The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ġaznaviyān) was a [[Persianate society|Persianate]] [[Muslim]] dynasty of Turkic [[mamluk]] origin, at their greatest extent ruling large parts of [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], much of [[Transoxiana]] and the northwest [[Indian subcontinent]] (part of Pakistan) from 977 to 1186. The dynasty was founded by [[Sabuktigin]] upon his succession to rule of the region of [[Ghazni Province|Ghazna]] after the death of his father-in-law, [[Alp Tigin]], who was a breakaway ex-general of the [[Samanid Empire]] from [[Balkh]], north of the [[Hindu Kush]] in [[Greater Khorasan]].