102 E. E. Oliver —Beeline of the Samcinis and the Bise of the [E’o. 2, 
brotherhood of faith, and the desirability of an alliance against the feeble 
Amir, who squandered his substance and neglected the canse of Islam. 
In reply Sabnktigin declared his loyalty and attachment to the Samani 
house, and his intention to fight all who rebelled against it. An answer, 
that, plainly translated, might be read as a determination to establish 
his own dynasty rather than assist Ilak or any one else to establish his. 
Both sides therefore prepared for war, Niih, true to his weak and vacil¬ 
lating character, was helpless in the hands of any adventurer near him, 
and Sabuktigin’s advice to stand firm and show himself a king, was 
thrown away. He was ready to send troops, or to give fresh titles of hon¬ 
our, but not to do anything more ; a plan that in no way commended itself 
to the stout old warrior of Gliaznin, who forthwith took matters into his 
own hands, and sent his sou Mahmud with 20,000 cavalry to Bukhara ; thus 
virtually deposing Hiih and insuring the reversion of the kingdom. Ilak 
who, though master of a large army, was either not sufficiently prepared 
to fight, or thought more was to be gained by diplomacy, now made over¬ 
tures of peace, and Sabuktigin, disgusted with the inertness of Huh, 
accepted them, the Boundary Commission of the time fixing Kutiim as 
the actual frontier, Fayik as usual receiving a solatium as governor of 
Samarkand, and Mahmud returning as governor to Hishapiir. Sabuktigin 
returned to Balkh and Hiih enjoyed a brief respite in Bukhara, where he 
“ went to the neighbourhood of mercy ” on Friday, I3th Rajab, 387 H. in 
which year also died Sabuktigin.* 
Mansue II 387—389 H. 
The history of the last two Samanis who occupied for some two 
years the nominal throne of Bukhara, is merely a chronicle of the strug¬ 
gles for the fragments of the Empire. Amir Abu-l-Hirs-i-Mansiir, who 
has been nominated by his father Nuh as his successor, ascended the 
throne a raw and inexperienced youth, and among other of the mistakes of 
his brief reign of 20 months, he committed the great one of quarrelling 
with Mahmiid. To the ruler of GFaznin and the conqueror of India 
his unfriendliness was a matter of small consequence ; he was pleased 
to ignore it, simply keeping aloof, attending to the consolidation of his 
power in Gfiaznin, and the deposition of his brother Isma’il, who had 
in the first instance succeeded his father there. Fayik was again en¬ 
trusted with the command of the forces and again almost immediately 
commenced negotiations with Ilak, by whom he was summoned to Samar- 
* The only mints of Null are Bukhara, Shask, and for the early part of his reign, 
Nishapur. 
