The Seljuk state, one of the largest Islamic countries in the history of Islam. Founded in 1037 by the Seljuk Turks, at the height of its prosperity, its territory extended from the borders of China in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and included the provinces of Transoxiana, Iran, Asia Minor, Iraq and the Levant.
It played a prominent role in the course of political events in the Islamic East and confronted a number of Islamic sects, and in the ages of its power stood as an impregnable barrier to the Crusader invasion. The country witnessed a scientific and cultural renaissance, regular schools were built in various cities, and economic and commercial life flourished and urban development developed.
Seljuk origins
The Seljuks belong to "Seljuk ibn Dakkak", a member of the "Qanq" tribe, which belongs to the "Oghuz" tribes who were known as "Turks".
From the middle of the sixth century AD, a movement of large migrations of Turkic tribes began from their native Central Asia and began to head west towards Asia Minor, due to poor economic conditions and constant wars between tribes.
The "Qanq" tribe was not large and strong, so they joined under the banner of other Oghuz tribes, and Seljuk bin Daqqaq, the commander-in-chief of the "Bigu" army, was one of the kings of the Turks and was a brave intelligent knight who was able to gain great value and wide acceptance among the Turks, so the king feared the growth of his influence and tried to kill him, and then Selcuq set off with his family and followers and settled in the city of Jund.
The Ghaznavid state is a Sunni Islamic state that spread over a wide area in India and beyond the river (social media)
Foundation Phase 961-1040
Selçuk took the city of Jund as his base around 961 AD and refrained from paying taxes to Oghuz, which was tantamount to a declaration of autonomy, and he had converted to Islam and began to launch raids on the Turks.
After the death of Selçuk in 1007, his eldest son Arslan (Israel) assumed the leadership of the tribe, and he followed in his father's footsteps in expanding the borders of his region.
In 1020, the Seljuks moved to Bukhara, and Arslan established an alliance with Ali Tajin, the ruler of Bukhara, and the Seljuks became a feared military force.
At that time, the Ghaznavid state (a Sunni Islamic state that extended over a wide area in India and beyond the river) was at the height of its extension and control, and Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavi felt that the growing power of the Seljuks threatened his state and decided to break their power.
In 1024 AD, he deceived and asked Arslan to come to Samarkand, then captured him and sent him to India, where he died in prison, and after 4 years Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavid went out to fight the Seljuks and inflicted a crushing defeat on them.
Mikael Seljuk, who succeeded his brother Arslan, saw that their strength was too weak to confront the Ghaznavids, so he decided to establish a truce with them, and then he began to gather the diaspora of his people and develop their military capabilities, but he could not complete his career as he was killed in one of his conquests, so his son Tughrul Bey took the lead.
Throughout the reign of the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud, the Seljuks were unable to confront the Ghaznavids, and when he died in 1030 AD, his son Masoud took over, who was preoccupied with the strife that appeared in India and Khorasan and the competition for the king and was unable to devote himself to confronting the Seljuks.
The influence of the Seljuks increased and they were able to seize Merv and most of the country of Khorasan, so the Ghaznavid Sultan was forced to confront them and prepared a large army to fight them and evacuate them from Khorasan, so the army marched to Nesa (in the Republic of Turkmenistan today), and they surprised the Seljuks and triumphed over them, and captured and took a lot of them and retreated under the pressure of defeat and took refuge in the caves and valleys.
Seljuk silk garment fabric (Getty Images)
Moreover, the Ghaznavids were busy collecting booty, so the Seljuks had the opportunity to reorganize their ranks and fought against the Ghaznavid army in a fierce battle in 1035 AD, which resulted in the victory of the Seljuks and their capture of all of Khorasan.
Despite their victory, the Seljuks made peace with the Ghaznavid sultan and obtained a kind of autonomy, accepting to obey him in exchange for his acknowledgment of their country.
This recognition and stability that resulted from it helped them consolidate their influence, extend their authority, and establish a sultanate in Khorasan that would be equal to the Ghaznavids.
