马哈茂德將帝國留給了他的兒子穆罕默德(英语:Muhammad of Ghazni),這個兒子溫馴,親切,而且柔和。他的孿生兄弟马苏德(英语:Mas'ud I of Ghazni)要求分給他自己用武力贏得的三個省份,但他的兄弟不同意。 马苏德只好訴諸武力,成為國王,弄瞎穆罕默德的眼睛并将其囚禁以示懲罰。 但是马苏德無法保住帝國,在公元1040年的丹丹納干戰役戰役中慘敗,他在伊朗和中亞的所有領土都被塞爾柱人奪走,讓他的國土陷入了“麻煩時期”。[25][26] 他的最後一舉是從城堡中收集所有財寶,期望組建一支軍隊,並在印度統治,但是他自己的軍隊掠奪了這些財寶,再次擁護他瞎了的兄弟為國王。兩兄弟的地位互換:穆罕默德由獄中回復為王,而马苏德在統治10年後被打入地牢,他在公元1040年被暗殺。马苏德的兒子馬杜德(Madood)是巴爾赫的總督,公元1040年,得知父親去世後,他來到加茲尼,要求登上王位。他與盲眼的穆罕默德的兒子們爭戰,最後取得勝利。但是,帝國很快崩解,大多數國王都沒有屈從於馬杜德。在後來的9年的時間裡,又有四位國王奪取加茲尼的王位。
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