Some Rare Early Qarākhānid Coins and Rarly Qarākhānid Appanage Rulers / Michael N. Fedorov, Ralph A. Cannito and Andrew V. Kuznetsov

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 Vlcu 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 date de Sidon:
Opportunisme civique et pragmastisme royal (169/8-111/0 av. J.-C.) 91
Khaled Kiwan. Cinq trsors 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 Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid 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 lepoque
classique. Andrew Meadows 187
AJN Second Series 24 (2012) pp. 163-174

2012 The American Numismatic Society
Some Rare Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early

Qarkhnid Appanage Rulers
Plates 35-36
Michael N. Fedorov,* Ralph A. Cannito,**

and Andrew V. Kuznetsov***
Early Qarkhnid coins bring to light three Qarkhnid appanage rulers not
mentioned in the written sources ('Abd al-Rahman b. Mansr, Ahmad b.
Nasr, and Irtsh) 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 Ispjb,
Haftdeh, Khojende, Samarqand, Ilq, and Kharachket.
The chronicles of the Qarkhnid khaqanate do not survive. Likewise, information
on the Qarkhnids in the contemporary chronicles of the Gaznavids, Saljqids,

and Khwrizmshhs, or in those written after the Qarkhnids 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 Qarkhnids.
They provide information on the chronology and genealogy of the Qarkhnid

rulers, the composition of their appanage domains, and changes to the eastern and
the western borders of the Qarkhnid khaqanate as a whole through internecine
conflict. Especially informative are the early Qarkhnid copper coins minted by
appanage rulers (junior members of the Qarkhnid dynasty) not mentioned in
the chronicles. This article is based on rare early Qarkhnid fuls from the collections of R. Cannito and A. Kuznetsov that name three rulers not mentioned in
the chronicles (Ahmad b. Nasr, Irtsh, and Abd al-Rahman b. Mansr). 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 Qarkhnids 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 M
Inner circular legend: (sic) -U1J4. "i m t jj ILo. h (sic) li.

Outer circular legend: o 41..-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 41 between two

letters JJ is the Turkic name (Irtsh) 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 -oôj 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. 4Al) is named as suzerain, with his vassal and brother Muhammad
(b). Ali, and his subvassal Irtsh (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 J4/4} o tf 41 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 Arsln Khn Mansr b. All),
is named with his vassal, Nizm al-Daula Muhammad (b. Hasan), and his subvas-
sal, Abd al-Rahman (b. Mansr). The supreme suzerain, Khn Ahmad b. Ali, is
not mentioned.
1 In his "Corpus of inscriptions on the Qarkhanid 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 Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid Appanage Rulers 165

3. Ilq, 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 loz-
enge is inscribed within a small circle. Within the lozenge: I^lL^. On its
sides: IJj^/J/jjjL. All within large circle.
Circular legend: (sic) lliJ^ I 41 -*^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. ôL

4. Ilq, 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) lJ^ ^3. ^. 1^5. 9. i >| 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. Ilq, 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 J4/4] pjo V J I.
Outer circular legend within beaded circle: (?) lJ^ u

Reverse: Within interlaced linear circle: J/) . The letters ^ are placed
within a crescent.
Circular legend: I A1 J um .cJ^. îL -UU -o-oL u,

The circular legends are embellished with decorations in the form of a ligatured
lm-alif. This ornament is placed in a bewildering number of inappropriate places,
which considerably complicates the reading of the legends.
6. Ilq, 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: Wai tf J I*.

Outer circular legend within beaded circle: lii)^ JU4 . m
; itift 4 bjji^jl.
Reverse : Within interlaced linear circle: JWu^j/jo^j/ai. 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
lm-alif. This ornament is placed in a bewildering number of inappropriate places,
which considerably complicates the reading of the legends.
7. Ilq, 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 i
*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):
LL.
Circular legend: (sic) -*>*.> Ijû 414^ $. Quran IX, 33.