Then the Seljuks began to organize raids and carry out rebellions and achieved victories over the Ghaznavids, and their power became a threat to the Ghaznavid state, so the Sultan ordered to prepare a large army to fight them, and the two armies met near the city of Sarkhs in 1037 AD, and a fierce battle took place in which the Seljuks won again.
The Battle of Sarkhs constituted a major turning point in the history of the Seljuks, after the end of the battle, Tughrul Bey marched his army to Nishapur (in present-day Iran), seized it, sat on the throne of Sultan Mas'ud and declared himself Sultan, and then sent a letter to the Abbasid caliph "Qa'im bi-Amr Allah" asking him to recognize his new state.
This date is the actual beginning of the establishment of the Seljuk state, as it became a political entity and geographical space, and its leaders met to install Tughrul Bey Sultan, who immediately began to exercise his leadership, political and administrative duties.
This state was called the "Great Seljuk State" to distinguish it from the Seljuk states that arose after its disintegration, and since that time it has opened a new page for the Khorasan region, Transoxiana and the Islamic East in general.
In 1038 AD, Sultan Masoud returned to fight the Seljuks, so he left Ghazni at the head of a tractor army that he led himself and fought several battles with the Seljuks and won several victories, but the tiebreaker was in the battle of "Dandangan" in 1040 AD, which resulted in a crushing victory for the Seljuks and put a final end to the rule of the Ghaznavids in Khorasan, and Sultan Masoud did not resist and withdrew completely to India.
The Battle of Dandanagan resulted in a crushing victory for the Seljuks and put a definitive end to the rule of the Ghaznavids (social media)
Expansion phase 1041 AD - 1092 AD
Tughrul Bey was able to gain the recognition of the Abbasid Sultan in 1041 AD, so the Seljuks gained legitimacy and were able to expand the borders of their kingdom at a tremendous speed.
Expansion in Transoxiana, Persia and Iraq
After they settled in their country, the Seljuks began to think about expanding further, and Tughrul Bey began to expand towards Persia, so he headed to it at the head of a large army in 1041 AD, defeating the Iranian Dayalmeh, who were then in control of most parts of Persia and Iraq, and grabbed Gorgan and Tabaristan.
The following year, Hamadhan and Khwarazm came under his control, then he captured everything around them and the Seljuks became the largest power in Persia and beyond the river.
The Seljuk attacks continued and they annexed Rai, which became their capital, then they conquered Isfahan, Kerman and Tabriz, and with this expansion all the provinces of Persia were subdued from the Caspian Sea in the north to Kerman in the south, thus ending the state of Dayalma.
Then an agreement was concluded between the Seljuks and the Buyid king, the ruler of Baghdad, and Tughrul Bey entered it in 1055 AD to enter the conquerors and received in a rally that included state notables, princes and ministers, and the caliph recognized him as Sultan over the areas that were in his possession and Iraq became within his sphere of influence.
The Buyid king was then arrested by the Seljuks on charges of inciting the public in Baghdad and taken to the fortress of Tabarak in Rai and remained there until he died.
The Abbasid caliph recognized the fait accompli and ordered the name of the merciful king to be dropped from the sermons in 1055 AD, thus the Buyid state of Daylami disappeared to be replaced by the Seljuk Turkish state.
The Abbasid caliph did not have any real power left and became the spiritual leader, and he began to live on the income generated by fiefdoms allocated to him, and retired to his house and delegated the whole matter to Tughrul Bey, who became the de facto ruler.
The Seljuks then continued their attacks towards Transoxiana during the reign of Sultan Malik Shah, and were able to subdue Bukhara and Samarkand in 1089.
View of Van Castle in Turkey and a number of Seljuk tombs. (Anadolu Agency)
Expansion of the territory of the Byzantine state
The actual threat to the Byzantine Empire by the Seljuks had begun during the reign of Emperor Constantine IX Monomacus.
The beginning of the Seljuk orientation towards Anatolia was when Ibrahim (brother of Tughrul Bey) attacked Georgia and Armenia until he reached Manzikert and then continued until he reached Trabzon on the Black Sea, and the Byzantines confronted him and there were severe wars between them in which the Seljuks were able to triumph over the Byzantines and their Armenian and Georgian supporters in the Battle of Kapotron in 1048, then the Byzantines entered into negotiations with the Seljuks.
