Shibanid Empire

Abstract

The Shibanids, more accurately, the Abu'l‐Khayrid‐Shibanids, were a Turco‐Mongol Muslim dynasty of Chinggisid origin, who ruled the settled regions of southern Central Asia from 1500 until 1598. Replacing the non‐Chingissid Timurid rulers in these regions, they were direct descendants of Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) (d.1227), tracing their lineage through Shiban, a son of Juchi, Chinggis Khan's eldest son, whose descendants formed the ruling family of the “Golden Horde.” The establishment of the Shibanid Empire in former Timurid territories signified the “restoration” of Chinggisid sovereignty and the formation of a new political culture which emphasized shared sovereignty and power distribution. While the dynasty itself was short lived, its underlying political framework and principles proved dynamic and durable, lasting into the early 19th century.