Ikhtiyar al-Din Ai-Taq
Encyclopedia
Ikhtiyar al-Din Ai-Taq was an influential amir in western Khurasan
following the decline of the Seljuks, and the ruler of Gurgan
and Dihistan from 1161 until 1165.
. When Sanjar was captured by rebellious Ghuzz
bands in 1153, Ai-Taq built up an army and quickly established his influence in the western regions of Sanjar's empire.
Ai-Taq had not been the only individual to take advantage of Sanjar's overthrow. In Nishapur
another of Sanjar's former ghulams, Mu'ayyid al-Din Ai-Aba
, had taken power and had gained control of a significant portion of Khurasan. Relations between Ai-Taq and Ai-Aba quickly soured and by 1158 warfare had broken out among them. Ai-Taq received military assistance from Shah Ghazi Rustam, the Bavandid ruler of Tabaristan. Despite this, his forces were defeated by Ai-Aba and Sultan Mahmud Khan and he was forced to flee to Tabaristan. In the end he was compelled to sue for peace and had to pay off his opponents.
In around 1160 Ai-Taq was attacked by a force of Ghuzz under their chief Yaghmur. Despite Bavandid support, he was defeated and was forced to flee. He made his way to Khwarezm
, where the Khwarezmshah Il-Arslan
supplied him with assistance. This enabled him to establish himself in Gurgan and Dihistan, where he acknowledged the suzerainty of Il-Arslan. Unfortunately for him, however, he eventually lost the support of the shah, and a Khwarezmid army expelled him from Dihistan in 1165.
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
following the decline of the Seljuks, and the ruler of Gurgan
Gürgan
Gürgan is a village in Baku, Azerbaijan. It forms part of the municipality of Gürgən-Pirallahı....
and Dihistan from 1161 until 1165.
Career
Ai-Taq had originally been one of the Seljuk sultan Sanjar's ghulamsGhilman
Ghilman Ghilman Ghilman (singular ghulam describes either young servants in paradise or slave-soldiers in the Ottoman, Mughal and Persian Empires.-Islamic Theology:...
. When Sanjar was captured by rebellious Ghuzz
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
bands in 1153, Ai-Taq built up an army and quickly established his influence in the western regions of Sanjar's empire.
Ai-Taq had not been the only individual to take advantage of Sanjar's overthrow. In Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
another of Sanjar's former ghulams, Mu'ayyid al-Din Ai-Aba
Mu'ayyid al-Din Ai-Aba
Mu'ayyid al-Din Ai-Aba was the amir of Nishapur from c. 1154 until his death. Although nominally subservient to the Seljuks of Khurasan, he acted as an independent ruler...
, had taken power and had gained control of a significant portion of Khurasan. Relations between Ai-Taq and Ai-Aba quickly soured and by 1158 warfare had broken out among them. Ai-Taq received military assistance from Shah Ghazi Rustam, the Bavandid ruler of Tabaristan. Despite this, his forces were defeated by Ai-Aba and Sultan Mahmud Khan and he was forced to flee to Tabaristan. In the end he was compelled to sue for peace and had to pay off his opponents.
In around 1160 Ai-Taq was attacked by a force of Ghuzz under their chief Yaghmur. Despite Bavandid support, he was defeated and was forced to flee. He made his way to Khwarezm
Khwarezm
Khwarezm, or Chorasmia, is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, which borders to the north the Aral Sea, to the east the Kyzylkum desert, to the south the Karakum desert and to the west the Ustyurt Plateau...
, where the Khwarezmshah Il-Arslan
Il-Arslan
Il-Arslan was Khwarazm Shah from 1156 until his death. He was the son of Atsïz.In 1152 Il-Arslan was made governor of Jand, an outpost on the Syr Darya which had recently been reconquered, by his father. In 1156 Atsïz died and Il-Arslan succeeded him as Khwarazm-Shah...
supplied him with assistance. This enabled him to establish himself in Gurgan and Dihistan, where he acknowledged the suzerainty of Il-Arslan. Unfortunately for him, however, he eventually lost the support of the shah, and a Khwarezmid army expelled him from Dihistan in 1165.