8. Ilq, 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) * 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. Ilq, 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: fJû jujl 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 Wai *>oo <Jj I*.
Circular legend: (sic) liiJ^ ^4. 9. al)
Reverse : Within linear circle: Jj.
Circular legend: ISUj, (U-gJj.?) ifc'iVi o i -o-oL l-Oj +4One may suppose that the word L^lai in the obverse central legend is an erroneous
rendering of the name Irtsh. 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 Inl was written variously with a long
or short initial vowel: Lilj. (nl) or LJ. (Inl). In the same way, Irtsh might be
written with long or short initial vowel: (rtsh) or i (Irtsh).

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 Farghna coins of ah 385, the title appears as Tongh (U;') or
Togh (JjlL) Tegin; in ah 387, it is Tongh (laJLii) or Tonghn (laJLilo-) Tegn. On
Farghna coins of ah 384-385 the title is written as Tonga Tegin in Uigur. In AH

403 Shsh it is Tong (SajSi). Clearly the written form of this title varied by indi-
vidual engraver (Fedorov 2001: 38). Just as Tonga could be written Tongh (laJLil
with the letter ) or Tong (Ixlsll with the letter i), so could rtsh be written rtsh
(Ly-L.ljjuL with the letter !*) or rtsh (îJul with the letter 2).
Having engraved the name rtsh with the long initial vowel L () 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 Ab
Muhammad (the kunya, "Father of Muhammad") Abd al-Rahman ibn Mansr.
So this Qarkhnid was a son of the supreme ruler of the Western Qarkhnids,
Arsln Khn (Khqn, Qarkhn, Qarkhqn) Mansr b. Al, who appears on

coins as Arsln Khn 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 Qarkhnid who gave him this appanage.
As for rtsh (Lîai), 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. Al captured Bukhr and put an end to the Smnid
state (Baihaki 1962: 566). The greater part of the conquered Smnid 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 Ferghna, Khojende, Usrshana, and Soghd, was divided
among the other Qarkhnids. Ferghna was included in the domain of Ahmad,
which had previously included the Chu Valley with its capital, Balsghn (Quz
Ord). In the towns of Ferghna (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). Shsh was left to Ysuf b. Abd Allh, an
old vassal of Ahmad. Ispljb was left to another former vassal of Ahmad, Muizz
ad-Daula Mut, from the local Mutid dynasty. In Chaghniyn, a ruler from the
local Muhtadjid dynasty also recognized Ahmad as suzerain. Ahmads younger
brother, Muhammad b. All, had possessed Tarz as vassal of his elder sibling since
ah 393/AD 1002-1003. Muhammad also controlled lq, 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 Usrshana, Zmin, 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 Tongh Tegn Muhammad b. Hasan, now vassal of Ahmad. Bukhr and Kesh
minted coins in the name of Mansr 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 Mansr
and took Bukhr and Kesh from him. However, in the following year, a horde of
infidel nomads appeared, devastating and pillaging the eastern frontiers of Ahmas
domain. In order to protect his territories, Ahmad marched against the nomads,
thereby giving Mansr some respite. The nomads from the borders of China were
within eight days journey from Balsghn, 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), Mansr captured many towns of
Ahmad and won allies, including the fourth of the brothers, Muhammad b. All. In
ah 407/AD 1016-1017, Mansr campaigned near Uzgend, the last stronghold of

Ahmad. Only the interference of Khwrizmshh Mmn who offered his mediation and reconciled the warring factions saved Ahmad from defeat. Tongh Khn
I Ahmad b. All died at the beginning of ah 408/AD 1017-1018 (Fedorov 2007: 1,
19). Mansr b. All, who had claimed the title Arsln Khn already in ah 405/AD
1014-1015, became the supreme ruler of the Western Qarkhnid 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 Qarkhnids, Ahmad b. Ali, Nasr b. Ali and

Muhammad b. Ali, early Qarkhnid coins also name Ahmad b. Nasr and Irtsh.
To whom belongs the Turkic name Irtsh? Ahmad b. Ali possessed 21 towns, but
he is cited with Irtsh only once, on coins of Ilq, in ah 404-405. Nasr b. Ali

