On the problem of Sāmānid origins

ABSTRACT The Sāmānid dynasty of Transoxiana is perhaps best known today for its foundational contributions to the formation of Persianate culture in the ninth and tenth centuries. The problems of the origins of the dynasty has received scholarly attention for many years. However, the field is in some ways still very much dependent upon nineteenth-century ethno-racial categories. This paper critically traces the history of the question, ending with some alternative approaches based on the shifting of economic power in Transoxania from merchants to the agrarian magnates.