Muslim Civil War of 1102-8

Malik Danishmend (Danismend) had first appeared in Anatolia as a ghazi (warrior for the faith of Islam) during the period of confusion that followed the death of the Seljuq sultan Suleiman ibn Qutalmïsh in 1086.

In 1102, he takes Malatya (Melitene) in east-central Anatolia.

Ahmad Sanjar, a son of Malik Shah I, had participated in wars of succession against his three brothers and an uncle, namely Mahmud I, Barkiyaruq, Malik Shah II and Muhammad I.

In 1096, he had been given the province of Khorasan to govern under his brother Muhammad I.

Over the next several years, Ahmed Sanjar has become the ruler of most of Persia with his capital at Nishapur.

A number of rulers have revolted against him and continued the split of the Great Seljuq Empire that the dynastic wars had started.

Zahir ad-Din Toghtekin had been a junior officer to Tutush I, Seljuq ruler of Damascus and Syria.

After the former's death in 1095, civil war had erupted, and Toghtekin had supported Tutush's son Duqaq as emir of the city against Radwan, the emir of Aleppo.

In the chaos of the ensuing years, Toghtekin had been sent to reconquer the town of Jebleh, which had rebelled against the qadi of Tripoli, but he was unable to accomplish his task.

When the Crusader army appeared at the gates of Antioch on October 21, 1097, the local emir, Yaghi-Siyan, though nominally under Radwan's suzerainty, had appealed to Duqaq to send an armed force to their rescue.

Duqaq had sent Toghtekin, but on December 31, 1097, he was defeated by Bohemond of Taranto and Robert II of Flanders, and was forced to retreat.

Another relief attempt had been made by a joint force under Kerbogha, the emir of Mosul, and Toghtekin, which was also crushed by the Crusaders on June 28, 1098.

When the Crusaders moved southwards from the newly conquered Antioch, the qadi of Jebleh had sold his town to Duqaq, who had installed Toghtekin's son, Taj al-Muluk Buri, as its ruler.

His tyrannical rule, however, led to his quick downfall.

In 1103, Toghtekin is sent by Duqaq to take possession of Homs at the request of its inhabitants, after the assassination of the emir Janah al-Dawla by order of Radwan.

Alexios I, hearing of Bohemond's capture and incensed that Bohemond had broken his sacred oath made in Constantinople and kept Antioch for himself, had offered to redeem the Norman commander and ransom Bohemond for two hundred and sixty thousand dinars, if Ghazi Gumushtakin would hand the prisoner over to the Empire.

When Kilij Arslan I, the Emir’s Seljuq overlord, had heard of the proposed payment, he had demanded half, or threatened to attack.

Bohemond had proposed instead a ransom of one hundred and thirty thousand dinars paid just to the Emir.

The bargain was concluded and Ghazi and Bohemond exchange oaths of friendship.

Ransomed in 1103 by Baldwin of Edessa, he returns in triumph to Antioch in August 1103.

His nephew Tancred, who for three years has taken his uncle's place, had during this time attacked the Empire and added Tarsus, Adana and Massissa in Cilicia, but is now deprived of his lordship by Bohemond's return.

The northern Franks, buoyed by Bohemond's return, attack Ridwan of Aleppo over the summer of 1103 in order to gain supplies and compel him to pay tribute.

Kilij Arslan in 1104 resumes once more his war with the Danishmends, who are now weakened after the death of Malik Gazi, demanding half the ransom gained for Bohemond.

As a result Bohemond allies with the Danishmends against Rüm and Constantinople.

Toghtekin, acting as regent and de facto ruler after Duqaq dies in 1104, has the former's junior son Tutush II proclaimed emir, while he marries Duqaq's widow and reserves for himself the title of atabeg.

After deposing Tutush II, he has another son of Duqaq, Baqtash, named emir, but soon afterward he has him exiled.

Baqtash, with the support of Aitekin, the sahib of Bosra, tries to reconquer Damascus, but is pushed back by Toghtekin and forced to find help at the court of King Baldwin I of Jerusalem.

Al-Sulami, a Damascene jurist and philologist publishes his treatise, Kitab al-Jihad ("Book of the Holy War"), in 1105 and preaches his ideas from the Great Mosque in Damascus.

He recognizes the danger from the Christian invaders and sees their connection to the ongoing Christian reconquests of Sicily and Spain.

He believes that Muslims have abandoned jihad and other religious duties, and argues that the caliphs are supposed to make war on the Christians once a year, something they have not done for many years.

God, he claims, is now punishing Muslims for their sins.

In order to defeat the crusaders, al-Sulami argues that Muslims must practice the inner jihad so that they can successfully undertake the jihad against the enemy.

His message is mostly ignored, as Muslim rulers will not merge the concept of jihad with military expeditions until later in the twelfth century under Nur ad-Din Zangi and Saladin.

Only two manuscripts of the Kitab survive, both incomplete, and both in Damascus.

Muhammad Tapar, following the internecine conflict with his half brother, Barkiyaruq, had been given the title of malik and the provinces of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Dissatisfied by this, he had revolted again, but had had to flee back to Armenia.

Barkiyaruq, ill and tired of war, had agreed by 1104 to divide the sultanate with Muhammad.

During Barkiyaruq's short reign, he has had five viziers, three of them the children of Nizam al-Mulk; Izz al-Mulk, Mu'ayyid al-Mulk and Fakhr al-Mulk.

The two other viziers were Abd-al-Dihistani Jalil and Khatir al-Mulk Abu Mansur Maybudi.

During his reign, Barkiyaruq has mostly focused on ways to fund the expenses of the Seljuq state.

In 1105, Barkiyaruq dies in Borujerd, and is succeeded by his son Malik-Shah II, who is soon deposed and killed by his uncle Muhammed Tapar.

Kilij Arslan I had moved towards the east after the crusades of 1096-1101, taking Harran and …