controlled 19 towns (Fedorov 1990: 7), but he is named with Irtsh only on coins
of Haftdeh, in ah 390. Muhammad b. All held 18 towns (Fedorov 2001a: 22), but
he is cited with Irtsh only on coins of Haftdeh, in ah 390, and Ilq, in ah 404406. Clearly the Turkic name Irtsh cannot have belonged to any of these rulers.
Therefore Irtsh must have been a Qarkhnid vassal or subvassal.
Ahmad b. Nasr is named, in ah 389/AD 998-999, on a coin of Ispjb (Kochnev
1995: 208, no. 75). On its obverse, above and below the kalima , are cited Mut (the
hereditary ruler of Ispjb, a vassal of Qarkhnids) and Ahmad b. Nasr. On its

reverse, the last Samanid amir, Abd al-Malik b. Nh, is named. This coin is a mule
minted by dies from different series. Abd al-Malik was enthroned by conspiring
Smnid generals in Safar ah 389/February ad 999 and dethroned, on 14 Dhu-1Qada ah 389/23 October ad 999, by Ilek Nasr, the conqueror of Bukhr (Bartold
1963: 327, 329). For nine months in ad 999, Mut was a vassal of the Smnids.
For the last two months of ad 999, he was a vassal of Qarkhnids: first of Ahmad
b. Nasr, then of Ahmad b. All, to whom Nasr ceded Ispjb (Fedorov 2000: 13). It
has been argued that Ahmad b. Nasr was a son of Ilek Nasr (Fedorov 1972: 142;
Kochnev 1987: 158).
Irtsh 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 Irtsh. 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, fuls 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,
Nsir al-Haqq Khn Ab 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 published 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 Tarz.
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 tribesmen policed and defended the town.
In ah 392/AD 1001-1002, Ahmad b. Nasr is again cited on coins of Ispjb

(Kochnev 1995: 211, no. 114). This time he appears as suzerain, with Mut as his
vassal, and Thir Rz as his subvassal. After this, Ahmad b. Nasr disappears from
the coins for a long period.
Irtsh resurfaces again, in ah 404-406, at Ilq (cat. nos. 3-8). On coin no. 3
(ah 404) Khqn 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).
Ahmas vassal San al-Daula Inl Tegn Muhammad b. All and Irtsh are also
named. On this coin, Muhammad b. Ali bears the title Tegn, although later in
ah 404 he became Ilek, second only to the title of Khn (Fedorov 2001a: 22). As
Muhammad b. Ali possessed many other towns, the actual ruler of Ilq must have
been Irtsh, who held it as an appanage from Muhammad, citing on his coins his
suzerain (Muhammad b. All) and supreme suzerain Khqn (Ahmad b. All).
On coin no. 4 (Ilq, ah 404), the supreme suzerain Qutb al-Daula Khn
(Ahmad b. Ali), his vassal San al-Daula Inl Tegin (Muhammad b. Ali), and his
subvassal Sakh al-Daula are named.
On coin no. 5 (Ilq, ah 404), San al-Daula Ilek Muhammad b. Ali appears
as suzerain with his vassal, Irtsh. Muhammad b. Ali here bears the higher title of
Ilek and Irtsh seems to have risen from the status of subvassal to vassal. The coins
of Ilq show that the laqab Sakh al-Daula ("Generosity of the State") belonged to
Irtsh. On some of the coins of ah 404-406 Irtsh is named in the center of the
obverse, while on others of the same period Sakh al-Daula appears in the same
position. This very rare laqab , found only on coins of Ilq, disappears after ah
404-406.
Coin no. 6 (Ilq, ah 405) shows that the political situation in Ilq, in ah 405,
was the same as it had been in ah 404/ ad 1013-1014.
On coin no. 7 (Ilq, ah 406), the Khn (suzerain) and the Ilek (vassal) are
cited, but Irtsh appears as a subvassal holding Ilq as an appanage from the Ilek
(Muhammad b. Ali). During the war of ah 405-407 in the Western Qarkhnid
khaqanate there were two khns: Tongh I Khn Ahmad b. Ali and Arsln Khn I
Mansr b. Ali. Most probably this coin refers to Arsln Khn I Mansr.
Coin no. 8 (Ilq, ah 406) reflects the same political situation as coin no. 7.
After this, Irtsh disappears from the coins.
No coins of Ilq 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 Ilq. It would seem that the death of Tongh Khn I
Ahmad b. Ali, at the beginning of ah 408, led to a reshuffling of appanages and
appanage rulers.
On coin no. 9 (Ilq, ah 408), suzerain Arsln Khn I Mansr b. Ali, vassal
Husain b. Shihb al-Daula, and subvassal Bri Tegin are named. Judging by the
fact that Husain is mentioned after the formula -0-0L U, ("from he who ordered"),
he possessed Ilq and the right to mint there. Husain was vassal holding Ilq as
an appanage given him by Arsln Khn. Subvassal Bri Tegin had the right to be
cited on coins of Ilq and to get part of taxes collected there. Bri Tegin was the
title of the Qarkhnid prince, Ibrahim b. Nasr, son of Ilek Nasr. In ah 432-460/