The negotiations did not succeed and the Byzantine state preferred rapprochement with the Fatimid state in order to stop the Seljuk advance, and in 1054 AD Tughrul Bey penetrated into Armenian lands, conquering the city of Parkery and Salih Argeş in exchange for a ransom that included large quantities of gold and horses.
Tughrul Bey then went to Manzikert (present-day eastern Turkey) and besieged it, but it eluded him, so he went to the city of Arzen and captured it, then returned to the siege of Manzikert, but failed to open it, so he withdrew back to Azerbaijan.
In 1057 AD, the Byzantines were preoccupied with internal strife and conflicts for the throne, so the Seljuks took advantage of the weakness of the outposts and invaded Cappadocia in the heart of Anatolia, attacked Malatya, and the penetration of Qalmash bin Israel (Tughrul Bey's cousin) into the hollow of Asia Minor and the conquest of Konya and Aqsara and their environs.
The Seljuks also penetrated deep into Byzantine territory during the reign of Constantine X Ducas until they reached the city of Sivas in 1059 AD.
Then Tughrul Bey died in 1063 AD and did not have an heir to the throne, and his brother Jagri Bey had died years before him, so the son of Jagri the Elder Alp Arslan took over.
At the beginning of his reign, the new sultan needed to consolidate the pillars of his rule, so he was forced to put down a number of revolutions that took place because of the dispute over the king, starting with the revolution of his cousin Qalmash bin Israel and then the revolution of his uncle Bigo, as well as the separatist movements of the governors such as the revolution of Amir Khatlan, the revolution of Amir Saganian, and the revolution of Amir Kerman.
The expansion of the state began during his reign towards Byzantine lands, and the Seljuk attacks towards it until Tughrul Bey's death were reconnaissance raids and protection of the outposts and were not aimed at stability.
Abu Shuja Alp Arslan bin Sultan Jagri Bey Seljuk laid the foundations of the Seljuk state and expanded its area (social media)
Alp Arslan made a great campaign and invaded the whole of northern Armenia, then captured Ani in 1064 AD with a number of cities and castles in Georgia, and was appointed governor by him in Ani and left a large garrison, and these measures were the beginning of the settlement of the Seljuks in Armenia.
وفي عام 1065م فتح السلاجقة قارص ثم استسلمت لهم جورجيا عام 1068م، واستطاعوا خلال سنتين انتزاع أرجيش وملاذكرد من بيزنطة.
وقد حاول الإمبراطور رومانوس الرابع استرجاع أرمينيا فخرج بجيش كبير لقتال السلاجقة عام 1071م ووقعت بينهما "معركة ملاذكرد"، وكانت نتيجتها انتصار ساحق للسلاجقة وضربة قاضية للبيزنطيين، إذ أسر الإمبراطور مما اضطرهم إلى عقد هدنة مع السلاجقة ودفع فدية مقابل إطلاق سراحه، مع إجبارهم على إطلاق سراح كل الأسرى المسلمين والاعتراف بالحدود التي وصلوا إليها.
وتعد هذه المعركة من المعارك الفاصلة في التاريخ الإسلامي، إذ لم تشكل نصرا عسكريا فحسب، بل كانت انتصارا للدعوة الإسلامية، ففسحت المجال للمسلمين للتغلغل في آسيا الصغرى، كما قضت على التحالف البيزنطي الفاطمي.
وكانت المعركة نكسة في تاريخ الإمبراطورية البيزنطية، فلم يستطع جيشها الوقوف أمام المد السلجوقي الذي تمكّن فيما بعد من التغلغل في آسيا الصغرى وتأسيس سلطنة سلاجقة الروم على يد سليمان بن قتلمش، تحت سيادة دولة السلاجقة العظام في عهد السلطان ملك شاه.
كما استطاعوا في عهده أيضا السيطرة على القوقاز عام 1078م.
