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70-525: Tutush was a brother of the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I . In 1077, Malik-Shah appointed him to take over the governorship of Syria . Later that year, Tutush reached Aleppo , then ruled by the Mirdasid emir Sabiq ibn Mahmud , and began a three-month-long siege of the city. In 1078/9, Malik-Shah sent him to Damascus to help Atsiz ibn Uvaq , an independent Turkish warlord who had taken the city in 1076, who

140-688: A fief . In 1071, Malik-Shah took part in the Syrian campaign of his father, and stayed in Aleppo when his father fought 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

210-589: A Mission House (dar al-dawah) in Aleppo and use the city as a base for future activities, which allowed the Assassins to establish a foothold in Syria. Ridwan had two of his brothers strangled to death, and had alleged ties to the assassination of several of his rivals, including the atabeg Janah ad-Dawla al-Husain . Ridwan's death in 1113 caused an anti-Isma'ili reaction within Aleppo. The administrative sovereignty of

280-666: A coalition of Arab tribesmen led by Kilabi chief Abu Za'ida at Wadi Butnan . This forced him to leave Aleppo and to pursue the tribesmen who fled into the desert. Meanwhile, the Aleppines raided Tutush's camp outside the city walls, killing the guards he left behind and seizing all of its provisions. Tutush consequently withdrew to Diyar Bakr where he spent the winter. In 1080, Tutush determined to capture Aleppo by force, in which he wanted to strip it from its nearby defenses; hence, he seized Manbij , Hisn al-Faya (at modern-day al-Bira), Biza'a and Azaz . He later influenced Sabiq to cede

350-632: A delegation of Shia and Sunni notables, merchants and clerics to the Seljuk sultan Muhammad I in Baghdad . Ridwan agreed to do so. Muhammad I started expeditions against the Crusaders with the Emir of Mosul, Mawdud ibn Altuntash , first besieging Harran, and then Turbessel. Ridwan tried to profit from this by engaging in it as little as possible, though he then abandoned the Muslim coalition by buying

420-631: 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 the Arab emir of Shaizar , Nasir ibn Ali ibn Munquidh. In 1089, Malik-Shah captured Samarkand with

490-463: A pardon from the Crusaders, angering his subjects and the Muslim rulers alike. Meanwhile, Ridwan asked Mawdud to lift his siege of Turbessel and come to his aid in Aleppo. However, Ridwan did not allow the Seljuk army inside the city and imprisoned Ibn al-Khashshab and his major supporters. Yet again, Ridwan did not join the Muslim expeditions, and the Seljuk army left Syria in August 1111 without fighting

560-561: A series of vigorous measures against the Isma'ilis, putting Abu Tahir al-Sa'igh , the chief Nizari Isma'ili da'i of Syria, and other leading figures to death, and killing or imprisoning about two hundred of the order's members. The massacres of the Isma'ilis effectively eradicated a significant portion of Aleppo's Isma'ili population and eliminated the so-called Assassin threat, though it also deprived Alp Arslan from his only possible support. He also executed two of his brothers, several officers,

630-619: A signal from a sheikh who accompanied them. Janah ad-Dawla's officers and the assassins were killed during the ensuing chaos, and most of Homs' Turkish population fled to Damascus, while the city itself was annexed into Duqaq's domain. Most sources suggest Ridwan initiated the assassination of Janah ad-Dawla. Ridwan, residing in the Citadel of Aleppo , had favoured the Shi'a , who comprised an important part of Aleppo's population, hoping to win their support. Prior to this incident, Ridwan gave freedom to

700-406: A single battle. Ridwan's financial situation worsened. His attempt to confiscate the goods of a merchant named Abu Harb Isa from Khorasan , in cooperation with the Isma'ilis, greatly damaged his reputation. When the atabeg Toghtekin came to lead the Muslim armies against Sidon or Tripoli, he passed by Damascus, where Ridwan tried to assassinate him, but dropped this plan when he learned Tancred

770-434: 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 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

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840-403: Is generally accepted as being under the de facto rule of the atabeg Lu'lu' al-Yaya . Alp Arslan initially followed his father's pro-Isma'ili policy, giving them a castle outside of Balis. Despite this, the Seljuk sultan Muhammad I, sent a letter to Alp Arslan, warning him of the dangers of the Assassins and urging him to purge them. Forced by Aleppo's population and his patron, Alp Arslan took

