Danishmends
Encyclopedia
The Danishmend dynasty was a Turcoman
dynasty
that ruled in north-central and eastern Anatolia
in the 11th and 12th centuries. The centered originally around Sivas, Tokat
, and Niksar
in central-northeastern Anatolia
, they extended as far west as Ankara
and Kastamonu
for a time, and as far south as Malatya
, which they captured in 1103. In early 12th century, Danishmends were rivals of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, which controlled much of the territory surrounding the Danishmend lands, and they fought extensively with the Crusaders
.
for whom historical information is rather scarce and was generally written long after his death.
His title or name, Dānishmand or more accurately Dāneshmand, means "learned man" in . As of 1134, Danishmend dynasty leaders also held the title Melik
(the King) bestowed in recognition of their military successes by the Abbasid caliph
Al-Mustarshid
, although the Bey
s (Emir
s) of Danishmend prior to 1134 may also be retrospectively referred to as Melik. Danishmend Gazi himself was alternatively called "Danishmend Taylu".
in 1071, in which the Seljuks defeated the Byzantine Empire
and captured most of Anatolia. Gazi took advantage of the dynastic struggles of the Seljuks upon the death of the Sultan Suleyman I of Rûm
in 1086 to establish his own dynasty in central Anatolia. The capital was likely first established in Amasia
.
In 1100, Gazi's son, Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin
. captured Bohemond I of Antioch, who remained in their captivity until 1103. A Seljuk-Danishmend alliance was also responsible for defeating the Crusade of 1101
.
In 1116, the Danishmends helped Mesud I become the Seljuk sultan.
In 1130 Bohemond II of Antioch was killed in a battle with Gazi Gümüshtigin
, after coming to the aid of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
, which Gümüshtigin had invaded. Gümüshtigin died in 1134 and his son and successor Mehmed did not have the martial spirit of his father and grandfather. He is nevertheless considered the first builder of Kayseri as a Turkish city, despite his relatively short period of reign.
When Mehmed died in 1142, the Danishmend lands were divided between his two brothers, Melik Yaghibasan, who maintained the title of "Melik" and ruled from Sivas, and Ayn el-Devle, who ruled from Malatya
.
In 1155, Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan II
attacked Melik Yaghibasan, who sought help from Nur ad-Din, the Zengid emir of Mosul
. However, when Nur ad-Din died in 1174, the Sivas lands were incorporated into the Sultanate. Four years later, the Malatya Danishmends were defeated and also incorporated, marking the end of Danishmend rule.
Virtually all Danishmend rulers entered the traditions of the Turkish folk literature
, where they are all referred to as "Melik Gazi". Hence, there are "tombs of Melik Gazi", many of which are much visited shrines and belong in fact to different Danishmend rulers, in the cities of Niksar
, Bünyan
, Kırşehir
, along the River Zamantı near the castle of the same name (Zamantı) and elsewhere in Anatolia
, and Melikgazi
is also the name of one of the central districts of the city of Kayseri
. The same uniformity in appellations in popular parlance may also apply to other edifices built by Danishmends.
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
that ruled in north-central and eastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
in the 11th and 12th centuries. The centered originally around Sivas, Tokat
Tokat
Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey, at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. According to the 2009 census, the city of Tokat has a population of 129,879.-History:Tokat was established in the Hittite era....
, and Niksar
Niksar
Niksar is a city in Tokat Province, Turkey. It has been settled by many empires over the centuries, and it was once the capital city of the province.At 350 m...
in central-northeastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, they extended as far west as Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Kastamonu
Kastamonu
Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
for a time, and as far south as Malatya
Malatya
Malatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
, which they captured in 1103. In early 12th century, Danishmends were rivals of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, which controlled much of the territory surrounding the Danishmend lands, and they fought extensively with the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
.
Founder
The dynasty was established by Danishmend GaziDanishmend Gazi
Danishmend Gazi, full name Gümüştekin Danishmend Ahmed Gazi or Danishmend Taylu , was the founder of the Beylik of Danishmends...
for whom historical information is rather scarce and was generally written long after his death.
His title or name, Dānishmand or more accurately Dāneshmand, means "learned man" in . As of 1134, Danishmend dynasty leaders also held the title Melik
Malik
Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings...
(the King) bestowed in recognition of their military successes by the Abbasid caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Mustarshid
Al-Mustarshid
Al-Mustarshid was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1118 to 1135.Son of the preceding Caliph, he achieved more independence as a ruler while the Seljuq sultan Mahmud II was engaged in war in the East....
, although the Bey
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
s (Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
s) of Danishmend prior to 1134 may also be retrospectively referred to as Melik. Danishmend Gazi himself was alternatively called "Danishmend Taylu".
The dynasty
Danishmends established themselves in Anatolia in the aftermath of the Battle of ManzikertBattle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert , was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert...
in 1071, in which the Seljuks defeated the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and captured most of Anatolia. Gazi took advantage of the dynastic struggles of the Seljuks upon the death of the Sultan Suleyman I of Rûm
Süleyman I of Rûm
Suleiman ibn Qutulmish founded an independent Seljuq Turkish state in Anatolia and ruled as Seljuq Sultan of Rûm from 1077 until his death in 1086....
in 1086 to establish his own dynasty in central Anatolia. The capital was likely first established in Amasia
Amasya
- History :Its location in this steep valley makes the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend, and thus Amasya has had a long and prominent history.-Antiquity:...
