Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Encyclopedia
Sa’d al-Din Köpek was a court administrator under two 13th century Seljuq Sultans of Rum.
He served as Master of the Hunt and Minister of Works under Kayqubad I and, in the latter capacity, supervised the construction of Kubadabad Palace
on the shore of Lake Beyşehir
.
As advisor to Kayqubad’s successor Kaykhusraw II
, Köpek’s influence grew considerably. His first aim was to secure the reign of the new sultan. He had Kaykhusraw’s two half-brothers strangled along with their mother, an Ayyubid
princess. He suspected the loyalty of the Khwarezmians
, the remnant followers of Jalal al-Din Manguberti whom Kayqubad had installed in various Anatolia
n fortresses, and had their leader, a certain Kirkhan, imprisoned. The Kharwizmians abandoned their posts and fled to Diyar Mudar, where they applied to the Ayyubids for work as mercenaries. Köpek’s suspicion deprived the sultanate of seasoned soldiers at a time of external threat and internal instability.
Köpek’s also sought to insure his own position at the Seljuq court with political murder.
A caravanserai
built by Sa’d al-Din Köpek survives 27 km from Konya
on the road to Aksaray
. Known as Zazadin Han, the caravanserai bears two inscriptions: one naming Köpek as founder and dated 1235-36, the other indicating the patronage of both Kayqubad and Kaykhusraw.
He served as Master of the Hunt and Minister of Works under Kayqubad I and, in the latter capacity, supervised the construction of Kubadabad Palace
Kubadabad Palace
Kubadabad Palace or Kubad Abad Palace refers to a complex of summer residences built for the sultan and his court during the reign of the sultan of the Sultanate of Rum Kayqubad I...
on the shore of Lake Beyşehir
Lake Beysehir
Lake Beyşehir is a large freshwater lake in Isparta and Konya provinces, southwestern part of Turkey. It is located at around . It has an area of 650.00 km² and is 45 km long and 20 km wide. It carries the same name as the principal urban center of its region, Beyşehir.Water level...
.
As advisor to Kayqubad’s successor Kaykhusraw II
Kaykhusraw II
Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rûm from 1237 until his death in 1246. He ruled at the time of the Babai uprising and the Mongol invasion of Anatolia. He led the Seljuq army with its Christian allies at the Battle of Köse Dağ in 1243...
, Köpek’s influence grew considerably. His first aim was to secure the reign of the new sultan. He had Kaykhusraw’s two half-brothers strangled along with their mother, an Ayyubid
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
princess. He suspected the loyalty of the Khwarezmians
Khwarezmian Empire
The Khwarazmian dynasty or Khwarezmian dynasty, also known as Khwarezmids, dynasty of Khwarazm Shahs or Khwarezm-Shah dynasty was a Persianate Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic mamluk origin.They ruled Greater Iran in the High Middle Ages, in the period of about 1077 to 1231, first as vassals of...
, the remnant followers of Jalal al-Din Manguberti whom Kayqubad had installed in various Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n fortresses, and had their leader, a certain Kirkhan, imprisoned. The Kharwizmians abandoned their posts and fled to Diyar Mudar, where they applied to the Ayyubids for work as mercenaries. Köpek’s suspicion deprived the sultanate of seasoned soldiers at a time of external threat and internal instability.
Köpek’s also sought to insure his own position at the Seljuq court with political murder.
A caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
built by Sa’d al-Din Köpek survives 27 km from Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
on the road to Aksaray
Aksaray
Aksaray is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital district of Aksaray Province. According to 2009 census, population of the province is 376 907 of which 171,423 live in the city of Aksaray. The district covers an area of , and the average elevation is , with the highest...
. Known as Zazadin Han, the caravanserai bears two inscriptions: one naming Köpek as founder and dated 1235-36, the other indicating the patronage of both Kayqubad and Kaykhusraw.
Sources
- Claude Cahen, Pre-Ottoman Turkey: A general survey of the material and spiritual culture and history c. 1071-1330 (Taplinger: New York 1968), 133-34.
- Carole Hillenbrand , “Sa’d al-Dīn Köpek b. Muhammad” Encyclopaedia of Islam, ed. by P. Bearman, et al. (Brill 2007).