Karakhanid
/ˌkærəˈkɑːnɪd/noun
Relating to the Karakhanid dynasty, a Turkic Muslim ruling house that governed parts of Central Asia from the 10th to 13th centuries.
Did you know?The dynasty’s name is a modern scholarly label based on the title Qarākhān, commonly interpreted as “Black Khan,” although the exact political symbolism of kara remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*qara
“Black or dark; in some contexts, a term associated with greatness, direction, or political rank”
Old Turkic
Old Turkic
qaγan
“Supreme ruler or emperor; the source of the title later rendered khan”
10th Century
Arabic/Persian
Qarākhān
“A title associated with the rulers of the Karakhanid state, commonly understood as “Black Khan””
10th–12th Centuries
Middle Turkic
Qarākhānī
“Pertaining to the Qarākhān rulers or their dynasty”
19th Century
European scholarship
Karakhanid
“The English scholarly form used for the dynasty and its cultural period”
Modern English
English
Karakhanid
“Relating to the Karakhanid dynasty, its rulers, language, art, or territory”