Misplaced Pages

#242757

39-914: After Alp Arslan of Seljukids defeated the Byzantine army in the battle of Manzikert in 1071, a series of Turkmen beyliks (principalities) were formed in Anatolia before Anatolia was united by the Sultanate of Rum . Danishmends was one of the most important ones. Following the First Crusade they dominated even on the Seljukids. Yağıbasan was the grandson of Gazi Gümüshtigin and son of Emir Gazi . Emir Gazi died in 1146 in Kayseri . His elder son Zinnun in Kayseri succeeded him. However, he

78-514: 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

117-515: A Persian state to the south of Amu Darya .) Seljuk , the leader of the tribe, was old and Arslan, one of his sons, distinguished himself during the battles against Karakhanids. Seljuk, died in 1009 and Arslan became the leader of the tribe. Arslan's brother Mikail was father to sultans Tughril and Chaghri , founders of the Seljuk Empire. Karakhanids were defeated by Arslan's forces several times. Arslan also supported Ali Tigin during

156-566: 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

195-547: 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

234-422: 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

273-541: A large part of 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

312-660: 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

351-474: 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

390-654: Is named in his honor. Arslan Isra%27il Arslan Isra'il , also known as Arslan Yabgu (died 1032) was a Turkic chieftain, who was from the Kınık tribe, which would later establish the Seljuk Empire . His name Arslan means "the lion". Arslan was son of the warlord Seljuk and uncle to the founders of the Seljuk empire , Chaghri and Tughril . Kınık tribe was one of the Oghuz Turkic tribes. They emerged in

429-568: 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

SECTION 10

#1732772095243

468-556: 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 ,

507-619: 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

546-608: 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,

585-545: The Karakhanid civil war. Finally in 1025, Karakhanid sultan Yusuf Kadir met with Mahmud of Ghazni to form a coalition against Kınık. (Ghaznavids were a Turkic clan which had founded an empire in what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan .) The threat was too big for the tribe and Arslan relocated his tribe in the deserts. However, Arslan and his son Qutalmish were taken prisoner by Mahmud. There are two alternative stories of his surrender. According to Jean Paul Roux , he

624-554: 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

663-561: 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

702-698: The area north of the Seyhun ( Syr Darya River). According to some historians, they might be the former vassals of the Khazars . They settled around the city of Jend , which was close to the territory of the Karakhanids , who controlled most of Transoxiana . However they were unruly neighbors. During the Karakhanid - Samanid wars (992) they supported the Samanids instead of the Karakhanids. (Samanids were

741-460: 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

780-405: 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

819-450: 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

SECTION 20

#1732772095243

858-421: 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

897-614: 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,

936-575: The other Danishmend rulers and attacked Kılıç Arslan to gain the former status of the beylik. But in the battle of Aksaray he was defeated. Nevertheless, soon with the help of the Byzantine Empire , he was able to capture Elbistan from the Seljuks. He continued his campaigns and plundered several forts of the Artukids . By this policy he was caught in between the Seljuks and the Artukids. But, Seljuks of Syria reconciled them. Yağıbasan died in 1164. He

975-485: 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

1014-533: 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

1053-458: 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,

1092-622: 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

1131-783: 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

1170-575: 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

1209-463: 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

Yağıbasan - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-413: 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

1287-406: 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

1326-650: 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

1365-574: Was captured in a battle. But according to Islam Encyclopaedia, Mahmud arrested Arslan by a plot. He invited Arslan for peace talks. During the dinner following the talks, Arslan as well as his son Qutalmish were arrested and the soldiers accompanying them were killed. Mahmud sent Arslan and Qutalmish to Kalinjar Fort (which is now in India ). Arslan spent the rest of his life in prison. After Mahmud's death, Arslan's nephew Tughril , and Mahmud's successor Mas'ud I of Ghazni tried to reach an agreement. But

1404-637: Was derecognized by Yağıbasan who was residing in Sivas . After a further partition by a third brother in Malatya , the Danishment power began to decline. Mesut I of the Seljuks saw his chance to end the Danishmend dominance in Anatolia . He captured Sivas and in 1150 Yağıbasan agreed to be a vassal of the Seljuks. In 1155, Mesut died and was succeeded by Kılıç Arslan II . Yağıbasan allied himself with

1443-542: 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

1482-514: Was succeeded by Melik Mucahid Gazi . In Tokat , there is a medrese - mosque commissioned by Yağıbasan. The square plan medrese had been constructed in 1151. There is one other medrese also commissioned by Yağıbasan in Niksar . Alp Arslan Alp Arslan born Muhammad Alp Arslan bin Dawud Chaghri , was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk ,

1521-484: 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,"

#242757