Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, known commonly by his Turkish ceremonial name, Alp Arslan, was the second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire and grandson of the eponymous founder of the Seljuk Dynasty, Seljuq Beg. As Sultan of the Turks, Alp Arslan greatly expanded the borders of the Seljuk Empire, defeating his southern and Northwestern neighbors. However, his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert ended his reputation for is military prowess and fighting skills. The defeat also ushered in an age of instability within the empire (that was made worse by his abdication and subsequent death) that contributed substantially to the empire's collapse in 1092.
Byzantine Struggle and his role in TTL[]
The Byzantines and Seljuks had tense relations, spurred by constant Seljuk raiding, be they authorized or not, and the seizure of territory around Lake Van, including the cities of Ani, Mazikert (present-day Malizgurt, Turkey), and Ablat. Upon the ascendance of Romanos IV, the stage was set for war
The Roman Victory at Manzikert', by John Alexios.
Although a brief peace was established, war fired up again in 1071 AD. At Manzikert, the Turks were decisively defeated by the forces of Romanos IV and the Turks were completely routed. In the following months, much of the gains the Turks had made in the northwest were lost and soon, Alp Arslan was forced to sign a humiliating treaty that neutralized the Turks as a major threat. The Turkish economy was depleted and its army was practically destroyed.
Abdication and Death[]
After the war, the empire entered into an age of instability and turmoil. Rightfully fearing that civil war was imminent, he abdicated on December 11. He died four days later.
Aftermath and Legacy[]
Alp Arslan, though dying as a humiliated man in his final days, was subsequently glorified by the Seljuk people as an ethnic hero who expanded the Seljuk empire and stood up to the Byzantines. His ceremonial name, Alp Arslan, his ceremonial name, was still commonly used even after his death and various Turkic politicians and generals, have looked up to the former leader.
After his death, the empire further destabilized under Malik-Shah I. The burden placed on him that was created by Alp Arslan's failure at Manzikert proved simply to difficult to solve. This contributed to the instability that followed the 1092 succession crisis that followed his death.
| |||||||||||||||||