The Great Seljuk ruler Sultan Alparslan, whom we know as the commander of the Battle of Manzikert, which opened the gates of Anatolia to the Turks forever in 1071, had been a soldier whose life passed with wars and rebellions before this great victory. Let’s take a closer look at who Sultan Alparslan is and see his life spent with wars.
Before settling in the Anatolian lands we live in today, there were many states, especially Byzantium. With the Battle of Manzikert, which took place in the borders of today’s Muş province in 1071, the gates of Anatolia were opened to the Turks forever. After that day, nothing was the same again. The commander of this great victory was the Great Seljuk ruler of the time, Sultan Alparslan.
We all know the name of Sultan Alparslan with the victory of Manzikert, but what he experienced during his accession to the throne and during his reign is very important. Because under the conditions of that period, there were many small and large states and there were endless wars between them. Bride Who is the Great Seljuk ruler Sultan Alparslan? Let’s take a closer look and see the details you need to know about his life.
Who is Sultan Alparslan? An heir to the throne with the power of the sword:
Alparslan, who is estimated to have been born between 1029 and 1032, although it is not certain, nephew of Tugrul Bey, the Seljuk sultan of the period and one of the founders of the state, the Governor of Khorasan, Çağrı Bey. Alparslan, who grew up in the harsh conditions of the first years of the state, gained his first success in the Dandanakan War. After his father died, he became the Governor of Khorasan.
Tuğrul Bey chose his nephews as his heir, since he had no children. When he died in 1063, the vizier Amid ul-Mulk, Alparslan’s brother Suleiman was enthroned in the city of Rey. However, Alparslan and many administrators did not accept this and announced his sultanate by giving a sermon on behalf of Alparslan in the city of Kazvin.
When Kutalmış, son of Arslan Yabgu, besieged the city of Rey with the soldiers under his command, the vizier Amid ül-Mülk asked for help from Alparslan. When Alparslan defeated Kutalmış In the city of Rey, a sermon was delivered on his behalf and he was officially enthroned as Sultan Alparslan, the ruler of the Great Seljuk State. Later, he made Nizamülmülk a vizier.
Sultan Alparslan begins his campaigns as soon as he ascends the throne:
The Great Seljuk ruler Sultan Alparslan started to organize expeditions to Georgia and the Eastern Anatolia Region as soon as he ascended the throne. By coming to the border of Kars and Ani under Byzantine rule It has reached the gates of Anatolia, which it will open in the future. Abbasid Caliph Kaim bi-Emrillah gave him the title of Ebu’-Feth because of this conquest.
During this period, Turkish raiders were organizing expeditions to Anatolia. Turkish raiders advanced as far as Kayseri, Malatya, Konya, Afyon and They inflicted great losses on the Byzantine army. The Byzantine emperor of the period, Romanian Diogenes, organized expeditions to remove the Turkish raiders from Anatolia and advanced as far as Aleppo, but these expeditions were inconclusive.
In 1067, Sultan Alparslan went on a Georgia expedition again. He conquered the cities of Shekki and Tbilisi, making the region safe. On the one hand, expeditions were continuing in the Middle East and Eastern Anatolia Region. Sultan Alparslan was advancing step by step towards the Manzikert Plain and soon encountered the Byzantine army.
Sultan Alparslan changes the fate of the Turks and the world forever:
The Turkish army and the Byzantine army under the command of Sultan Alparslan, the Great Seljuk ruler, On August 26, 1071, they faced each other on the Malazgirt Plain, which is today within the borders of Muş. The Byzantine army was much larger, but Sultan Alparslan was determined. As a Turkish-Islamic custom, he wore white clothes as a shroud and had his horse’s tail tied.
The Byzantine emperor Romanian Diogenes was also aware of the importance of this war. When the attack of Turkish archers started at noon, Byzantium suffered a great loss. Ambushes were being set up, retreats were taking place, there were those who changed sides, so there was a full field battle. At the end of the day, the winner was Sultan Alparslan, Romanian Diogenes was taken prisoner, and that day, the gates of Anatolia were opened to the Turks forever.
After the Battle of Manzikert, Byzantium fell into a great mess. Romanian Diogenes was held captive for a long time in exchange for large taxes. When he finally returned to his country, VII. He saw Michael pass by. In the struggle between miles in your eyes and was exiled to Kinaliada. He died there due to the infection he had. Due to Diogenes’ death, the tax treaty was declared void.
The death of Sultan Alparslan, whose life passed through wars, became a treacherous dagger:
A Turkish state that ruled between 840 and 1212. Between the Karakhanids and the Great Seljuk State There were great conflicts. Against the campaign of the Karakhanids against the Seljuk lands, in 1072, Sultan Alparslan organized an expedition to the Turkestan region with an army of 200 thousand people.
During the expedition, the Berzem Castle was besieged. After a while, the siege succeeded and the castle was surrendered. The castle commander Yusuf Harizmi, who came before Sultan Alparslan, with a small dagger in his boot wounded the sultan. Sultan Alparslan, the ruler of the Great Seljuk State, died four days later due to the wound he received. After his death, his son Melikşah took the throne.
Sultan Alparslan’s wife and children:
According to the information from that period to the present The wives of Sultan Alparslan are Ekke Hatun and Seferiye Hatun. The children of these two wives are Melikşah, Tacüddevle Tutuş, İzzeddin Arslan Argun, Böri Bars, Tuğrul, Ayaz, Togan, Arslan, Melik Tekiş, Ayşe, Züleyha and Fülane Hatun. Even though we know him as Alparslan, his birth name is Muhammed bin Davud Çağrı. He is estimated to have been 43 years old when he died.
Why is Sultan Alparslan an important historical figure?
The importance of Sultan Alparslan, the Great Seljuk ruler, for both Turkish history and world history, of course, by winning the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Anatolia is opening its doors to the Turks. After that day, the number of Turks in Anatolian lands increased rapidly, numerous principalities and states were established, and one of them, the Ottoman Principality, became first a state and then an empire and ruled all over the world for hundreds of years.
During the reign of Sultan Alparslan, there were many small and large Turkish states and there was a constant conflict between them. Although the first reason for the expeditions he organized was to protect the Great Seljuk State and expand its borders, he brought the Turks together in every region he conquered and tried to unite them under one flag. Maybe if he had not died at such an early age, he would have succeeded in doing all this in his own time.
Sultan Alparslan series Alparslan: Great Seljuk
Alparslan: The Great Seljuk, a continuation of the TV series Awakening: The Great Seljuk, broadcast on TRT. Starting from the youth of Sultan Alparslan The story that leads to the victory of Manzikert is told step by step. While Sultan Alparslan is played by Barış Arduç, famous actors give life to many other characters.
Winning the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, opening the doors of Anatolia to the Turks Who is the Great Seljuk ruler Sultan Alparslan? By answering the question, we talked about the details you need to know about his life spent with wars. You can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.