Principality of Khuttal

The Principality of Khuttal, (also spelled Khatlan and Khotlan), was a local Iranian dynasty, which ruled the Khuttal region from the early 7th century to 750. The rulers of the region were known by their titles of “Khuttalan Shah” (king of Khuttal), “Khuttalan Khudah” (lord of Khuttal), and “Shir-i Khutallan” (lion of Khuttal). The capital and residence of the rulers was in Hulbuk, close to the city of Kulob.

History

Khuttal, along with other regions, was originally under Hephthalite rule, but as the Hephthalite kingdom began to weaken, local dynasties in Khuttal, Chaghaniyan, and other regions, began to assert their rule over them. In ca. 676, Sa'id ibn 'Uthman, the Umayyad Arab governor of Khurasan, managed to make the principality of Khuttal acknowledge Muslim authority. However, this did not effect actual Arab rule over Khuttal and the principality remained independent. In ca. 699, a Khuttalan pretender who was the paternal cousin of the Khuttalan king, known in Arabic sources as al-Sabal, fled to the Arab general al-Muhallab ibn Abi Suffrah, and urged him to invade the principality. The latter agreed, provided the pretender with an army to invade the region, and sent another army under his son Yazid ibn al-Muhallab. However, al-Sabal managed to make a surprise attack on the Khuttalan pretender, and had him executed at his fortress. Yazid shortly after besieged the fortress, but made peace with al-Sabal in return for a ransom of money. In 727, another Arab general, Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri, invaded Khuttal, but al-Sabal called upon the Turkic Turgesh for aid, who, under their khagan Suluk, won a decisive victory over Asad in the so-called "Day of Thirst".