Alp Arslan (honorific in Turkic which means "Heroic or nice Lion"; in Persian: آلپ ارسلان; Arabic epithet: Diyā ad-Dunyā was ad-Dīn Adud ad-Dawlah Abu Shujā' Muhammad Ālp Ārslan ibn Dawūd, Persian: ضياء الدنيا و الدين عضد الدولة ابو شجاع محمد آلپ ارسلان ابن داود; twenty Jan 1029 – twenty-four Gregorian calendar month 1072), real name: Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second ruler of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the name founding father of the family line. He swelled the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to the south and northwest, and his triumph over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, ushered in the Turkoman settlement of Asia Minor.[2] For his military artistry and fighting skills, he obtained the name mount Arslan, which implies "Heroic Lion" in Turkish.
Early life
Alp Arslan was the son of Chaghri and kinsman of Tughril, the instauration Sultans of the Seljuk Empire. His grandpa was Mikail, a United Nations agency who successively was the son of the military leader Seljuk. He was the daddy of diverse kids, together with Malik-Shah I and Tutush I.[3] it's unclear United Nations agency the mother or mothers of his kids were. He was famous to possess been married a minimum of double. His wives enclosed the widow of his uncle Tughril, a Kara-Khanid blue blood called Aka Khatun, and therefore the girl or kinswoman of Bagrat IV of Georgia (who would later marry his functionary, Nizam al-Mulk).[4] one in every of Seljuk's alternative sons was the Turkic chieftain Arslan Isra'il, whose son, Kutalmish, oppose his nephew's succession to the land. mount 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, United Nations agency would later become grand Turk of Rûm), was a significant opponent of the Franks throughout the primary Crusade and therefore the Crusade of 1101.[5]
Early career
Alp Arslan accompanied his uncle Tughril on campaigns within the south against the Fatimids whereas his father Chaghri remained in Khorasan. Upon mount Arslan's come to Khorasan, he began his add administration at his father's suggestion. whereas there, his father introduced him to Nizam al-Mulk, one of the foremost eminent statesmen in early Muslim history and mount Arslan's future official.[6]
After the death of his father, mount Arslan succeeded him as governor of Khorasan in 1059. His uncle Tughril died in 1063 and had selected his successor as Suleiman, Arslan's kid brother. Arslan and his uncle Kutalmish each oppose this succession that was resolved at the battle of Damghan in 1063. Arslan defeated Kutalmish for the throne and succeeded on twenty-seven Gregorian calendar month 1064 as swayer of the Seljuk Empire, so changing into the sole monarch of Persia from the watercourse Oxus to the river. In 1064 he crystal rectified a campaign in Georgia throughout which he captured the regions between the capital and also the Çoruh watercourse, Akhalkalaki, and Alaverdi.[7] Bagrat IV submitted to paying jizya to the Seljuks however the Georgians poor the agreement in 1065. [8] mount Arslan invaded Georgia once more in 1068, he captured the capital when a brief battle and obtained the submission of Bagrat IV, but the Georgians freed themselves from Seljuk rule around 1073-1074.[8][9]
In consolidating his empire and subduing competitive factions, Arslan was with competence power-assisted by Nizam al-Mulk, and also the 2 square measure attributable with serving to stabilize the empire when the death of Tughril. With peace and security established in his dominions, Arslan convoked AN assembly of the states and in 1066, he declared his son leader crowned head I his heir and successor.[10] With the hope of capturing Caesarea Mazaca, the capital of Cappadocia, he placed himself at the top of the Turkoman[11] cavalry, crossed the Euphrates River, and entered and invaded the town. at the side of Nizam al-Mulk, he then marched into Armenia and Georgia, which he conquered in 1064.[12] when an encirclement of twenty-five days, the Seljuks captured cuckoo, the capital town of Armenia.[13] AN account of the sack and massacres in cuckoo is given by the student Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, World Health Organization quotes AN looker saying:
Putting the Persian steel to figure, they spared nobody... One might see there the grief and catastrophe of each age of humankind. for kids were ravished from the embraces of their mothers and unmercifully hurled against rocks, whereas the mothers drenched them with tears and blood... the town became stuffed from one finish to the opposite with bodies of the slain and [the bodies of the slain] became a road. [...] the military entered the town, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, deed it in ruins and taking unfortunate all people who remained alive...The dead bodies were such a big amount that they blocked the streets; one couldn't go anyplace while not stepping over them. and also the range of prisoners wasn't but fifty,000 souls. I used to be determined to enter a town and see the destruction with my very own eyes. I attempted to seek out a street within which I might not shell the corpses; however, that was not possible.[14]
Family
One of his wives was Safariyya Khatun. She had a female offspring,[21] Sifri Khatun,[22] United Nations agency in 1071–72, married Abbasid Muhammadan Al-Muqtadi.[23][21] Safariyya died in the metropolis in 1073–4.[23] Another of his wives was Akka Khatun. She had been erstwhile the married person of grand Turk Tughril. mountain Arslan married her once Tughril's death in 1063.[23] Another of his wives was Shah Khatun. She was the female offspring of Qadir Khan Yusuf and had been erstwhile married to Ghaznavid Mas'ud.[21][23][24] Another of his wives was the female offspring of the Georgian king Bagrat. They married in 1067–68. He singles her presently once and married her to Fadlun.[21] His sons were Malik-Shah I, Tutush I, Tekish, and Arslan Arghun.[25] one of all his daughters married the son of Kurd Surkhab, son of Bard in 1068.[23] Another female offspring, Zulaikha Khatun, was married to a Muslim, son of Quraish in 1086–7.[23] Another female offspring, Aisha Khatun married Shams al-Mulk Nasr, son of Ibrahim Khan Tamghach.[23]
Death
After Manzikert, the dominion of mount Arslan extended overabundant of western Asia. He is presently ready to march for the conquest of the geographic region, the initial seat of his ancestors. With a strong army, he advanced to the banks of the Oxus. Before he may pass the stream with safety, however, it had been necessary to subdue sure fortresses, one amongst that was for many days smartly defended by the Kurdish rebel, Yusuf al-Kharezmi or Yusuf al-Harani. maybe over-eager to continue against his Qarakhanid enemy, mount Arslan gained the governor's submission by promising the rebel ‘perpetual possession of his lands’. once Yusuf al-Harani was brought before him, the grand Turk ordered that he be shot, however before the archers may raise their bows Yusuf took a knife and threw himself at mount Arslan, hanging 3 blows before being slain. Four days in a while twenty-four November 1072, mount Arslan died and was buried at Merv, having selected his 18-year-old son leader monarch as his successor.[20]