910-677: The Orontes River and Lake Antioch . Ridwan was defeated in the Battle of the Lake of Antioch , and his forces retreated, while the Crusaders reoccupied Harem. The Crusaders captured Antioch in June 1098 and established a principality there with Bohemond as its ruler. They then seized al-Bara and Ma'arrat al-Nu'man , and captured Zardana , Sarmeen and Kella, surrounding Aleppo. Bohemond defeated Ridwan again on 5 July 1100. While Bohemond

980-399: The Assassins to practice and propagate their religion, letting them establish a "house of propaganda" in Aleppo and using the city as a base for future activities. The Assassins thus gained a foothold in Syria. Despite this, Ridwan's adherence to the Assassins' Nizari Isma'ili creed is uncertain, and according to historian Bernard Lewis , was unlikely. In general, Ridwan tried to banish

1050-467: The Crusaders with gold, despite being characterised as a "rapacious miser" among the Shia and Sunni Muslims in his domain. The regent of Antioch, Tancred , who forcibly collected money from the rural locals, made peace with Ridwan, in return receiving 7000 gold dinars and 10,000 cattle and sheep. Ridwan profited from Soqman ibn Ortoq's victory over the Crusaders in the Battle of Harran in 1104 and took back

1120-518: 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 the inheritance was disputed by an uncle, a cousin, and a brother: they drew their cimeters, and assembled their followers; and

1190-624: The Lord of Turbessel. Ridwan's 600-strong cavalry and Tancred's army of 1,500 knights and foot-soldiers engaged Chavli, Baldwin, and Joscelin's force of two thousand men in Turbessel in September 1108, defeating them in a battle in which both sides suffered heavy casualties. As a result, Balis returned to Seljuk control. While Tancred was in Edessa, Ridwan launched raids against Antioch to reclaim

1260-526: 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 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

1330-613: The Seljuk Sultan and Ridwan's uncle Muhammad I Tapar , dismissed Chavli. Not accepting this decision, he allied with local emirs and marched towards Syria. Ridwan first seized the ransom sent to Chavli by Baldwin II of Edessa in Siffin, and cooperated with the Numayrids against him, while Chavli occupied Balis . Thereupon, Ridwan allied with Tancred against Chavli, who also sought help from Baldwin and Joscelin I ,

1400-628: The Sunni Abbasid caliph and the Seljuk sultan, also apologizing to the Abbasid caliph al-Mustazhir . Ridwan prepared to attack Duqaq and Janah ad-Dawla, who had established an independent emirate in Homs . Meanwhile, the Crusaders marched on Antioch, and the city's governor, Yaghi-Siyan, who was disloyal to Ridwan and had openly intrigued with his rivals—his brother Duqaq and Kerbogha ,

1470-593: The Syrian Seljuk State. Tutush struggled with the Seljuk Sultan of Rum , Suleiman ibn Qutalmish ( r.  1077–1086 ), who had claimed Aleppo. Qutalmish was defeated and killed in a battle that took place near Aleppo on 4 June 1086. Sultan Malik-Shah died in November 1092, though there were no princes of age to inherit the vast Seljuk empire. Tutush claimed the Seljuk throne, as he

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1540-679: The Syrian Seljuk split, the Fatimid vizier, al-Afdal Shahanshah , promised military support to Ridwan against his brother if he pledged allegiance to the Fatimid caliph al-Musta'li by having the Friday sermon read in his name. Ridwan agreed to this on 28 August 1097 but was met with harsh reactions among the Sunni leaders. A month later, Ridwan reverted to having the sermon read on behalf of

1610-471: The Syrian Seljuk state was divided into two rival halves, ruled from Aleppo and Damascus. In 1096, Ridwan wished to expand his domain and besieged Suruç , which was ruled at the time by his cousin, Soqman ibn Ortoq . He failed to seize the town. Later, he marched on Edessa and conquered the city. He also planned to capture Harran , but gave up because of unrest among his commanders. Ridwan then captured Turbessel after eliminating Yusuf ibn Abaq, one of

1680-614: The Turcoman Atabeg of Mosul—asked for help from the Muslim leaders, including the Seljuk Sultan Berkyaruq. Ridwan was not keen to help and sent only a small unit to the aid of the Muslim coalition led by Kerbogha, the Turcoman emir of Mosul. Ridwan did not participate in their expeditions, though his brother Duqaq and the atabeg Janah ad-Dawla did. Yaghi-Siyan left Ridwan's side because of his behaviour, but then

