Overview
Uthman, son of Ibrahim, was the last Karakhanid khan of Samarkand. He tried to survive between the two powers of his day, the Kara Khitai and the Khwarazmshah Muhammad, and lost his throne and his life to the second.
Rise to Power
He succeeded his father around 1202–03; some lists give 1204. The writer Aufi, who knew him, described him as highly educated.
Rule and Achievements
- At first stayed loyal to the Kara Khitai, then went over to the Khwarazmshah; coins were struck in both their names in 1209–10
- Married a daughter of Muhammad and lived for a time in Khwarazm
- Returned to Samarkand with Khwarazmian troops, then backed the city's rising against them
Legacy
Muhammad retook Samarkand in 1212, massacred much of its population and had Uthman executed, ending the Western Khanate. Eight years later Samarkand fell to Genghis Khan.