التوسع في بلاد الشام
توغّل السلطان ألب أرسلان في الأناضول وهجم على شمال سوريا، وقدّم أمير حلب محمود بن نصر بتقديم له عام 1071م وأصبح حاكما في حلب باسم السلطان السلجوقي.
وقد عزم السلطان على طرد الفاطميين من الشام، فأمر أتسز بن أوق الخوارزمي بالتوجه في حملة إلى الشام فانتزع الرملة وبيت المقدس ويافا وطبريا.
وفي عام 1072م قُتل السلطان على يد أحد الثوار يدعى يوسف الخوارزمي، وانتقل حكم الدولة السلجوقية إلى ابنه ملك شاه وكان شابا في الـ 18 من عمره، فكان لوزيره نظام الملك فضل كبير في إرساء دعائم الدولة وانتصاراتها الحربية والفكرية والعقائدية.
وقد استهل ملك شاه حكمه بقمع الثورات وحركات التمرد وتأمين الحدود من هجمات القراخانيين والغزنويين.
بنيت قلعة الفتاة العظيمة في مدينة ميرف بتركمانستان خلال العصر السلجوقي (شترستوك)
ثم أكمل مسيرة والده فأرسل أتسز من جديد لغزو بلاد الشام فاستطاع دخول دمشق عام 1076م وبسط نفوذه على كامل الشام من حمص إلى أقصى فلسطين؛ عدا الساحل الذي بقي بيد الفاطميين، ثم أرسل السلطان أخاه تتش إلى الشام وولّاه على دمشق.
كما بعث بحملة إلى مصر وكانت تحت حكم الفاطميين، فدخل السلاجقة أراضيها حتى وصلوا القاهرة وحاصروها ولكنهم لم يتمكنوا من فتحها ورجعوا إلى الشام.
وفي عام 1092م توفي ملك شاه وقد بلغت الدولة في عهده أقصى اتساعها وذروة قوتها من بحيرة خوارزم شمالا إلى حدود الصين جنوبا ومن حدود الصين شرقا إلى سواحل البحر الأبيض غربا.
مرحلة الضعف والانقسام 1092م- 1141م
انقضى بموت ملك شاه العصر الذهبي لدولة السلاجقة العظام وبدأ عهد الانقسامات السياسية والحروب بين ورثة العرش السلجوقي، مما أدى إلى تشتيت صفوفهم وإضعاف سلطتهم.
وبمجرد وفاته وقع انقسام كبير بسبب التنازع على الحكم، وكان الصراع قائما بين أنصار ابنه الأكبر بركياروق بن زبيدة ابنة عم ملك شاه الذي كان يبلغ من العمر 13 عاما ويقيم في أصفهان، وبين تركان خاتون زوجة ملك شاه ذات النفوذ الواسع التي كانت في بغداد وكانت تصرّ أن يخلف ابنها محمود والده، رغم عمره الذي لم يكن يتجاوز 4 سنوات.
واستطاعت تركان خاتون أن تنتزع اعتراف الخليفة العباسي لابنها وتمت مبايعته عام 1092م، واشترط الخليفة العباسي أن تكون السلطنة لمحمود والخطبة له، وأن يتولى الأمير أنر قيادة الجيوش وتدبيرها ورعاية البلاد، وأما الوزير تاج الملك أبو الغنائم فله جباية الأموال وترتيب العمال.
وحتى تضمن تركان خاتون السلطنة لابنها سجنت بركياروق، ولكن لم يمض وقت طويل حتى تمكن أنصاره من إخراجه من السجن ونصَّبوه سلطانا على أصفهان، وأصبحت دولة السلاجقة يحكمها سلطانان، محمود في بغداد وبركياروق في أصفهان.
وبعد صراع شديد بين الطرفين هُزمت توركان خاتون، وأجبرت على دفع 500 ألف دينار لبركياروق على أن تبقى أصفهان وبلاد فارس لابنها محمود، بينما تخضع باقي أراضي البلاد لحكم بركياروق.
