Home Region: Turkestan (Central and Northern Eurasia)

Samanid Empire

819 CE 999 CE

D G SC WF

EQ 2020 uz_samanid_emp / UzSamnd

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

750 CE 946 CE Abbasid Caliphate I (iq_abbasid_cal_1) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

950 CE 1212 CE Kara-Khanids (kg_kara_khanid_dyn) [elite replacement]

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General Description

The Samanids were a Persian-Sassanid family who had converted to Islam after the Umayyad conquests. During the caliphate of the Abbasid ruler al-Ma’mun (813-833 CE) they were perceived to be loyal enough to be named hereditary governors of Samarqand, Farghana, and Herat ^[1] where they were able to mint bronze coins in their own names, raise armies and campaign against neighbouring powers. ^[2]
The structure of the Samanid state "was in reality a conglomeration of great urban complexes, each with its own local dynasty, traditional elite, and economic and cultural particularities" ^[3] but this should not disguise the importance of the strong central government institutions which grew in step with the increasing urbanization of the region. ^[4] The Population of the largest cities, such as Nishapur, at this time may have exceeded 100,000 people.
The Samanid system of government was modelled on the caliph’s court in Baghdad with central and provincial divisions. ^[5] The head of state, Amir, was assisted by a vizier and many heads of departments who included a vazir (Prime Minister, not to be confused with the vizier), treasurer, chiefs of police and justice, postmaster, among others. ^[6] The "central bureaucracy was matched by a similar organization in the provincial capitals, but on a smaller scale" which reported to the central authorities. ^[6] The Samanid Amir appointed local governors or maintained relations with local hereditary rulers. ^[5]

[1]: (Lapidus 2012, 99) Lapidus, Ira M. 2012. Islamic Societies to the Nineteenth Century: A Global History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

[2]: (Negmatov 1997, 84) Negmatov, N N. in Asimov, M S and Bosworth, C E eds. 1997. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume IV. Part I. UNESCO.

[3]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.

[4]: (Frye 1975, 153) Frye, Richard Nelson. 1975. The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

[5]: (Frye 1975, 143) Frye, Richard Nelson. 1975. The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

[6]: (Frye 1975, 144) Frye, Richard Nelson. 1975. The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

2 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

2 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

2 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

1 Fastest Individual Communication

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

21 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp) was in:
(876 CE 990 CE)	Sogdiana

Home NGA: Sogdiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	42 T	819 CE 999 CE
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Original Name	Samanid Empire	819 CE 999 CE
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Capital	Bukhara	819 CE 999 CE
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Alternative Name	Saminid Dynasty	819 CE 999 CE
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Temporal Bounds Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	942 CE
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Duration	[819 CE ➜ 999 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	nominal allegiance to [---]	819 CE 999 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	uz_samanid_emp alliance with ye_ziyad_dyn	819 CE 999 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Perso-Islamic	819 CE 999 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Kara-Khanids	819 CE 999 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	2,750,000 km²	819 CE 999 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	819 CE 999 CE
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Succeeding Entity 950 CE 1212 CE	Kara-Khanids (kg_kara_khanid_dyn) [elite replacement]
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Preceding Entity 750 CE 946 CE	Abbasid Caliphate I (iq_abbasid_cal_1) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	819 CE 999 CE
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Language Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Afro-Asiatic	819 CE 999 CE
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Linguistic Family	Indo-European	819 CE 999 CE
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Language	Arabic	819 CE 999 CE
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Language	Persian	819 CE 999 CE
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Religion Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	130,000 people	900 CE
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Polity Territory	600,000 km²	900 CE
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Polity Territory	2,500,000 km²	930 CE
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Polity Population	6,000,000 people	900 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[4 to 5]	819 CE 999 CE
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Religious Level	3	819 CE 999 CE
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Military Level	6	819 CE 999 CE
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Administrative Level	[6 to 7]	819 CE 999 CE
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Professions Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Merit Promotion	Present	819 CE 942 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	943 CE 999 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Law Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Judge	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Court	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Port	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Canal	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Bridge	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Information / Writing System Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Script	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Philosophy	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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History	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Fiction	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Calendar	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Information / Money Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Precious Metal	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Article	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Information / Postal System Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Courier	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Fastest Individual Communication	- Undecided	819 CE 999 CE
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Information / Measurement System Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Moat	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Ditch	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Military use of Metals Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Iron	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Copper	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Bronze	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Projectiles Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Self Bow	Absent Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	819 CE 999 CE
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Handheld weapons Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Sword	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Spear	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Battle Axe	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Animals used in warfare Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Elephant	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Donkey	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Camel	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Armor Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Shield	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Laminar Armor	Present	819 CE 999 CE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Chainmail	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Naval technology Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	819 CE 999 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent Inferred	819 CE 999 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Samanid Empire (uz_samanid_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More