1750-653: 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 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

1820-399: 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 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

1890-537: The atabeg Lu'lu' al-Yaya , and the effective elimination of the Assassins in Aleppo, characterized the reign of his successor, Alp Arslan al-Akhras . Seljuk rule in Aleppo soon ended in 1118 with the Artuqid takeover by Ilghazi . Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan was born around 1077. He was the eldest of five sons of Taj ad-Dawla Tutush , the brother of the Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah ;I , and

1960-569: 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 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

2030-528: 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 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

2100-446: 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 the centers of Turkmen settlement around Merv , Rayy , Hamadan , and Azerbaijan could well be explained by the increasing distance between him and his nomadic subjects. Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan Ridwan ( c.  1077 – 10 December 1113)

2170-632: The cities and fortresses occupied by the Crusaders. Ridwan's brother and rival, Duqaq, died of tuberculosis on 6 June 1104, after which Ridwan moved to Damascus and gave khutbah in his own name, though Duqaq was succeeded by his son, Tutush II. Soon after, Tutush II and his relatives were set aside by his atabeg, Toghtekin , and the Turkish Burid dynasty succeeded the Seljuks in Damascus. In 1105, Ridwan left Aleppo to aid

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2240-478: The city of Ray . However, his nephew Berkyaruq 's forces killed him near the same city on 25 February 1095. Ridwan learned of his father's death while he was camping in Anah and returned immediately to Aleppo and took over the Syrian Seljuk throne. The Turcoman ruler of Antioch , Yaghi-Siyan , gave his daughter to Ridwan in marriage and recognised Ridwan as his overlord, with coins being struck in his name in

2310-559: The city. Ridwan, fearing that they might gain power and overthrow him, strangled his two brothers, Abu Talib and Behram, while his other brother, Duqaq, accompanied by the atabeg Janah ad-Dawla al-Husain , sneaked out of Aleppo and moved to Damascus, founding a separate state there. Ridwan did not recognise Duqaq's domain and proclaimed himself the sole legitimate ruler of the Syrian Seljuks. Thereupon, Ridwan besieged Damascus but failed to seize it and had to return to Aleppo. Thus,

2380-555: The commanders of the Muslim expedition, was assassinated after his prayers in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus. Toghtegin accused Ridwan and his Assassin allies of the deed, though most of his contemporaries believed that Toghtegin himself was behind the act. Ridwan died on 10 December 1113 in Aleppo and was buried in Meşhedülmelik. Following Ridwan's death, groups of armed militiamen, instigated by Ibn al-Khashab, flooded

2450-417: The commanders who had disobeyed him. He moved to besiege Damascus again when Duqaq was out of the city, but then lifted the siege when he was informed of Duqaq's approaching army and returned to Aleppo. Ridwan besieged Damascus again in the same year, but was again thwarted. Duqaq then launched raids against the territory of Aleppo, but Ridwan defeated him on 22 March 1097 at Qinnasrin . Taking advantage of

2520-668: The construction of the Citadel of Damascus , a project begun under the direction of Atsiz. Tutush took control of Syria in 1092, following the death of his brother, Malik-Shah, naming himself sultan. He marched towards Upper Mesopotamia , in which he managed to capture Nisbis , Amida , Mayyafariqin and Mosul , but he had to return in December 1093, as two Seljuk rulers, Bozan of Edessa and Harran and Aq Sunqur al-Hajib of Aleppo, had switched allegiance and declared their support for his nephew, Sultan Barkiyaruq . However, Tutush along with Yağısıyan of Antioch launched an attack against

2590-569: The dissidents, whom he managed to defeat at Tell Sultan in June–July 1094. Bozan and Aq Sunqur were killed, meanwhile Kerbogha was taken prisoner to Homs . Tutush, along with his general the Kakuyid Ali ibn Faramurz , headed east until he reached Hamadan , where Barkiyaruq had withdrawn to Isfahan . However, Tutush was shortly defeated in a battle against Berkyaruq's forces near Ray , where he and Ali were killed on 25 February 1095. Tutush

2660-510: 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 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

2730-580: The emirate to the Uqaylid emir Muslim ibn Quraysh "Sharaf al-Dawla". The headman in Aleppo, Sharif Hassan ibn Hibat Allah Al-Hutayti, currently under siege by Suleiman ibn Qutalmish , promised to surrender the city to Tutush. Suleiman was a distant member of the Seljuk dynasty who had established himself in Anatolia and was trying to expand his rule to Aleppo, having captured Antioch in 1084. Tutush and his army met Suleiman's forces near Aleppo in 1086. In