ومع ذلك فقد استمر النزاع بينهما حتى مرض السلطان محمود وتوفي عام 1094م، عندئذ نُصّب بركياروق سلطانا على جميع السلاجقة ونال اعتراف الخليفة العباسي بذلك.
ولم يستقر الأمر للسلطان، فقد كان بانتظاره إخماد النزاع مع عمه تتش حاكم دمشق وما جاورها الذي استغل الصراع بين أبناء أخيه على السلطة فأراد الحكم لنفسه، فاتجه نحو العراق وأخضع الموصل وأعلن نفسه سلطانا وطلب اعتراف الخليفة الذي أخذ يماطل.
وعقد الجانبان عددا من التحالفات وخاضا صراعات وحروبا مريرة، حتى استقر الأمر لبركياروق بعد مقتل عمه في معركة عنيفة عند قرية داشلو عام 1095م.
كما واجه بركياروق صراعا آخر على جبهة خراسان، إذ قام عمه أرسلان أرغون بعد وفاة ملك شاه بإخضاع مرو وبلخ وترمذ وسائر خراسان، وكتب إلى ابن أخيه يعلن ولاءه ويطلب الاعتراف بحكمه، ولم يستطع بركياروق مجابهة عمه لأنه كان مشغولا بحروبه مع أخيه محمود.
رداء سلجوقي من إيران أو آسيا الوسطى معروض في المتحف الوطني للبحر في باريس (الفرنسية)
فلما استقر له الأمر أرسل عدة حملات بقيادة عمه بوربرس ثم أخيه سنجر وآخرها قادها بنفسه، حيث انطلق إلى نيسابور لمجابهة الفتنة، غير أن عمه أرسلان أرغون كان في غضون ذلك قد قتل على يد أحد غلمانه.
وبعد انتهاء فتنة أرسلان أرغون دانت خراسان كلها للسلطان عام 1097، فولى عليها أخاه سنجر، وكان واليا على بلاد ما وراء النهر أيضا.
وما إن استقر الحكم نسبيا في يد بركياروق حتى اندلع النزاع من جديد، وهذه المرة بين بركياروق وأخويه الأوسط محمد والأصغر سنجر، وهما من أم واحدة وهي الجارية تاج الدين خاتون السفرية، فاصطفا ضد بركياروق واستمر هذا النزاع 5 سنوات بين عامي 1099م و1104م.
وفي عام 1099م اعترف الخليفة بمحمد سلطانا، وبهذا أصبح للسلاجقة سلطانان معترف بهما من الخليفة في آن واحد، فاصطدما في معارك عديدة وتداولا النصر والهزيمة، وطالت الحروب حتى أنهكت الجانبين وعمّ الفساد والخراب والاضطراب.
وانتهت الحرب بعقد صلح، وتقاسم الأخوة الثلاثة أراضي الدولة السلجوقية، فسيطر محمد على المناطق الشمالية وبركياروق على الأقاليم الجنوبية، أما سنجر فله خراسان وبلاد ما وراء النهر.
وبعد حوالي عام من تاريخ الصلح، مرض بركياروق ثم توفي عام 1104م، وكان شابا في الـ 24 من العمر وقد عهد بالحكم من بعده لابنه ملك شاه وكان طفلا يبلغ من العمر 5 أعوام، فلم يسمح له عمه محمد بتولي الحكم وسيطر على البلاد.
وقد حكم السلطان محمد ما يقارب 13 عاما قضاها في التصدي للإسماعلية حتى توفي عام 1118م على إثر مرض مزمن ألمّ به وكان عمره قد ناهز 37 عاما.
ثم تولى الحكم من بعده ابنه محمود وكان حينئذ في الـ 14 من عمره، لكن عمه سنجر لم يكن ليقبل بهذا الأمر وأعلن نفسه سلطانا على السلاجقة، مما أدى إلى اندلاع القتال بين سنجر وابن أخيه محمود.
وانقضى القتال بإبرام صلح قبل فيه محمود كل شروط عمه، فقرر السلطان سنجر اختياره وليا لعهده ونائبا عنه في العراق، وهكذا تأسست دولة سلاجقة العراق وظل السلطان محمود يحكمها لمدة 14 عاما.
