Kara-Khanid

Kara-Khanid Khanate
840–1212
Kara Khanid Khanate, c. 1000.
Capital		Balasagun Kashgar Samarkand
Languages		Persian Turkic Arabic
Religion		Tengrism (840–934) Islam (934–1212)
Government		Monarchy
Khagan, Khan
•	840–893 (first)	Bilge Kul Qadir-Khan
•	1204–1212 (last)	Uthman Ulugh-Sultan
History
•	Established	840
•	Disestablished	1212
Area
•	1025 est.	3,000,000 km² (1,158,306 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Karluks Samanids Kingdom of Khotan Khwarazmian dynasty Qara Khitai
Today part of		Afghanistan  China  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Tajikistan  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan

in Anatolia
Artuqid dynasty
Saltuqid dynasty
in Azerbaijan
Ahmadili dynasty
Ildenizid dynasty
in Egypt
Tulunid dynasty
Ikhshidid dynasty
in Fars
Salghurid dynasty
in The Levant
Burid dynasty
Zengid dynasty
in Yemen
Rasulid dynasty

The Kara-Khanid Khanate (Persian: آل افراسیاب‎, translit. Āl-i Afrāsiyāb, lit. 'House of Afrisyab'‎) was a Turkic dynasty that ruled in Transoxania in Central Asia, ruled by a dynasty known in literature as the Karakhanids (also spelt Qarakhanids) or Ilek Khanids. Both the dynastic names of Karakhanids and Ilek Khanids refer to royal titles with Kara Kağan being the most important Turkish title up till the end of the dynasty.

The Khanate conquered Transoxania in Central Asia and ruled it between 999–1211. Their arrival in Transoxania signaled a definitive shift from Iranian to Turkic predominance in Central Asia, yet the Kara-khanids gradually assimilated the Perso-Arab Muslim culture, while retaining some of their native Turkish culture.

Their capitals included Kashgar, Balasagun, Uzgen and Samarkand. The Khanate eventually split into two – the Eastern and Western Khanates. They then came under the suzerainty of the Seljuks, followed by the Kara-Khitans, before the dynasty was extinguished by the Khwarezmians. Their history is reconstructed from fragmentary and often contradictory written sources, as well as studies on their coinage.