ad 1041-1068 he was the supreme ruler of the Western Qarkhnid khaqanate
with the title of Tafghch Khn (Fedorov 2001a: 23).
Ahmad b. Nasr reappears in ah 411/AD 1020-1021 in Bukhr. A Bukhr

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
Qarkhnid 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 Bukhr 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. Ab Muhmmad Abd al-Rahman, son of Arsln Khn Mansr b. All

The Qarkhnid Ab Muhammad Abd al-Rahman was a son of the supreme ruler
of the Western Qarkhnid khaqanate, Arsln Khn Mansr b. All, who appears
on coins as Arsln Khn 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 Qarkhnid 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,
Tongh Tegn Muhammad b. Hasan, the future Tongh Khn II of the Western
Qarkhnid 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. Mansr). The taxes collected in Samarqand were divided among Ilek Nasr, Tongh Tegln Muhammad,
and Abd al-Rahman. Tongh Khn I Ahmad b. All, the leader of the Western
Qarkhnids and brother of Nasr and Mansr is not mentioned on this Samarqand issue.
After this, Ab Muhmmad Abd al-Rahman disappears from the coins until ah
409/AD 1018-1019, when he is named as vassal of an unknown senior Qarkhnid
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
Chch realm, now Tashkentskaia oblas in Uzbekistan. Iu. Buriakov localized the
Yuni kingdom in Chch, 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 Chch 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 Kangui ruler" (Bichurin 1950: 313). Proceeding from the fact that the other towns
of Chch 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 Chch split into two provinces:
Shsh (Chirchik Valley), with its capital at Binket, and Ilq (Angren Valley), with
its capital at Tunket. It is not clear whether Yuni/Chjesi became known as Karachket 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 Shsh-Ilq (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, Ysuf) were known to Arsln Khn
I Mansr b. 'All, who appeared for the first time in Usrshana, in ah 400/ ad
1009-1010, as a vassal of Ilek Nasr (Fedorov 2001a: 23, table 3; Cannito and Fedorov 2008: 573). We can now add a fourth son of Mansr, Abd al-Rahman. to the
Qarkhnid genealogy.
The full stemma of the dynasty, as it is presently known, appears below:
Arsln Khn AlI, Ruler of Kashghr
(fell in war with infidel nomads in early ah 3 88/ ad 998)
Ahmad Nasr Muhammad Mansr
(AH 382-408/ (AH 383-403/ (AH 386-415/ (AH 400-415/

AD 992-1018) AD 993-1013) AD 996-1025) AD IOO9-IO25)
III
Husain2 Ahmad3 Ysuf* Abd al-Rahman5
Muhammad6
One more representative of this family is known: Ab-1-Qasim Mahmd

Tafghch Khn, the supreme ruler of the Western Qarkhnid khaqanate. He
2 Named on coins of Bukhr, Tnket, Nauket, and Shsh, 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 Shelj, in ah 413-414/ad 1022-1024, and of Usrshana, in ah 4i3(or
423?).
5 Named on coins in 402-409/1011-1019 in Samarqand and Kharachket.
6 Judging by his kunya, Ab Muhammad Abd al-Rahman had a son, Muhammad.
Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid Appanage Rulers 1 73

minted coins in Samarqand and Bukhr, in ah 490/ ad 1096-1097. According to
0. Pritsak (1953: 49), Mahmd was a grandson of Arsln Khn Mansr b. 'All. The
name of his father is not known.
List of Illustrations
Plate 35. Qarkhnid fuls of ah 390-409.
1.Haftdeh, ah 390/ ad 999-1000. (A. Kuznetsov coll.).
2.11q, ah 404/ ad 1013-1014. (R. Cannito coll., IS-1631).
3.11q, ah 404/AD 1013-1014. (R. Cannito coll., IS-362).
5.11q, ah 405/AD 1014-1015. (R. Cannito coll, IS-391I5).
6.11q, 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, Ab-1-Fazl. 1962. Istoriia Masuda 1030-1041. A. K. Arendsa, trans. Tashkent: Izd-vo Akademi nauk Uzbeksko 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 Qarkhnid fuls.

