Mas'ud's Accession

Timeline

1. 1030Ghazni · GhazniThough Mahmud intended to name his younger son heir on his deathbed, the governor of Khurasan and army commanders acclaimed the eldest son Mas'ud, who had long handled state affairs. Mas'ud received oaths of allegiance at Ghazni, formally succeeded as sultan, and posthumously honored his father as founder of the empire.
2. 1030–1031Ghurjan · GhurjanThe younger brother Muhammad, dissatisfied with the succession arrangement, gathered supporters at Ghurjan and declared himself sultan, launching a civil war. Both sides contested the loyalty of the Khurasan and Indian frontier armies; Ghaznavid central authority was badly split and the frontier defense system nearly paralyzed.
3. 1031Khurasan · KhurasanMas'ud ultimately defeated Muhammad and imprisoned him, formally reunifying the empire. However, the civil war exhausted elite troops and the treasury; Mas'ud had to loosen control over the eastern steppes, and the Seljuks seized the opportunity to advance westward in force, irreparably weakening Ghaznavid eastern defenses.