevinch Khatun - married to Chagatai * Khan Turkan - married to his nephew

. According to

Vladimir Minorsky Vladimir Fyodorovich Minorsky (russian: Владимир Фёдорович Минорский; – March 25, 1966) was a Russian Orientalist best known for his contributions to the study of Persian, Lurish and Kurdish history, geography, ...

, her identity was mistaken for

. * Yaqut Turkan - married to Mahmud Shah (r. 1229-1241), Atabeg of Yazd * Maryam Turkan - married to Mohyi al-Din, nephew of

Sam ibn Wardanruz Sam ibn Wardanruz was the first ruler of the Atabegs of Yazd, Atabegs of Yazd dynasty from 1141 to 1188. Sam was appointed as ''atabeg'' by Ahmad Sanjar in 1141, where he married one of the daughters of the Kakuyid Garshasp II. He is described as ...

, Atabeg of Yazd

Origin

Early years

Reign

Family

See also

References

Further reading