* Alp Tigin was the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty. He was a Turkish slave soldier who rose to prominence in the service of the Samanid Empire. He eventually became the governor of Khurasan and formed his own independent kingdom.
* Sabuktagin was Alp Tigin's slave and later, his adopted son. He served as Alp Tigin's general and played a key role in consolidating the Ghaznavid kingdom.
After Alp Tigin's death in 977, Sabuktagin succeeded him as the ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty. He continued to expand the empire and laid the foundation for the powerful empire his son, Mahmud of Ghazni, would later build.
Therefore, although not related by blood, Sabuktagin and Alp Tigin were connected through a master-slave and later a father-son relationship, which formed the basis of the Ghaznavid dynasty.