وفي الواقع كانت دولة السلاجقة العظام قد تفككت عقب وفاة بركياروق، وأصبح كل جزء في الدولة تابعا لحاكم مستقل:
- الأجزاء الشرقية تخضع لحكم سنجر
- الأجزاء الشمالية تخضع لحكم أخيه محمد
- بلاد الشام فتحت سيطرة أبناء تتش
- آسيا الصغرى تحت حكم أبناء سليمان بن قتلمش
- كرمان تحت حكم أسرة قارد
- استقل الأتابكة في ديار بكر وأرمينية
وأخذت جماعة الحشاشين في الاستيلاء على القلاع والتحصن فيها، وبسط الصليبيون سيطرتهم على مناطق الحدود الغربية وأجزاء من بلاد الشام وفلسطين وكانت الخلافة العباسية في بغداد في فترة ضعف وغير قادرة على السيطرة.
التهديد السلجوقي للدولة البيزنطية بدأ في عهد الإمبراطور قسطنطين التاسع مونوماكوس (مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي)
الغزو الصليبي
شكّلت حالة الانقسام والضعف شرخا في جسم الدولة استطاع أن ينفذ من خلاله الصليبيون وعدد من الفِرق الإسلامية كالحشاشين الذين تمكنوا من توطيد نفوذهم وسيطرتهم.
ففي أثناء الصراعات المريرة من أجل الحكم بدأت الهجمات الصليبية على بلاد المسلمين، فهزم الصليبيون سلطان سلاجقة الروم قليج أرسلان في الأناضول عام 1097م، والأمير التركماني كربوغا في أنطاكيا عام 1098م، ثم عبروا ساحل الشام فمروا بطرابلس التي أعلنت ولاءها لهم واستولوا على القدس عام 1099م، بالإضافة إلى عدد من المدن الفلسطينية وأسسوا إمارتي أنطاكية والرها ومملكة بيت المقدس.
وبسبب هذا الخلاف على الحكم لم تتكاتف الدويلات المتناحرة في دفع خطر الصليبيين، وتكبدت دولة سلاجقة الروم خسائر كبيرة في أراضيها، وبسط الصليبيون سيطرتهم على مساحات واسعة من بلاد الشام.
كما أدى الانقسام والتشرذم إلى ازدياد نفوذ دعوة "النزارية الإسماعيلية الحشيشية" برئاسة الحسن بن الصباح التي شكلت أحد أبرز التحديات التي واجهت الصعود السلجوقي.
وكان الحسن بن الصباح قد اتصل ببلاط ملك شاه وحاول التغلغل فيه، ولما عُرف عن نشاط فرقة الحشاشين مع الفاطميين هرب إلى الري ثم حصّن نفسه وأتباعه في قلاع متناثرة في أقاليم وعرة مثل أقاليم بحر قزوين.
وتراوحت سياسة ملك شاه مع الصباح بين المهادنة والمقاومة، فقد أرسل له بعض فقهاء أهل السنة لمناظرته لكن من دون جدوى، فقد ردّ بمهاجمة قلاعهم ولكنه لم ينجح في القضاء عليهم.
واستغل الحشاشون النزاعات داخل الأسرة السلجوقية بعد وفاة ملك شاه، فأخذت حركتهم تتوسع وتستولي على كثير من الأماكن الحصينة، وتتسللت إلى بلاد السلاجقة وإلى جيوشهم، وكان بركياروق مشغولا بالصراعات الدائرة على السلطة فلم يرغب بمحاربتهم، بل أراد الاستفادة من قوتهم فكثروا في صفوف جيشه وزاد بأسهم.
ثم تفطّن السلطان وخشي أن يستفحل أمرهم، فبدأ بالتصدي لهم عام 1101م وشرع في ملاحقتهم في الأقاليم وقتالهم، ولكنه لم يستطع إيقاف استفحال أمرهم، ومع تنامي ضعف الدولة وتفككها عظم نفوذ الحشاشين وأصبحوا قوة لا تقهر.
