Between the Samanids and the Ghaznavids: the Coinage of the Emirs of Bust (10th century)

Abstract This article investigates the coinage of the so-called Emirs of Bust, a sequence of local rulers who held power in the strategic city of Bust (southwestern Afghanistan) during the 10th century, between the Samanid and Ghaznavid powers. The study presents and analyses the bronze coins minted by the five emirs, Ḫutegin, Muḥammad b. Ḫutegin, Bakjūr, Bāytūz, and Takāntāš, using a threefold framework of dynastic, stylistic, and political continuity. Attention is given to the religious legends and invocations featured on the coins, which could reflect strategies of self-legitimation and shifting of political allegiances. Comparative material, including contemporary coinages and, to a lesser extent, epigraphic sources, is also used. Through detailed typological and textual analysis, the article seeks to demonstrate how numismatic evidence can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of authority and identity in a region where written sources could be scarce and fragmented. This study contributes to broader discussions on autonomy, legitimation, and local rulership in the eastern Iranian world during the medieval Islamic period.