Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad

Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad (Persian: غیاث‌ الدین محمد بن سام), also known as Ghiyath al-Din Ghori or Ghiyassuddin Ghori (c. 1140 – 13 March 1203), was the Sultan of the Ghurid dynasty from 1163 until his death in 1203. During the diarchy of Ghiyath and his younger brother Muhammad of Ghor, who governed the eastern realm of the Ghurid Empire, the Ghurids emerged as one of the greatest powers of the eastern Islamic world.

During his early reign, he defeated the Ghurid claimants to the throne and fought with the Khwarazmian Empire over the lordship of Khorasan. He occupied Ghazna and Herat by 1175 and went on to establish control over most of what is now Afghanistan and the surrounding areas by 1200, and as far west as Bastam and Gurgan. His brother, Mu'izz al-Din, helped manage and expand the eastern part of the empire (as far as Bengal) and served Ghiyath with utmost loyalty and deference. Ghiyath died in 1203 and was succeeded by Mu'izz al-Din.