The Ghuzz who wrecked Kerman in the 1180s (their raids and flocks brought famine and ruined the merchant suburbs) were held together by Malik Dinar.
After his death (591/1195) and his son's (592/1196) they broke apart, and before a strong Khwarazmian army they gave up the attempt to rule Kerman; many joined the Khwarazmian army. They have not gone away: by 600/1203-04 Ghuzz again hold Bardasir and surrender it to the Salghurid Sa'd, and they fight the Salghurids in Kerman for years after. Where their bands are on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
Who he is
- Name
- Not pinned (no chief named after Farrukh Shah's death)
- Title
- Ghuzz amirs of Kerman
- Since
- The Ghuzz entered Kerman from Khurasan about 575/1179-80; Malik Dinar ruled them 583-591 AH
- Born
- Not pinned
- Family
- Oghuz (Ghuzz) Turkmen bands driven from the Sarakhs region by Sultan Shah; Malik Dinar's kin, including his widow, a Seljuk princess, daughter of Tughril Shah
- Confidence
- low
Bosworth, CHI 5 and EIr 'Dinar, Malek'; Mercil (TDV) for their later hold on Bardasir.
Overlord
None; many have entered Khwarazmian service.
What it holds
- No town firmly held on 1 January 1200 (not pinned)
- Flocks and camps in the Kerman country
How it was acquired
Conquest of Kerman, 1180s.
Allies and rivals
Enemies: the Khwarazmian governor, the Shabankara, the Salghurids.
How things stand that morning
Broken up; some in Khwarazmian service, others waiting.
Wealth
Flocks and plunder.
Military
Mounted bands; about 5,000 horsemen with families when they first came to Kerman (CHI after Muhammad b. Ibrahim).
Threats
- The Khwarazmian garrison
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- About 1200 to 600 AH (1203-04)The Ghuzz recover Bardasir after the Khwarazmian withdrawal, drive out the Shabankara, and then surrender Bardasir to Sa'd's army.Depends on: Tekish's death Stopped by: A Khwarazmian army
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Their whereabouts in 1199-1200 are not known.
On the map: Not drawn: no ground can be pinned to them that winter.
Primary sources for Turkmen
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The History of the World Conqueror, Ata-Malik Juvayni (1252 to 1260). Written for the Mongols but with a long retrospective on the powers they destroyed. Read online
- The Life of Sultan Jalal al-Din Mankubirti, Shihab al-Din Muhammad al-Nasawi (about 1241, at Aleppo). A Khwarazmian secretary's life of the last Khwarazmshah. Read online
Sources and studies
- C. E. Bosworth, 'The Political and Dynastic History of the Iranian World (A.D. 1000-1217)', Cambridge History of Iran 5 (1968), pp. 167-175, 184-185
- C. E. Bosworth, 'Dinar, Malek', Encyclopaedia Iranica (after Afzal al-Din Kirmani, 'Iqd al-ula, and Muhammad b. Ibrahim, Tarikh-i Saljuqiyan-i Kirman)
- E. Mercil, 'Salgurlular', TDV Islam Ansiklopedisi (after Muhammad b. Ibrahim, Wassaf, Zarkub and Mercil, Fars Atabegleri Salgurlular, 1975)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.