Malik Shah I
Encyclopedia
Jalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh (Persian
: , Modern Turkish
: Melikşah, or simply Malik Shāh) was born in 1055, succeeded Alp Arslan
as the Seljuq Sultan in 1072, and reigned until his death in 1092.
Although Malikshah was the nominal head of the Seljuq state, his famous vizir Nizam al-Mulk
held near absolute power during his reign. Under Nizam's guidance the Seljuq armies contained the Ghaznavids in Khorasan
, rolled back the Fatimids
in Syria, defeated the Seljuq pretenders
to the throne, compelled the submission of regional governors, and kept the Abassid Caliphs in a position of impotence. Alp Arslan's victory at Manzikert in 1071 was followed up by a Turkish invasion of Anatolia
. This invasion was the work of independent Turkmen
tribes, and not of the Seljuk army. As a result, the Sultanate of Rum
, as the new state was called, did not acknowledge the authority of the House of Seljuq.
Throughout his reign new institutions of learning were established throughout the Seljuq lands. In 1092 Nizam al-Mulk was assassinated near Sihna, on the road to Baghdad, by a man disguised as a Sufi. As the assassin was immediately cut down by Nizam's bodyguard, it became impossible to establish with certainty who had sent him. One theory had it that he was an Is'maili fanatic, since these regularly made attempts on the lives of Seljuq officials and rulers during the 11th century. Another theory had it that the attack had been instigated by Malikshah, who may have grown tired of his overmighty vizir. Probably the truth will never be known. Malikshah himself fell ill and died several months later. According to some contemporary accounts he was poisoned by men loyal to the memory of Nizam al-Mulk.
Upon his death the Seljuq dynasty fell into chaos, as rival successors and regional governors carved up their empire and waged war against each other. The situation within the Seljuq lands was further complicated by the arrival of the first crusade
, which detached larged portions of Syria and Palestine from Muslim control in 1098 and 1099. The success of the first crusade is at least in part attributable to the political confusion which resulted from Malikshah's death.
wrote of him:
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: , Modern Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: Melikşah, or simply Malik Shāh) was born in 1055, succeeded Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan was the third sultan of the Seljuq dynasty and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty...
as the Seljuq Sultan in 1072, and reigned until his death in 1092.
Although Malikshah was the nominal head of the Seljuq state, his famous vizir Nizam al-Mulk
Nizam al-Mulk
Abu Ali al-Hasan al-Tusi Nizam al-Mulk, better known as Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk Tusi ; born in 1018 – 14 October 1092) was a Persian scholar and vizier of the Seljuq Empire...
held near absolute power during his reign. Under Nizam's guidance the Seljuq armies contained the Ghaznavids in Khorasan
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...
, rolled back the Fatimids
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
in Syria, defeated the Seljuq pretenders
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the throne, compelled the submission of regional governors, and kept the Abassid Caliphs in a position of impotence. Alp Arslan's victory at Manzikert in 1071 was followed up by a Turkish invasion of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. This invasion was the work of independent Turkmen
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
tribes, and not of the Seljuk army. As a result, the Sultanate of Rum
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
, as the new state was called, did not acknowledge the authority of the House of Seljuq.
Throughout his reign new institutions of learning were established throughout the Seljuq lands. In 1092 Nizam al-Mulk was assassinated near Sihna, on the road to Baghdad, by a man disguised as a Sufi. As the assassin was immediately cut down by Nizam's bodyguard, it became impossible to establish with certainty who had sent him. One theory had it that he was an Is'maili fanatic, since these regularly made attempts on the lives of Seljuq officials and rulers during the 11th century. Another theory had it that the attack had been instigated by Malikshah, who may have grown tired of his overmighty vizir. Probably the truth will never be known. Malikshah himself fell ill and died several months later. According to some contemporary accounts he was poisoned by men loyal to the memory of Nizam al-Mulk.
Upon his death the Seljuq dynasty fell into chaos, as rival successors and regional governors carved up their empire and waged war against each other. The situation within the Seljuq lands was further complicated by the arrival of the first crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
, which detached larged portions of Syria and Palestine from Muslim control in 1098 and 1099. The success of the first crusade is at least in part attributable to the political confusion which resulted from Malikshah's death.
Legacy
The 18th century English historian Edward GibbonEdward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
wrote of him: