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55-973: Alp Arslan born Muhammad Alp Arslan bin Dawud Chaghri , was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk , the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to the south, east and northwest, and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert , in 1071, ushered in the Turkmen settlement of Anatolia . Historical sources differ about his actual birth date. His birth year, which some early sources of medieval period mentioned 1032 and 1033 in khorasan - iran 1 while later sources gave 1030. However,

110-512: A "greatformed one, elegant of stature. He had long, thin whiskers, which he used to knot up when shooting arrows. And they say his arrow never went astray.... From the top button of his hat to the end of his moustaches it was two yards" Muslim sources show Alp Arslan as fanatically pious but just. Alp Arslan was so dedicated to the Hanafi madhhab that he always kept a qadi by his side, including in battles. His vizier, Nizam al-Mulk , described

165-512: A banner above the disgraced emperor that read: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger". The reason Alp Arslan spared Romanos was likely to avoid a two-front war. The Fatimids were launching devastating raids on the Seljuk domains during this period, Arslan may have worried that executing the Roman emperor might escalate his conflict with the Byzantines. Romanos himself had told

220-631: A combination of the Arabic word malik (king) and the Persian word shah (which also means king). Malik-Shah was born on 16 August 1055 and spent his youth in Isfahan . According to the 12th-century Persian historian Muhammad bin Ali Rawandi , Malik-Shah had fair skin, was tall and somewhat bulky. In 1064, Malik-Shah, only 9 years old by then, along with Nizam al-Mulk , the Persian vizier of

275-545: A contingent of Cuman Turks as well as contingents of Franks and Normans , under Ursel de Baieul . Alp Arslan, who had moved his troops south to fight the Fatimids , quickly reversed to meet the Byzantines. Alp Arslan handed control of his army to his eunuch slave general, Taranges, and commanded him to "Win or be beheaded." Taranges prepared for the battle by setting traps and organizing ambushes. The Seljuk and Byzantine armies met on Friday, 26 August 1071 at Manzikert on

330-421: A dog for him. Next, wishing to test Romanos, Alp Arslan asked Romanos what he would do if their situation were reversed and Arslan was imprisoned by the Byzantines. Romanos bluntly answered "The worst!" His honesty impressed Arslan, who then decided to spare Romanos's life and instead ransom him back to his homeland. After agreeing on a ransom, Alp Arslan sent Romanos to Constantinople with a Turkish escort, carrying

385-658: A problem for the Seljuk Sultanate but also extend its territory further. Alp Arslan commanded the Turks as follows: Henceforth all of you be like lion cubs and eagle young, racing through the countryside day and night, slaying the Christians and not sparing any mercy on the Roman nation. Alp Arslan's victories changed the balance in western Asia completely in favor of the Seljuq Turks and Sunni Muslims. While

440-520: A sentiment more pure and magnanimous than is contained in the saying of the Turkish prince. On the eve of the battle, he performed his devotions at Thous, before the tomb of the Imam Riza. As the sultan rose from the ground, he asked his vizier Nizam, who had knelt beside him, what had been the object of his secret petition: "That your arms may be crowned with victory," was the prudent, and most probably

495-472: A short battle and obtained the submission of Bagrat IV ; however, the Georgians freed themselves from Seljuk rule around 1073–1074. In consolidating his empire and subduing contending factions, Arslan was ably assisted by Nizam al-Mulk, and the two are credited with helping to stabilize the empire after the death of Tughril. With peace and security established in his dominions, Arslan convoked an assembly of

550-613: Is named in his honor. List of sultans of the Seljuk Empire Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 212107541 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:46:44 GMT Malik Shah I During his youth, he spent his time participating in

605-567: Is unclear who the mother or mothers of his children were. He was known to have been married at least twice. His wives included the widow of his uncle Tughril, a Kara-Khanid princess known as Aka or Seferiye Khatun, and the daughter or niece of Bagrat IV of Georgia (who would later marry his vizier , Nizam al-Mulk ). One of Seljuk's other sons was the Turkic chieftain Arslan Isra'il , whose son, Kutalmish , contested his nephew's succession to

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660-634: The Byzantine emperor Romanos IV Diogenes at Manzikert . In 1072, Malik-Shah and Nizam al-Mulk accompanied Alp-Arslan during his campaign in Transoxiana against the Karakhanids. However, Alp-Arslan was badly wounded during his expedition, and Malik-Shah shortly took over the army. Alp-Arslan died some days later, and Malik-Shah was declared as the new sultan of the empire. However, right after Malik-Shah's accession, his uncle Qavurt claimed

715-554: The Byzantine Empire was to continue for nearly four more centuries, the victory at Manzikert signalled the beginning of Turkic ascendancy in Anatolia. The victory at Manzikert became so popular among the Turks that later every noble family in Anatolia claimed to have had an ancestor who had fought on that day. Alp Arslan's strength lay in the military realm. Domestic affairs were handled by his able vizier, Nizam al-Mulk ,

770-638: The Murat River , north of Lake Van , beginning the Battle of Manzikert . The Cuman mercenaries among the Byzantine forces immediately defected to the Turkic side. Seeing this, the Western mercenaries subsequently abandoned the battlefield as well. To be exact, Romanos was betrayed by general Andronikos Doukas , son of the Caesar (Romanos's stepson), who pronounced him dead and rode off with a large part of

825-533: The Arab emir of Shaizar , Nasir ibn Ali ibn Munquidh. In 1089, Malik-Shah captured Samarkand with the support of the local clergy, and imprisoned its Karakhanid ruler Ahmad Khan ibn Khizr, who was the nephew of Terken Khatun. He then marched to Semirechye , and made the Karakhanid Harun Khan ibn Sulayman, the ruler of Kashgar and Khotan , acknowledge him as his suzerain. In 1092, Nizam al-Mulk

880-467: The Byzantine forces at a critical moment. The Byzantines were wholly routed. Emperor Romanos himself was captured in battle and presented to Alp Arslan. It is reported that upon seeing the Roman emperor, the sultan leaped from his throne, commanded Romanos to kiss the ground, and stepped on his neck. He repeatedly berated the emperor, including for spurning his emissaries and offers of peace. Romanos remained unrepentant, asserting that he had merely done what

935-774: The Empire, took part in Alp Arslan's campaign in the Caucasus . The same year, Malik-Shah was married to Terken Khatun , the daughter of the Karakhanid khan Ibrahim Tamghach-Khan . In 1066, Alp Arslan arranged a ceremony near Merv , where he appointed Malik-Shah as his heir and also granted him Isfahan as a fief . In 1071, Malik-Shah took part in the Syrian campaign of his father, and stayed in Aleppo when his father fought

990-640: The Seljuk lands was further complicated by the beginning of the First Crusade , which detached large portions of Syria and Palestine from Muslim control in 1098 and 1099. The success of the First Crusade is at least in part attributable to the political confusion which resulted from Malik-Shah's death. Malikshah had many wives and concubines and multiple children born from them. Principal wives were: Concubines: The 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon wrote of him: On his father's death

1045-554: The Seljuks captured Ani , the capital city of Armenia. An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is given by the historian Sibt ibn al-Jawzi , who quotes an eyewitness saying: The army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, leaving it in ruins and taking prisoner all those who remained alive... The dead bodies were so many that they blocked the streets; one could not go anywhere without stepping over them. And

1100-561: The Turks were defeated in detail and driven across the Euphrates in 1070. The first two campaigns were conducted by the emperor himself, while the third was directed by Manuel Komnenos , the brother of future emperor Alexios I Komnenos . During this time, Arslan gained the allegiance of Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud , the Mirdasid emir of Aleppo. In 1071, Romanos again took the field and advanced into Armenia with possibly 30,000 men, including

1155-470: The attack had been instigated by Malik-Shah, who may have grown tired of his overmighty vizier. After Nizam al-Mulk's death, Malik-Shah appointed another Persian named Taj al-Mulk Abu'l Ghana'im as his vizier. Malik-Shah then went to Baghdad and decided to depose al-Muqtadi and sent him the following message: "You must relinquish Baghdad to me, and depart to any land you choose." This was because Malik-Shah wanted to appoint his grandson (or nephew) Ja'far as

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1210-460: The banks of the Oxus . Before he could pass the river safely, however, it was necessary to subdue certain fortresses, one of which was for several days vigorously defended by the rebel, Yusuf al-Kharezmi or Yusuf al-Harani. Perhaps over-eager to press on against his Qarakhanid enemy, Alp Arslan gained the governor's submission by promising the rebel 'perpetual ownership of his lands'. When Yusuf al-Harani

1265-447: The campaigns of his father Alp Arslan , along with the latter's vizier Nizam al-Mulk . During one such campaign in 1072, Alp Arslan was fatally wounded and died only a few days later. After that, Malik-Shah was crowned as the new sultan of the empire, but the succession was contested by his uncle Qavurt . Although Malik-Shah was the nominal head of the Seljuk state, Nizam al-Mulk held near absolute power during his reign. Malik-Shah spent

1320-503: The death of Malik Shah on November 19, 1092, possibly due to poisoning. Malik-Shah died on 19 November 1092 while he was hunting. He was most likely poisoned by the caliph or the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk. Under the orders of Terken Khatun, Malik-Shah's body was taken back to Isfahan, where it was buried in a madrasa . Upon his death, the Seljuk Empire fell into chaos, as rival successors and regional governors carved up their empire and waged war against each other. The situation within

1375-544: The extent of his empire, was the greatest prince of his age. Malik-Shah displayed substantial interest in science, art and literature. The Isfahan Observatory or Malikshah Observatory was constructed during his reign, closing shortly after his death in 1092 . It was from the work at the observatory that the Jalali Calendar was adopted. He thought highly of the art of architecture as well, as he enjoyed building new and splendid mosques in his capital, Isfahan . He

1430-405: The founder of the administrative organization that characterized and strengthened the sultanate during the reigns of Alp Arslan and his son, Malik Shah. Military Iqtas , governed by Seljuq princes, were established to provide support for the soldiery and to accommodate the nomadic Turks to the established Anatolian agricultural scene. This type of military fiefdom enabled the nomadic Turks to draw on

1485-476: The inheritance was disputed by an uncle, a cousin, and a brother: they drew their cimeters, and assembled their followers; and the triple victory of Malek Shah established his own reputation and the right of primogeniture. In every age, and more especially in Asia, the thirst of power has inspired the same passions, and occasioned the same disorders; but, from the long series of civil war, it would not be easy to extract

1540-529: The latter years of his rule Malik Shah preferred to winter in Baghdad . Whereas Alp Arslan had spent just over a year out of his decade-long reign in Isfahan, Malik Shah resided there for more than half of his rule. Isfahan also served as the burial site of Malik Shah, his descendants, as well as celebrated bureaucrats of the sultanate like Nizam al-Mulk. Malik Shah's decision of residing in a capital far away from

1595-510: The most authentic considered as TDV Encyclopedia of Islam mentions, is that recorded by Ibn al-Athir , a medieval historian, as 1 Muharram 420 AH equivalent to 20 January 1029 CE. He was the son of Chaghri and nephew of Tughril , the founding sultans of the Seljuk Empire . His grandfather was Mikail , who in turn was the son of the warlord Seljuk . He was the father of numerous children, including Malik-Shah I and Tutush I . It

1650-420: The most eminent statesmen in early Muslim history and Alp Arslan's future vizier. After the death of his father, Alp Arslan succeeded him as governor of Khorasan in 1059. His uncle Tughril died in 1063 and designated his successor as Suleiman, Arslan's infant brother. Arslan and his uncle Kutalmish both contested this succession which was resolved at the battle of Damghan in 1063. Arslan defeated Kutalmish for

1705-689: The new caliph. The Sultan had a good relationship with the Shias at large except for the Ismailis of Hassan ibn Sabbah . Followers of Sabbah managed to occupy the Alamut fortress near Qazvin , and the army under the command of the emir Arslan-Tash, sent by Malik Shah, could not recapture it. The Sultan's ghilman , Kizil Sarug, besieged the Daru fortress in Kuhistan , but ceased hostilities in connection with

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1760-613: The number of prisoners was not less than 50,000 souls. I was determined to enter the city and see the destruction with my own eyes. I tried to find a street in which I would not have to walk over the corpses, but that was impossible. En route to fight the Fatimids in Syria in 1068, Alp Arslan invaded the Byzantine Empire . The Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes , assuming command in person, met the invaders in Cilicia . In three arduous campaigns,

1815-446: The offer, claiming that sparing him was an indication of weakness. After some time, Qavurt was strangled to death with a bowstring, while two of his sons were blinded. After having dealt with that problem, Malik-Shah appointed Qutlugh-Tegin as the governor of Fars and Sav-Tegin as the governor of Kerman . Malik-Shah then turned his attention towards the Karakhanids, who had after the death of Alp-Arslan invaded Tukharistan , which

1870-485: The resources of the sedentary Persians, Turks, and other established cultures within the Seljuq realm, and allowed Alp Arslan to field a huge standing army without depending on tribute from conquest to pay his soldiers. He not only had enough food from his subjects to maintain his military, but the taxes collected from traders and merchants added to his coffers sufficiently to fund his continuous wars. Suleiman ibn Qutalmish

1925-469: The rest of his reign waging war against the Karakhanids to the east and establishing order in the Caucasus . The cause of Malik-Shah's death remains under dispute to this day; according to some scholars, he was poisoned by Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadi , while others say that he was poisoned by the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk. Although he was known by several names, he was mostly known as "Malik-Shah",

1980-598: The sincere, answer of the minister. "For my part," replied the generous Malek, "I implored the Lord of Hosts that he would take from me my life and crown, if my brother be more worthy than myself to reign over the Moslems." The favourable judgment of heaven was ratified by the caliph; and for the first time, the sacred title of Commander of the Faithful was communicated to a Barbarian. But this Barbarian, by his personal merit, and

2035-526: The sister of the Georgian king Bagrat IV . Alp Arslan divorced her, and married her to Nizam al-Mulk . His sons were Malik-Shah I , Tutush I , Arslan Shah, Tekish, Toghan-Shah, Ayaz and Buibars. One of his daughters married the son of Kurd Surkhab, son of Bard in 1068. Another daughter, Zulaikha Khatun, was married to a Muslim, son of Quraish in 1086–87. Another daughter, Aisha Khatun, married Shams al-Mulk Nasr, son of Ibrahim Khan Tamghach . Another daughter

2090-455: The states, and in 1066, he declared his son Malik Shah I his heir and successor. With the hope of capturing Caesarea Mazaca , the capital of Cappadocia , he placed himself at the head of the Turkoman cavalry, crossed the Euphrates , and entered and invaded the city. Along with Nizam al-Mulk, he then marched into Armenia and Georgia , which he conquered in 1064. After a siege of 25 days,

2145-620: The sultan that "killing me will not be of any use to you". After hearing of the death of Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, Sultan Alp Arslan pledged: "The Byzantine nation has no God, so this day the oath of peace and friendship taken by both the Persians and Byzantines is nullified; henceforth I shall consume with the sword all those people who venerate the cross, and all the lands of the Christians shall be enslaved." Alp Arslan and his successor Malik Shah urged Turkish tribes to invade and settle Anatolia where they would not only cease to be

2200-782: The sultanate. Alp Arslan's younger brothers Suleiman ibn Chaghri and Qavurt were his rivals. Kilij Arslan , the son and successor of Suleiman ibn Kutalmish (Kutalmish's son, who would later become Sultan of Rûm ), was a major opponent of the Franks during the First Crusade and the Crusade of 1101 . Alp Arslan accompanied his uncle Tughril on campaigns in the south against the Fatimids while his father Chaghri remained in Khorasan . Upon Alp Arslan's return to Khorasan, he began his work in administration at his father's suggestion. While there, his father introduced him to Nizam al-Mulk , one of

2255-573: The throne and succeeded on 27 April 1064 as sultan of the Seljuk Empire , thus becoming the sole monarch of Persia from the river Oxus to the Tigris . In 1064 he led a campaign in Georgia during which he captured the regions between Tbilisi and the Çoruh river, Akhalkalaki and Alaverdi. Bagrat IV submitted to paying jizya to the Seljuks but the Georgians broke the agreement in 1065. Alp Arslan invaded Georgia again in 1068 . He captured Tbilisi after

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2310-433: The throne for himself and sent Malik-Shah a message which said: "I am the eldest brother, and you are a youthful son; I have the greater right to my brother Alp-Arslan's inheritance." Malik-Shah then replied by sending the following message: "A brother does not inherit when there is a son." This message enraged Qavurt, who thereafter occupied Isfahan. In 1073 a battle took place near Hamadan , which lasted three days. Qavurt

2365-500: The years that were hugely successful for Seljuks on all fronts, Malik-Shah, overwhelmed by the imperial might of his dynasty, used to climb to the top of a hill and say the following: "Oh Almighty God, I will somehow cope with the problem of hunger, please save me from the threat of abundance". Malik Shah did not spend as much time on campaign as his prominent predecessor Tughril or his father Alp Arslan did. Isfahan became securely established as his chief city of residence, although in

2420-462: The young sultan: He was exceedingly imperious and awe-inspiring and, because he was so earnest and fanatical in his beliefs and disapproved of the Shafi‘i rite , I lived in constant fear of him. After Manzikert, the dominion of Alp Arslan extended over much of western Asia . He soon prepared to march for the conquest of Turkestan , the original seat of his ancestors. With a powerful army, he advanced to

2475-412: Was "possible for a man, and which kings are bound to do, and I have fallen short in nothing. But God has fulfilled his will. And now, do what you wish and abandon recriminations." Purportedly declaring Romanos "too trivial... to kill", Arslan then led him about the camp to sell the prisoner to one of his men. The Seljuk soldiers initially refused to spend any money on buying the emperor, until one man traded