2800-504: The ensuing battle of Ain Salm , Suleiman's forces fled, Suleiman was killed and his son Kilic Arslan captured. Tutush attacked and occupied Aleppo except for the citadel in May 1086, he stayed until October and left for Damascus due to the advance of Malik-Shah's armies. The Sultan himself arrived in December 1086, then he appointed Aq Sunqur al-Hajib as the governor of Aleppo. Tutush finished

2870-418: 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 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

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2940-572: 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 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

3010-399: 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 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

3080-529: 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 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

3150-684: The lands from his own demesne to the locals at low prices. Furthermore, Ibn al-Khashshab , the Shi'a qadi and rais of Aleppo, organised a riot in the city when Tancred forced Ridwan to affix a cross in the Great Mosque of Aleppo . Tancred, who controlled the routes from Aleppo to the Mediterranean, had held Aleppan caravans to ransom, and was plundering Syria, especially Aleppo's environs. Ridwan did not have enough resources to deal with Tancred by himself, so Ibn al-Khashshab proposed to send

3220-413: The lands surrounding Aleppo but retreated after learning of Tancred's arrival. Ridwan's situation worsened when Tancred attacked east of Aleppo in retaliation. Ridwan gave Tancred 20,000 dinars, and 10,000 horses, as well as two fortresses in the vicinity of Aleppo, and freed the captives he had taken during his raids, in exchange for peace. This agreement caused a famine around Aleppo, and Ridwan had to sell

3290-516: The mayor of Ganja in Arran . In 1078, Malik-Shah sent Tutush to conquer Syria and the adjacent areas as an appanage , creating a principality there. Tutush besieged and conquered Aleppo the next year, while a Fatimid army simultaneously besieged Damascus . Thereupon, the Turcoman ruler of Damascus, Atsiz ibn Uwaq ( r.  1071–1079 ) asked for help from Tutush. Having heard that Tutush

3360-800: The new emir. His brother Duqaq 's declaration of a new emirate in Damascus split the Syrian Seljuk state in two and started a rivalry between the brothers which continued even after the arrival of the First Crusade in 1097. Ridwan tried to banish the Crusaders with gold, and fought the Principality of Antioch , a Crusader state established after the end of the Siege of Antioch in 1098. Bohemond I of Antioch invaded Ridwan's domain and reached Aleppo's surroundings. Bohemond's successor, Tancred , regent of Antioch, also warred against Ridwan, but

3430-536: 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 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

3500-568: 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 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

3570-401: The qadi of Tripoli, Fakhr al-Mulk ibn Ammar , against the Crusaders, but when he learned Tancred had besieged Artah , he turned back to relieve the town. Tancred offered peace to Ridwan. He refused it and was defeated on 20 April 1105 in the Battle of Artah , after which Tancred invaded and plundered the surroundings of Aleppo. Later, the pro-Fatimid emir of Apamea , Khalaf ibn Mula'ib ,

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3640-504: The streets of Aleppo, occupied the major buildings and captured many of Ridwan's supporters, notably the members of the Order of Assassins, who were immediately put to death, accused of treachery and collaboration with the Crusaders. Meanwhile, the realm passed to his 16 year-old son, Alp Arslan , who stuttered so severely that he was nicknamed al-Akhras (The Mute). His reign, and the following reign of 6 year-old Sultan Shah ibn Radwan ,

3710-484: 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 was assassinated near Sihna, on the road to Baghdad , by a man disguised as a Sufi . As the assassin

3780-510: 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 a sentiment more pure and magnanimous than is contained in the saying of the Turkish prince. On the eve of

3850-605: The two later allied in a conflict against the emir of Mosul, Jawali Saqawa , supported by Baldwin II of Edessa and Joscelin I , the Lord of Turbessel. Ridwan's personality was shrouded in mystery. He was surrounded by the Shia Arabs of Aleppo and favoured the Nizari Isma'ilis . Ridwan became a patron of the Assassins , giving them the freedom to practice and propagate their religion by letting them establish

3920-425: The zenith of its power and influence. During his youth, he spent his time participating in 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