وعندما تولى السلطان محمد بن بركياروق الحكم ركز على حرب الحشاشين والإسماعيلية، وشن عليهم هجمات متتالية فأباد الكثير منهم.
وكذلك طاردهم أخوه سنجر في خراسان عام 1104م وقتل أعدادا منهم وحاصرهم في القلاع والقرى، ثم عقد معهم صلحا على ألا يبنوا حصنا ولا يشتروا سلاحا ولا يدعوا أحدا إلى مذهبهم.
وقد استفاد الحشاشون والإسماعيلية كثيرا من وفاة السلطان محمد، فاستغلوا الفرصة للنهوض والانتشار من جديد، لا سيما مع انشغال السلاجقة في الصراع الدائر على الحكم الذي أعقب وفاته، وتمكنوا خلال 15 سنة أعقبت وفاة السلطان محمد من تمديد نفوذهم إلى بلاد الشام ومن الاستيلاء على بعض القلاع والحصون.
وتمكّن الحسن الصباح من ضم المنطقة الواقعة جنوبي بحر قزوين برمتها، وكانت بمنزلة أول دولة للإسماعيلية، إضافة إلى ولاية قهستان، وظلّت كذلك حتى قضى عليهم المغول.
مهرجان "جورجيا ديدجوري" يحيي ذكرى انتصار مملكة جورجيا في معركة ديدجوري التاريخية عام 1121 ضد الإمبراطورية السلجوقية العظمى (وكالة الأنباء الأوروبية)
Fall and collapse phase 1141-1157
After the death of Sultan Mahmud, Sanjar was declared the supreme sultan of the Seljuks and was able to subdue all rebellions in his state and form the hearts of those who coveted the king from his family, which led to the stability of the Seljuk state and thus deserved the title of Sultan of all the Seljuk kingdoms.
His influence extended to the rest of the country, minted currency in his name in all these provinces, and Sultan Sanjar was able to restore prestige, unity and strength to the Seljuk state.
Then the state began to decline in the second half of his reign, and the "Battle of Qatwan" in 1141 AD constituted a decisive point at the beginning of the fall of the Seljuk state, as the Seljuks led by Singer met with the armies of the northern Chinese Karakhtas led by King Kurkhan, and the Chinese were able to defeat the Seljuks crushing and kill a large number of them, and they were able to capture Sanjar and seize Transoxiana.
The Battle of Qatwan was a natural consequence of the expansion of the Buddhist Karachtin state, which became adjacent to the borders of the Seljuk state, and friction and skirmishes took place between them, which resulted in fighting.
Istez, Sultan of Khwarazm, took advantage of Sanjar's defeat and captured Ferns, then Merv, Nishapur, and Behaq, but Korkhan later attacked them and brought them under his rule.
The Puzzle Revolt of 1153 AD was the last sedition that eliminated the great Seljuks in the Levant.
Al-Ghaz was one of the Muslim Turkish tribes that inhabit Transoriana, so when the Karakhti state seized it after the Battle of Qatwan, the Qarakhati expelled the Ghaz and fled to Khorasan, so skirmishes occurred between them and its rulers, which led to an armed clash between the two sides.
The Sultan asked them to leave the country, but they refused, so he prepared a campaign that he led himself, which resulted in the defeat of the Seljuks, killing many of them, capturing the Sultan and a group of princes, and the mystery swept through Merv and Nishapur and wreaked havoc and destruction in the country.
Sultan Sanjar was able after 3 years to escape from captivity with a group of his princes, and went towards Khorasan to gather the diaspora of his king, which was distributed among his relatives and Mamluks, so a number of princes and kings responded to him, but his days did not last, as he died in 1157 AD at the age of 72 years, and he was the last of the great Seljuk sultans.
After the death of Sultan Sanjar, the Abbasid caliph took advantage of the stage of collapse of the Seljuk state, so he used Aladdin Teksh al-Khwarizmi to fight the Seljuks of Iraq led by Sultan Tughrul, in exchange for his fiefdom from Nishapur to irrigation.
