kingdom · Central Asia and the Steppe
Afrighid Khwarazm
Origins
According to the Khwarazmian scholar al-Biruni, the Afrighid dynasty was founded by Afrig in 305 CE, succeeding the older royal house of the Kingdom of Khwarazm. Afrig built a fortress at Kath on the Amu Darya, which became the capital.
Rule and society
The shahs ruled an irrigated land of canals, towns and fortified manors that traded north with the steppe and the Volga. Zoroastrianism and the Khwarazmian language and calendar persisted. After the Arab general Qutayba ibn Muslim conquered Khwarazm in 712, the shahs remained as vassals, converted to Islam and ruled under Caliphal and later Samanid authority, while a rival centre grew at Gurganj.
Decline and legacy
In 995 the emir of Gurganj, Ma'mun ibn Muhammad, overthrew and killed the last Afrighid shah, Abu Abdallah Muhammad, and founded Ma'munid Khwarazm. Al-Biruni, born near Kath, preserved much of what is known of the dynasty.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Afrighid Khwarazm paid tribute to Umayyad Caliphate712 CE – 750 CE
- Afrighid Khwarazm was a vassal of Samanid Empire900 CE – 995 CE
- Afrighid Khwarazm was conquered by Ma'munid Khwarazm995 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Afrighid Khwarazm. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/afrighid-khwarazm
- MLA
- “Afrighid Khwarazm.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/afrighid-khwarazm. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Afrighid Khwarazm.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/afrighid-khwarazm.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Afrighid Khwarazm’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/afrighid-khwarazm (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