Military organization of the Ghaznavid State

The Ghaznavid State is a Turkish-Islamic dynasty that ruled in Khorasan, Afghanistan and Northern India between 963-1186. From the moment its foundations were laid, the Ghaznavid state began to take part in the struggle between the states in its geography. The Ghaznavid State successfully emerged from the struggle in this geography and made Khorasan, Afghanistan and Northern India a homeland of Islam. They spread Islam in these regions and laid the groundwork for the states to be established after them. The Ghaznavids succeeded in conquering most of the Indian lands in a short time. In particular, Sultan Mahmud conquered many castles and cities during his campaigns to India. From the moment they were established in Central Asia, they struggled not only against the pagan Hindus, but also against the esoteric ideas that emerged within Islam. The biggest share in the establishment of the dominance of the Ghaznavid State in these geographies is that it has a strong army in terms of political, social and economic aspects. The army organization was formed as a result of the combination of some practices of the steppe Turkish States established in Central Asia and the Samanid, Abbasid and Sassanid states. The Ghaznavid State had the strongest and largest army in terms of military, political, economic and social aspects of its era. The military organization had a well-functioning hierarchical structure and order within itself. The army consisted of various nationalities such as Turkish, Indian, Arab, Deylemli, Gurlu, Afghan, Tajik. In addition, subject states, volunteer veterans, city and regional forces joined the army during the campaign. He had a flawless military organization that worked flawlessly in commanding and administering such a large army.This study deals with the military organization and functioning of the state from Alp Tegin, who laid the foundations of the Ghaznavid State, to the end of the reign of Hüsrevmelik, the last ruler of the dynasty. In this study, the Gulam system, the command and administration of the army, the civilian and military officers and the equipment used in the military organization were tried to be revealed within the framework of the sources of the period. Even a small record that we think took place in the military organization between the lines was taken into consideration and evaluated. The military organization of the Ghaznavid state set an example for the following Turkish-Islamic states.