Mansur ibn Qara-Tegin, commonly known after his father as Ibn Qaratakin (died 952) was a Turkic military officer of the

Samanids People Samanid Samanid Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan an ...

in the mid-10th century.

Biography

Mansur is first mentioned in 945, when the rebel

Abu 'Ali Chaghani Abu Ali Ahmad Chaghani (; died 955) was the Muhtajid ruler of Chaghaniyan (939–955) and governor of Samanid Khurasan (939–945, 952–953). He was the son of Abu Bakr Muhammad. In 939, Muhammad became ill and Abu Ali was assigned to succeed ...

forced Mansur and another Turkic military officer

Ibrahim ibn Simjur Ibrahim ibn Simjur (died 948) was a Samanid military officer from the Simjurid family. Biography Ibrahim was the son of Simjur al-Dawati, the founder of the Simjurid family. Ibrahim is first mentioned as a deputy of the Muhtajid ruler Abu 'A ...

to leave

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

. The two then went to

Merv Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...

, where the Samanid ruler

Nuh I Nuh ibn Nasr, or Nuh I (926-954), was the Amir of the Samanids in 943–954. He was the son of Nasr II. It is rumoured that he married a Chinese princess.Richard N. Frye, ''Bukhara, the Medieval Achievement'', (University of Oklahoma Press, 19 ...

was preparing a counter-attack against Abu 'Ali Chaghani, who had taken control over the Samanid capital of

Bukhara Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...

and put Ibrahim ibn Ahmad on the throne. Nuh eventually managed to quell the rebellion and in 948 appointed Mansur as the governor of

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

. In 949, Mansur wrested Ray from the

Buyid The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...

ruler

Rukn al-Dawla Hasan (died September 976), better known by his ''laqab'' as Rukn al-Dawla ( Persian: رکن‌الدوله دیلمی), was the first Buyid amir of northern and central Iran (c. 935–976). He was the son of Buya. Struggle for power Hasan was ...

, who was at that time in

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

and was ensuring his son's succession. Mansur then marched towards

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, and had the city plundered. However, Rukn al-Dawla then marched towards Mansur, and a battle shortly ensured, which resulted in the rout of Mansur's army. In 951/2, Mansur re-invaded the territories of Rukn al-Dawla, and several battles ensured between him and Rukn al-Dawla. However, during these clashes, Mansur suddenly died. According to

Ibn Miskawayh Ibn Miskuyah ( Muskūyah, 932–1030), (Arabic: مِسْكَوَيْه، أبو علي محمد بن أحمد بن يعقوب مسكويه الرازي) full name Abū ʿAlī Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb Miskawayh al-Rāzī was a Persian c ...

, "he had been drinking incessantly for some days and nights, and one morning was found dead." Mansur was then succeeded by the pardoned Abu 'Ali Chaghani as the governor of Khorasan.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mansur ibn Qara-Tegin 952 deaths Year of birth unknown 10th-century Asian people Samanid generals Samanid governors of Khorasan