city state · Central Asia and the Steppe
Principality of Bukhara
Origins
Bukhara, in the Zarafshan delta west of Samarkand, was ruled from the 6th or 7th century by a dynasty bearing the title Bukhar Khudah, lord of Bukhara. Tradition, recorded by Narshakhi, links its foundation to settlers and princes from the Hephthalite and Turkic period.
Rule and society
The Bukhar Khudahs ruled from the citadel of Bukhara over an oasis of farms and walled estates. Their silver coins, imitating the Sasanian king Bahram V, circulated widely as 'Bukhar Khudah drachms' for centuries. The regent known as Khatun ruled in the late 7th century during the Arab raids, alternately paying tribute and fighting.
Decline and legacy
Qutayba ibn Muslim captured Bukhara in 709 and installed the young Tughshada as a vassal Bukhar Khudah, building the first mosque. The dynasty kept a ceremonial role until its last members were killed around 782, and Bukhara later became the capital of the Samanid Empire.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Principality of Bukhara was a vassal of Western Turkic Khaganate603 CE – 658 CE
- Principality of Bukhara was conquered by Umayyad Caliphate709 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Bukhara. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-bukhara
- MLA
- “Principality of Bukhara.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-bukhara. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Bukhara.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-bukhara.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Bukhara’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-bukhara (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