.
In 1100, Gazi's son, Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin
Gazi Gümüshtigin
Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin was the second ruler of the Danishmend state which his father Danishmend Gazi had founded in central-eastern Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert. He is sometimes called Emir Ghazi II....
. captured Bohemond I of Antioch, who remained in their captivity until 1103. A Seljuk-Danishmend alliance was also responsible for defeating the Crusade of 1101
Crusade of 1101
The Crusade of 1101 was a minor crusade of three separate movements, organized in 1100 and 1101 in the successful aftermath of the First Crusade. It is also called the Crusade of the Faint-Hearted due to the number of participants who joined this crusade after having turned back from the First...
.
In 1116, the Danishmends helped Mesud I become the Seljuk sultan.
In 1130 Bohemond II of Antioch was killed in a battle with Gazi Gümüshtigin
Gazi Gümüshtigin
Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin was the second ruler of the Danishmend state which his father Danishmend Gazi had founded in central-eastern Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert. He is sometimes called Emir Ghazi II....
, after coming to the aid of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
, which Gümüshtigin had invaded. Gümüshtigin died in 1134 and his son and successor Mehmed did not have the martial spirit of his father and grandfather. He is nevertheless considered the first builder of Kayseri as a Turkish city, despite his relatively short period of reign.
When Mehmed died in 1142, the Danishmend lands were divided between his two brothers, Melik Yaghibasan, who maintained the title of "Melik" and ruled from Sivas, and Ayn el-Devle, who ruled from Malatya
Malatya
Malatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
.
In 1155, Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan II
Kilij Arslan II
Kilij Arslan II was a Seljuk Sultan of Rûm from 1156 until his death in 1192.As Arnold of Lübeck reports in his Chronica Slavorum, he was present at the meeting of Henry the Lion with Kilij-Arslan during the former's pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1172...
attacked Melik Yaghibasan, who sought help from Nur ad-Din, the Zengid emir of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
. However, when Nur ad-Din died in 1174, the Sivas lands were incorporated into the Sultanate. Four years later, the Malatya Danishmends were defeated and also incorporated, marking the end of Danishmend rule.
Danishmends in folklore
Danishmend Gazi, the founder of the dynasty, is the central figure of a posthumous romance epic, Danishmendnâme, in which he is mis-identified with an 8th century Arab warrior, Sidi Battal Gazi, and their exploits intertwined.Virtually all Danishmend rulers entered the traditions of the Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature is an oral tradition deeply rooted, in its form, in Central Asian nomadic traditions. However, in its themes, Turkish folk literature reflects the problems peculiar to a settling people who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle...
, where they are all referred to as "Melik Gazi". Hence, there are "tombs of Melik Gazi", many of which are much visited shrines and belong in fact to different Danishmend rulers, in the cities of Niksar
Niksar
Niksar is a city in Tokat Province, Turkey. It has been settled by many empires over the centuries, and it was once the capital city of the province.At 350 m...
, Bünyan
Bünyan
Bünyan is a town and a district of Kayseri Province in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The town's former name was "Sarımsaklı", meaning "land of garlic" in reference to the region's considerable production of the Alliaceae plant, and this name is sometimes still used in the region.As for the origins of...
, Kırşehir
Kirsehir
Kırşehir, formerly Macissus and Justinianopolis, is a city in Turkey. It is the capital district of the Kırşehir Province. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 121,947 of which 105,826 live in the city of Kırşehir.-History:The history of Kırşehir dates back to the Hittites...
, along the River Zamantı near the castle of the same name (Zamantı) and elsewhere in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, and Melikgazi
Melikgazi
Melikgazi is a metropolitan district of Kayseri in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Along with the neighboring Kocasinan district, it was historically the core of Kayseri city, until additional districts were joined into the metropolitan area in 2004...
is also the name of one of the central districts of the city of Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. The same uniformity in appellations in popular parlance may also apply to other edifices built by Danishmends.
Rulers
| Danishmends | Reign | Notes |
| Danishmend Gazi Danishmend Gazi Danishmend Gazi, full name Gümüştekin Danishmend Ahmed Gazi or Danishmend Taylu , was the founder of the Beylik of Danishmends... |
1097 -d. 1104 | Also called Danishmend Taylu |
| Gazi Gümüshtigin Gazi Gümüshtigin Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin was the second ruler of the Danishmend state which his father Danishmend Gazi had founded in central-eastern Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert. He is sometimes called Emir Ghazi II.... |
1104-d. 1134 | |
| Melik Mehmed Gazi | 1134-d. 1142 | |
| Sivas branch (Meliks - The Kings) | 1142–1175 | Incorporated to Anatolian Seljuks |
| Melik Yaghibasan | 1142–1164 | |
| Melik Mücahid Gazi | 1164–1166 | |
| Melik İbrahim | 1166-1166 | |
| Melik İsmail | 1166-1166 | |
| Melik Zünnun | 1172–1174 | |
| Malatya branch (Emirs) | 1142–1178 | Incorporated to Anatolian Seljuks |
| Ayn el-Devle | 1142–1152 | |
| Zülkarneyn | 1152–1162 | |
| Nasreddin Muhammed | 1162–1170 | |
| Fahreddin | 1170–1172 | |
| Afridun | 1172–1175 | |
| Nasreddin Muhammed | 1175–1178 | Second reign |