2530-401: Was Akka Khatun. She had been formerly the wife of Sultan Tughril . Alp Arslan married her after Tughril's death in 1063. Another of his wives was Shah Khatun. She was the daughter of Qadir Khan Yusuf, and had been formerly married to Ghaznavid Mas'ud I . Another wife was Ummu Hifchaq also known as Ummu Qipchaq. Another of his wives was the daughter of King of Tashir Kiurike I, who was married to

2585-434: Was accompanied by his seven sons, and his army consisted of Turkmens , while the army of Malik-Shah consisted of ghulams ("military slaves") and contingents of Kurdish and Arab troops. During the battle, the Turks of Malik-Shah's army mutinied against him, but he nevertheless managed to defeat and capture Qavurt. Qavurt then begged for mercy and in return promised to retire to Oman . However, Nizam al-Mulk declined

2640-404: Was assassinated near Sihna, on the road to Baghdad , by a man disguised as a Sufi . As the assassin was immediately cut down by Nizam's bodyguard, it became impossible to establish with certainty who had sent him. One theory had it that he was an Assassin , since these assassins regularly made attempts on the lives of Seljuk officials and rulers during the 11th century. Another theory had it that

2695-588: Was brought before him, the Sultan ordered that he be shot, but before the archers could raise their bows Yusuf seized a knife and threw himself at Alp Arslan, striking three blows before being slain. Four days later on 24 November 1072, Alp Arslan died and was buried at Merv , having designated his 18-year-old son Malik Shah as his successor. One of his wives was Safariyya Khatun. She had a daughter, Sifri Khatun , who in 1071–72, married Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtadi . Safariyya died in Isfahan in 1073–74. Another of his wives

2750-550: Was defeated by Malik-Shah, who then made peace with the latter and gave his daughter Gawhar Khatun in marriage to Ibrahim's son Mas'ud III . In 1074, Malik-Shah ordered the Turkic warlord Arghar to restore what he had destroyed during his raids in the territory of the Shirvanshah Fariburz I . During the same year, he appointed Qavurt's son Rukn al-Dawla Sultan-Shah as the ruler of Kerman. One year later, Malik-Shah sent an army under Sav-Tegin to Arran , which

2805-539: Was married to Mas'ud III of Ghazni and was his first wife. Another daughter was Sara Khatun. Alp Arslan's conquest of Anatolia from the Byzantines is also seen as one of the pivotal precursors to the launch of the Crusades . From 2002 to July 2008 under Turkmen calendar reform , the month of August was named after Alp Arslan. The 2nd Training Motorized Rifle Division of the Turkmen Ground Forces

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2860-433: Was religiously tolerant which is supported by the fact that during his reign, subjects of the Seljuk Empire enjoyed internal peace and religious tolerance. Malik-Shah also showed lenience towards exquisite poetry as his reign is also memorable for the poetry of Omar Khayyam . Despite being arguably the most powerful monarch of his era, it is believed that Malik-Shah was unpretentious and modest. The legend has it that during

2915-551: Was ruled by Malik-Shah's brother Ayaz, who was unable to repel the Karakhanids and was killed by them. Malik-Shah eventually managed to repel the Karakhanids and captured Tirmidh , giving Sav-Tegin the key of the city. Malik-Shah then appointed his other brother Shihab al-Din Tekish as the ruler of Tukharistan and Balkh . During the same period, the Ghaznavid ruler Ibrahim was seizing Seljuk territory in northern Khorasan , but

2970-651: Was ruled by the Shaddadid ruler Fadlun III . Sav-Tegin managed to easily conquer the region, thus ending Shaddadid rule. Malik-Shah then gave Gorgan to Fadlun III as a fief. Throughout Malik's reign new institutions of learning were established and it was during this time that the Jalali calendar was reformed at the Isfahan observatory . In 1086–87, he led an expedition to capture Edessa , Manbij , Aleppo , Antioch and Latakia . During this expedition, he appointed Aq Sunqur governor of Aleppo and received homage of

3025-484: Was the son of the contender for Arslan's throne; he was appointed governor of the north-western provinces and assigned to complete the invasion of Anatolia. An explanation for this choice can only be conjectured from Ibn al-Athir 's account of the battle between Alp-Arslan and Kutalmish , in which he writes that Alp-Arslan wept for the latter's death and greatly mourned the loss of his kinsman. Contemporary descriptions portray Alp Arslan as "very awe-inspiring, dominating,"

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