3990-463: Was a Seljuk emir of Aleppo from 1095 until his death. Ridwan was born to the Seljuk prince Tutush , who had established a principality in Syria after his brother, Sultan Malik-Shah I granted him the region and its adjacent areas as an appanage . After the death of Malik-Shah, Tutush claimed the Seljuk crown, but he was killed by the forces of his nephew Berkyaruq near Ray, Iran . Following this, Ridwan moved to Aleppo and proclaimed himself

4060-476: Was assassinated and Ridwan added the town to his domain, though he lost it to Tancred in 1106. These events prompted Ridwan to ally with Ilghazi against, Jikirmish , the emir of Mosul , in besieging Nussaybin . Moreover, the new emir of Mosul, Chavli Saqaveh , joined this alliance against Kilij Arslan I , the Seljuk Sultan of Rûm, who had occupied Mosul. Ridwan and Chavli defeated and killed Kilij Arslan in 1107. While Chavli's behaviour had disturbed Ridwan,

4130-434: Was being besieged by the Fatimid forces. After the siege had ended, Tutush had Atsiz executed and installed himself in Damascus. He later expanded his realm by annexing Sidon , Gibelacar , Tiberias , Ramla , Jaffa and Jerusalem , which he granted to Artuk Bey , another Seljuk commander. He later returned to besieging Aleppo and called for reinforcements from Malik-Shah, yet his reinforcements were ambushed and routed by

4200-638: Was closing on Aleppo, the Armenian ruler of Melitene , Gabriel , asked for his help against the Danishmendid ruler Gazi Gümüshtigin . Ridwan used this opportunity to seize supplies stored by the Crusaders. Meanwhile, Ridwan made peace with Janah ad-Dawla in Nukrah. Despite this, on 1 May 1103, Janah ad-Dawla was stabbed to death in Homs by three Persian Assassins dressed as Sufis , acting on

4270-456: Was coming, the Fatimid forces retreated. Even though Atsiz accepted Tutush's suzerainty, Tutush had Atsiz strangled with the bowstring of his bow on the pretext that he was late to greet him and that he was conspiring against him with his brother. Tutush conquered Southern Syria and Palestine , capturing Jerusalem , Damascus, Acre , Tyre , Tripoli , Jaffa , and Arish , as well as the region of Galilee , previously held by Atsiz, and founded

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4340-517: 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 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

4410-399: Was decapitated and his head was displayed in Baghdad. Tutush's younger son Duqaq then inherited Damascus, whilst Ridwan received Aleppo, splitting their father's realm. His youngest son Irtash was briefly ruler of Damascus in 1104. Malik-Shah I Malik-Shah I ( Persian : ملک شاه ) was the third sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072 to 1092, under whom the sultanate reached

4480-469: Was forced to return to him after Duqaq failed him. Duqaq later feared that moving troops into Aleppo's environs would allow Ridwan to strike at his domain. Ridwan, accompanied by Soqman ibn Ortoq, led an army to relieve Antioch. They retook Harem , but as they approached Antioch, the crusaders under the command of Bohemond of Taranto sent out all of their cavalry to lure the larger Turcoman forces to his desired battlefield—a narrow strip of land wedged between

4550-595: 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 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

4620-406: Was poisoned by the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk. Although he was known by several names, he was mostly known as "Malik-Shah", 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,

4690-487: Was preparing to invade Azaz , and asked Toghtegin for help. In 1112, they signed a defensive treaty at Aleppo, in return of for recognition of Ridwan's formal sovereignty over Damascus. When Baldwin I of Jerusalem invaded Damascus, Toghtegin asked Ridwan for help, but the latter sent only a small force of 100 horsemen. Toghtegin was angered by this and ended the Friday sermon given in Ridwan's name in Damascus on 16 August 1113. On 2 October 1113, Mawdud, one of

4760-446: Was tall and somewhat bulky. In 1064, Malik-Shah, only 9 years old by then, along with Nizam al-Mulk , the Persian vizier of 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

4830-399: Was the nominal head of the Seljuk state, Nizam al-Mulk held near absolute power during his reign. Malik-Shah spent 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

4900-434: Was the only adult, though he gained little support from the Turkic elite. He then captured Mosul , Aleppo and the Diyar Bakr . One of Malik-Shah's wives, Terken Khatun , who was trying to install her four-year-old son Mahmud to the throne, then tried to reach out to Tutush but died suddenly in 1094. By 1094, Tutush, accompanied by his son, Shams al-Muluk Duqaq , had invaded the Jazira and western Iran , seizing

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