Mas'ūd III of Ghazna (b. 1061 – d. 1115), was a

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

of the

Ghaznavid Empire The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, ...

and son of

Ibrahim of Ghazna Ibrahim of Ghazna (b. 1033 – d. 1099) was sultan of the Ghaznavid empire from April 1059 until his death in 1099. Having been imprisoned at the fortress of Barghund, he was one of the Ghaznavid princes that escaped the usurper Toghrul's massacre ...

Life

Mas'ūd was born in 1061 in

Ghazni Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...

Reign

Mas'ud was sultan for 16 years. In 1112, Mas'ūd III built the

Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III The Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III is a Ghaznavid palace in Ghazni, Afghanistan. The palace was built in 1112 by Sultan Mas'ūd III (1099-1114/5), son of Ibrahim of Ghazna. Description There is a dado with a poem in Persian and Kufic script and o ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. Mas'ūd also built one of the Minarets of Ghazni. Signs of weakness in the state became apparent when he died in 1115, with internal strife between his sons ending with the ascension of Sultan

Bahram Shah Al-Malik al-Amjad Bahramshah was the List of Ayyubid rulers#Emirs of Baalbek, Ayyubid emir of Baalbek between 1182–1230 (578–627 AH). Reign Bahramshah succeeded his father Farrukh Shah, Farrukhshah as ruler of the minor emirate of Baalbek and ...

as a Seljuk vassal. Bahram Shah defeated his brother

Arslan Arslan is a Turkic masculine given name and surname, used mainly in the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, Mongolia, and Western China. It is translated as "lion". The names , Arsalan, Aslan are other variants of the name. People Given ...

for the throne at the

Battle of Ghazni The Battle of Ghazni (or Ghuznee) took place in the city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 23, 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Prelude In the 1830s, the British were firmly entrenched in India but by 1837, feared a Rus ...

in 1117. After the battle, he had his brother Arslan imprisoned in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

Architecture

Minaret of Mas'ud III in Ghazni

File:Mas'ud III b. Ibrahim minaret, Ghazni, built between 1099 and 1115 CE.jpg, Mas'ud III b. Ibrahim

Ghazni minaret Ghazni Minarets are two elaborately decorated minaret towers located in Ghazni city, central Afghanistan. They were built in middle of the twelfth century and are the only surviving elements of the mosque of Bahram Shah.C.E. Bosworth, ''The Late ...

, Ghazni, built between 1099 and 1115 CE File:Detail of the Intricate Brickwork on the Mas'ud III Tower.jpg, Detail of the intricate brickwork on the Mas'ud III Tower

Palace of Mas'ud III in Ghazni

File:Palace_of_Sultan_Mas'ud_III_(northeast_of_Ghazni).jpg, Remains of the palace, to the east of Ghazni. File:Architectural panel Afghanistan Ghaznavid dynasty reign of Mas ud III 1100-1150 CE Marble (2414429094).jpg, Ghaznavid panel from the reign of Mas ud III 1100-1150 CE MNAO-GhazniPalMasudIII-Lastra1.jpg, Carved relief from the

References