Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur Khan

Khan of Khiva and the historian who wrote the "Genealogy of the Turks" in the Chagatai language.

Life

Exiled prince

Abu al-Ghazi was the son of Arab Muhammad, Khan of Khiva. Defeated in a succession struggle among his brothers, he went into exile first in Bukhara and then in Persia, and was placed under house arrest in Isfahan for about ten years, during which he devoted himself to the study of history.

Khan of Khiva

In 1644 he returned to Khiva and took the throne as khan; he defeated the neighboring Turkmen tribes and Bukhara, consolidating the Khanate of Khiva.

Historian

In his later years he wrote the "Genealogy of the Turks" in Chagatai Turkic, recounting the history of the Turkic and Mongol tribes from legendary times to the Shaybanid dynasty, and also wrote the "Genealogy of the Turkmens." He died in 1663, and the "Genealogy of the Turks" was completed by his son.

Legacy

The Genealogy of the Turks is an important source for the history of the Turkic and Mongol tribes of Central Asia and was translated into European languages as early as the 18th century.

Major works & achievements

• Genealogy of the Turks
• Genealogy of the Turkmens

Did you know? A French translation of the Genealogy of the Turks was published in Leiden as early as 1726, making it one of the earliest sources through which Europeans learned about the history of the Turks and Mongols of Central Asia.

Key dates

• 1626In exile in Bukhara (approx.)
• 1630Held under house arrest in Isfahan (approx.)
• 1644Became Khan of Khiva
• 1660Wrote the Genealogy of the Turks (approx.)
• 1663Died