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 Epigrafika 10: 131-154.
kontsa X-nachala XIII vv. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskanie uchenoi stepeni

doctora istoricheskikh nauk, Novosibirsk.
plement 165: 12-15.
38-44.
(Qarkhnid 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. London: British Museum.
Pritsak, 0. 1953. Die Karachaniden. Der Islam 31.1: 17-68.
Plate 35
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Some Rare Early Qarākhānid Coins and Rarly Qarākhānid Appanage Rulers / Michael N. Fedorov, Ralph A. Cannito and Andrew V. Kuznetsov

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AMERICAN JOURNAL

Second Series, continuing

THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

2012 The American Numismatic Society

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

(Fifth-Fourth Century bc) i

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

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

Alexander Type struck at Istros 53

Khaled Kiwan. Cinq trsors romains de Syrie 123

and U. Reinholz. Imitations of Roman Republican Denarii :

New Metallurgical Data 133

Some Rare Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid Appanage

A Modern Analysis and Die Classification. David Hendin 175

E. Markou, L'Or des Rois de Chypre. Numismatique et histoire lepoque

classique. Andrew Meadows 187

AJN Second Series 24 (2012) pp. 163-174

Some Rare Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early

Michael N. Fedorov,* Ralph A. Cannito,**

mentioned in the written sources ('Abd al-Rahman b. Mansr, Ahmad b.

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

on the Qarkhnids in the contemporary chronicles of the Gaznavids, Saljqids,

They provide information on the chronology and genealogy of the Qarkhnid

*Ida-Dehmehl-Ring 64, D-68309 Mannheim, Germany.

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

Obverse: In field: jhjjd Ja/Jj ^jo * Jj M

Inner circular legend: (sic) -U1J4. "i m t jj ILo. h (sic) li.

Reverse : Within beaded circle: . Above the word 41 between two

Circular legend: (sic) u, -a. The legend is half

roneously engraved as instead of -o^oj jj

Circular legend: Mint and date formula.

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

1 In his "Corpus of inscriptions on the Qarkhanid coins: Anthroponyms and titles,"

Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid Appanage Rulers 165

sides: IJj^/J/jjjL. All within large circle.

Circular legend: (sic) lliJ^ I 41 -*^1.

Reverse : Within a border of two circles (linear, beaded): . Above

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

Obverse : Within a circle: u Double-edged sword (spike to left, hilt to

Circular legend: (sic) lJ^ ^3. ^. 1^5. 9. i >| 4JJ il.

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

pl. 35.4)Obverse : Crescent with star between horns. Within crescent:

Outer circular legend within beaded circle: (?) lJ^ u

Circular legend: I A1 J um .cJ^. ^iL -UU -o-oL u,

Inner circular legend within beaded circle: Wai tf J I*.

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

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

Marginal legend forms a square: ^ lJ?t 0u i

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

Obverse : Central legend: Arabesque above.

Marginal legend forms a square: 9. lj;t qU Jj

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

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

used for the second strike.

Obverse : Within beaded circle: wJj ^oo *i) I*.

Circular legend: iUm.fr jj Jj -o-oL Uj ^4..

Circular legend: (sic) liiJ^ ^4. 9. al)

Early Qarkhnid Coins and Early Qarkhnid Appanage Rulers 167

Reverse : Within linear circle: Jj.

written with long or short initial vowel: (rtsh) or i (Irtsh).

Farghna coins of ah 384-385 the title is written as Tonga Tegin in Uigur. In AH

Arsln Khn (Khqn, Qarkhn, Qarkhqn) Mansr b. Al, who appears on

(Fedorov 2001a: 21-22).

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

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

Obverse : Within beaded circle: wJj ^oo i) I.