Overview
Ahmad, son of Ali, succeeded his father as supreme khan in 998 and ruled from Balasagun. His coins call him Toghan Khan; some lists also give him the title Arslan Qara Khan. While his brother Nasr took the Samanid lands, Ahmad held the eastern steppe.
Rise to Power
He followed his father in 998. A year later his brother Nasr, the Ilig, took Bukhara and ended the Samanid state, and the Oxus became the frontier with Mahmud of Ghazni.
Rule and Achievements
- Kept friendly relations with Mahmud of Ghazni
- Faced a revolt by his brother Mansur, who claimed the senior title at Balasagun
- Around 1017–18, Muslim historians record, defeated a large invasion of pagan Turks from the east
Legacy
He died soon after that victory, around 1017–18, and his brother Mansur became supreme khan.