Alp Arslan: The Great Seljuk
Alp Arslan was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire and the great-grandson of the Seljuk, founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the territory of the Seljuks and consolidated his power, defeating his opponents in the south and northwest, and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, led to the settlement of Turkmens in Anatolia. [2] Because of his military prowess and fighting skills, he was given the name Alp Arslan, which means "heroic lion" in Turkish.
early life
Alp Arslan was the son of Chagri and nephew of Toghril, the founding sultans of the Seljuk Empire. His grandfather was Mikael, who was in turn the son of a Seljuk warlord. He was the father of several children, including Malik Shah I and Tutush I. [3] It 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 Toghril, the princess of Kara-Khanid known as Aka or Seferi-Khatun, and the daughter or niece of Bagrat IV of Georgia (who later married his vizier, Nizam al-Mulk). [4] Another of the Seljuk sons was the Turkish chieftain Arslan Isra'il, whose son Qutalmish objected to his nephew's succession to the Sultanate. His rivals were the younger brothers Alp-Arslan Suleiman ibn Chagri and Cavourt. Kilij Arslan, son and successor of Sulayman ibn Qatalmish (son of Qatalmish, who later became Sultan of Rum), was a staunch opponent of the Franks during the First Crusade and the Crusade of 1101. [5]
early career
Coin minted in the name of Alp Arslan with the title of Shahanshah
Miniature depicting Alp Arslan, located in the Topkapi Palace Museum (TSMK)
Alp Arslan accompanied his uncle Toghril on campaigns in the south against the Fatimids while his father, Shagri, 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 the most prominent statesmen in early Islamic history and future vizier Alp Arslan. [6]
After his father's death, Alp Arslan succeeded him as governor of Khorasan in 1059. His uncle Tughril died in 1063 and he appointed Suleiman, Arslan's infant brother, as his successor. Both Arslan and his uncle Kutalmish contested this succession, which was resolved at the Battle of Damghan in 1063. Arslan defeated Kutalmish to the throne and succeeded on 27 April 1064 as Sultan of the Seljuk Empire, thus becoming sole monarch of Persia from the Oxus to the Tigris. _ In 1064, he led a campaign in Georgia, during which he seized the areas between Tbilisi, the Koroh River, Akhalkalaki, and Alaverdi. [7] Bagrat IV surrendered to pay tribute to the Seljuks, but the Georgians broke the agreement in 1065. [8] Alp-Arslan invaded Georgia again in 1068. He captured Tbilisi after a short battle and obtained the surrender of Bagrat IV; However, the Georgians freed themselves from Seljuk rule around 1073-1074. [8] [9]
In consolidating his empire and subjugating the warring factions, Arslan was assisted brilliantly by Nizam al-Mulk, and they are both credited with helping to stabilize the empire after Tughril's death. With peace and security established in his control, Arslan convened a meeting of the states and in 1066 proclaimed his son Malik Shah I as his heir and successor. [10] Hoping to capture Caesarea Mezaca, the capital of Cappadocia, he placed himself at the head of the Turkmen cavalry [11], crossed the Euphrates, entered the city and conquered it. Then he marched with Nizam al-Mulk into Armenia and Georgia, which he conquered in 1064. [12] After a 25-day siege, the Seljuks captured the city of Ani, the capital of Armenia.
Byzantine struggle
On his way to fight the Fatimids in Syria in 1068, Alp Arslan invaded the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, assuming command himself, met the invaders in Cilicia. In three grueling campaigns, the Turks were defeated in detail and driven across the Euphrates in 1070. The first two campaigns were undertaken by the Emperor himself, while the third was led by Manuel Komnenos, uncle of Emperor Manuel Komnenos. During this time, Arslan secured the allegiance of Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud, emir of the Madasids in Aleppo.
In 1071 Romanos took the field again and advanced into Armenia with approximately 30,000 men, including a unit of Cuman Turks as well as units of Franks and Normans, under the command of Ursel de Baieul. Alp Arslan, who had moved his forces south to fight the Fatimids, quickly retreated to meet the Byzantines. At Manzikert, on the Murat River, north of Lake Van, the two forces waged the Battle of Manzikert. Cuman mercenaries from the Byzantine forces immediately defected to the Turkish side. Seeing this, "the Western mercenaries set off and did not take part in the battle." [13] To be precise, Romanos was betrayed by General Andronikos Doukas, the son of Caesar (Romanos' protégé), who announced his death and set out with a large part of the Byzantine forces at a critical moment. [14] The Byzantines were completely defeated.