Indeed, the two sides fought close to irrigation in 1194 AD, and the Seljuk army was defeated and Sultan Tughrul was killed, and this defeat removed the Seljuk state in Iraq.
The Khwarizmians ended up controlling the Seljuk state in Khorasan, Kerman and Iraq, and the rule of the Seljuks of the Levant had disappeared long before that, while the Seljuk state of Rum lasted until the 14th century AD.
The Seljuks moved to Bukhara in 1020 AD and established an alliance with the ruler of Bukhara and became a feared military force (Leonardo)
The most prominent sultans of the state
Sultan Tughrul Bey 1037-1063 AD
Abu Talib Muhammad ibn Mikael ibn Seljuk is the true founder of the Seljuk state and the first of its sultans, extending his control and influence until he included Khorasan, Persia and Iraq and achieved great victories in Byzantium and Georgia.
He fought and eliminated the Buyid state, and the Seljuk state of his time witnessed a great tribute to the scholars and Sufi sheikhs.
Sultan Alp Arslan 1063-1072 AD
He is Abu Shuja Alp Arslan bin Sultan Jagri Bey Seljuk, laid the foundations of the Seljuk state and expanded its area extending from the far reaches of Transomiana to the Levant and Asia Minor, and established for his successors a strong and stable state.
During his reign, scientific and cultural activities reached their peak, and a great renaissance arose in economic and commercial life, and his minister established regular schools, which gained international fame and became a wonderful example to be followed in building states and making generations.
Sultan Malik Shah 1072-1092 AD
He is Abu al-Fath king Shah bin Sultan Alp Arslan bin Jaghri Bey Seljuk, one of the greatest Seljuk sultans, during his reign the state reached its maximum breadth and the peak of its power.
His era knew a scientific and military renaissance, excelled in wars, raising urbanization, digging canals, erecting bridges and castles, and the features of high-end civilization appeared throughout his kingdom, as he dropped excise and taxes and established the rules of security and justice.
A picture from the Turkish city of Van containing a number of historical mosques and Seljuk tombs (Anadolu Agency)
Sultan Mahmud bin Malik Shah 1092 AD-1094 AD
He is the supporter of the world and the religion Mahmud bin Malik Shah bin Alp Arslan Seljuk, took over the Sultanate young at the age of four in a period that began to weaken the state, and his rule lasted only two years The power struggle remained continuous between his mother Turkan Khatun and his older brother Berkiaroq, until Mahmud fell ill and then died, leaving the rule to his brother.
Sultan Berkiaroq bin Malik Shah 1094 AD-1104 AD
Rukn al-Din Berkiaroq bin Malik Shah bin Alp Arslan the Seljuk, ruled the state for nearly 11 years spent in successive conflicts and violent wars in order to maintain his throne, and died young at a time when disintegration began to gnaw the bones of the Sultanate.
Sultan Muhammad bin Malik Shah 1104 AD-1118 AD
He is Ghiyath al-Din Abu Shuja Muhammad bin Malik Shah bin Alp Arslan Seljuk recognized by the Caliph as Sultan in 1099 AD during the rule of his brother Sultan Berkyarok, and thus the Seljuks became two sultans at the same time, collided in fierce battles that resulted in the reconciliation and division of the state and Muhammad controlled the northern regions of it.
He was unique in power after the death of his brother, and his era was characterized by focusing on the war of the Assassins and limiting their expansion in a way that none of the sultans had preceded him.
Sultan Sanjar bin Malik Shah 1118 AD-1157 AD
Mu'izz al-Din Abu al-Harith Sanjar ibn Malik Shah ibn Alp Arslan al-Seljuk, was the last of the great Seljuk sultans, and he was able to subdue all rebellions in his state and form the hearts of those who covet the king from his family and restore prestige, unity, strength and stability to the Seljuk state.
His reign witnessed impressive successes militarily and culturally, and his era became one of the important eras in the history of Persian literature because of his encouragement of science and writing.
But in the second half of his reign he suffered severe defeats, especially in the Battle of Qatwan and the Gaza Revolution, which led to the collapse of the state, and with his death the great Seljuk state ended.