The death of Mas'ud III in 1115 had begun a heated contest for the Ghaznavid throne.

In 1116, Arslan ibn Mas'ud had overthrown his older brother Shahrzad bin Mas'ud, taken the throne, and blinded or imprisoned his remaining brothers, except Bahram who was in Zamin-Dawar.

After being initially defeated by Arslan at Tiginabad, Bahram flees to the Seljuq court in Khorasan.

he appeals to Sultan Ahmad Sanjar, whose sister, 'Iraq Jauhar Khatun, is greatly offended at the conduct of her eldest son, Arslan, towards his brothers.

Incited by her and perhaps by his own ambitious views, Sanjar calls on Arslan to release his brothers and on his refusal marches against him with an army of thirty thousand cavalry and fifty thousand infantry.

Arslan is defeated in a skirmish and flees to Ghazna.

Here, on the plain of Shahrabad outside Ghanza, Arslan is decisively defeated and flees to Bamian.

Ghazna is now subjected to forty days of pillage, which culminates in Bahram's installment as ruler and vassal of Sanjar.

However, as soon as Sanjar has withdrawn his army, Arslan returns, chases out Bahram ibn Mas'ud, who has been left in possession of throne as a vassal.

This obliges Sanjar to take the field again in a struggle that will prove to be Arslan’s last.

Arslan, constrained to seek refuge among the Afghans, is overtaken by the commander of Sanjar's army and is strangled on Bahram's orders, leaving Bahram ibn Mas'ud in undisturbed possession of the throne which Arslan ibn Mas'ud himself had occupied for only two years.

Bahram's court is accompanied by a Seljuq amil or tax collector and requires the dispatch of his eldest son, Daulat Shah, to the Seljuq court at Merv as a hostage.

It is believed that Bahram raided India once, attacking Sapadalaksha or eastern Rajputana.

Bahram, faced with a rebellious faction led by Muhammad ibn 'Ali, marches an army to Multan in 1119.

He asks for Muhammad's obedience but is refused.

The ensuing battle in western Punjab results in Muhammad's death and the deaths of most of his sons.

Bahram appoints Salar Husain ibn Ibrahim 'Alawi as his governor in India.

Sayf al-Din Suri, on ascending the Ghurid throne in 1146, had divided the Ghurid kingdom among his brothers; Fakhr al-Din Masud received land near the Hari River; Baha al-Din Sam I received Ghur; Shihab al-Din Muhammad Kharnak received Madin; Shuja al-Din Ali received Jarmas; Ala al-Din Husayn received Wajiristan; and Qutb al-Din Muhammad received Warshad Warsh, where he builds the famous city of Firuzkuh.

However, Sayf later quarrels with his brother Qutb, who takes refuge in Ghazna, and is poisoned by the Ghaznavid sultan Bahram-Shah.

In order to avenge his brother, Sayf marches towards Ghazna in 1148, and scores a victory at the Battle of Ghazni while Bahram flees to Kurram.

Bahram, building an army, marches back to Ghazni.

Sayf flees, but the Ghaznavid army catches up with him and a battle ensues at Sang-i Surakh.

Sayf and Majd ad-Din Musawi are captured and later crucified at Pul-i Yak Taq.

After his death, he is succeeded by his brother Baha al-Din Sam I, who continues building Firuzkuh, and prepares an army to march towards Ghazna to avenge the death of his two brothers, but dies shortly of natural causes before he reaches the city.

Ala al-Din Husayn, the younger brother of Sayf and Baha al-Din, then ascends the Ghurid throne.