The Samanid dynasty; also known as the Samanid Empire; or simply Samanids (819-999); was a Sunni Persian Empire in Central Asia; named after its founder Saman Khuda; a landowner from Balkh; who converted to Islam despite being from Zoroastrian nobility.

It was a native Persian dynasty in Greater Iran and Central Asia after the collapse of the Sassanid Persian empire caused by the Arab conquest.

Isma'il Muntasir attempted to resurrect the Samanid state in Transoxiana and eastern Iran (1000-1005). He was the son of Nuh II. Pictures From History