The Kerman Seljuk Sultanate (Persian: سلجوقیان کرمان Saljūqiyān-i Kerman) was a
Persianate
A Persianate society is a society that is based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature, art and/or identity.
The term "Persianate" is a neologism credited to Marshall Hodgson. In his 1974 book, ''The Venture of I ...
Sunni Muslim state, established in the parts of
Kerman and
Makran which had been conquered from the
Buyid dynasty
The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Iranian dynasty of Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coupl ...
by the
Seljuk Empire
The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant in the west to ...
which was established by the
Seljuk dynasty
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
, which was of
Oghuz Turkic
The Oghuz languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family, spoken by approximately 108 million people. The three languages with the largest number of speakers are Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmen, which, combined, account for more t ...
origin. The Founder of this dynasty, Emadeddin Kara Arslan Ahmad
Qavurt
Kara Arslan Ahmad Qavurt (died 1073), better simply known as Qavurt (also spelled Kavurt) was a Seljuq prince. Upon his brother's death, he led an unsuccessful rebellion against his nephew in an attempt to gain the Seljuk throne.
Background
T ...
who succeeded the ruler of this dynasty after the surrender of the ruler of Buyyids,
Abu Kalijar Marzuban
Abu Kalijar Marzuban, also known as Samsam al-Dawla ( ar, صمصام الدولة, Ṣamṣām al-Dawla, Lion of the Dynasty; c. 963 – December 998) was the Buyid amir of Iraq (983–987), as well as Fars and Kerman (988 or 989 – 998). He ...
. For first time in this period, an independent state was formed in Kerman; eventually, after 150 years, with the invasion of the
Ghuzz
The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...
leader
Malik Dinar
Malik Dinar ( ar-at, مالك دينار, Mālik b. Dīnār, Malayalam: മാലിക് ദീനാര്) (died 748 CE)Al-Hujwiri, "Kashf al-Mahjoob", 89 was a Muslim scholar and traveller. He was one of the first known Muslims to have co ...
, the Kerman Seljuk Sultanate fell.
The government is the first powerful local government in the Kerman and Makran region, which, in addition to political and security stability, could create economic prosperity in the provinces. It was during this period that the
Silk Road burgeoned with the flourishing of the ports of Tiz,
Hormuz and
Kish
Kish may refer to:
Geography
* Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, a village also called Kish
* Kiş, Shaki, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality also spelled Kish
* Kish Island, an Iranian island and a city in the Persian Gulf
* Kish, Iran, ...
, and this state, as the highway of this important economic road, could use tremendous wealth with the conditions it had created. Regarding the scientific and social conditions, at this time, with the efforts of the Shahs such as
Muhammad-Shah II, the scientific and cultural centers were established in Kerman, and with these actions, Kerman, which was away from the main scientific centers, became the center of science in the southeastern region of Iran's plateau. In addition, Kerman and Makran under ruling of Seljuk, grew in agriculture and Animal husbandry, and Progressed in Commerce and trade which led to improved economic and social conditions.
Early history of Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuqs originated from the
Qynyk branch of the
Oghuz Turks, who in the 9th century lived on the periphery of the Muslim world, north of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
and
Aral Sea in their
Yabghu
Yabghu ( otk, 𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆, yabγu,Entrabγu">"𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆_[yabγuйабғұ"in_"Ethno-Cultural_Dictionary"_''Türik_Bitig''_),_also_rendered_as_Jabgu,_Djabgu_or_Yabgu,_was_a_state_office_in_the_early_Turkic_peoples.html" ;"title="abγuй ...
Khaganate of the Oghuz confederacy, in the Kazakh Steppe of Turkestan. During the 10th century, due to various events, the Oghuz had come into close contact with Muslim cities.
[
When Seljuq, the leader of the Seljuq clan, had a falling out with ]Yabghu
Yabghu ( otk, 𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆, yabγu,Entrabγu">"𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆_[yabγuйабғұ"in_"Ethno-Cultural_Dictionary"_''Türik_Bitig''_),_also_rendered_as_Jabgu,_Djabgu_or_Yabgu,_was_a_state_office_in_the_early_Turkic_peoples.html" ;"title="abγuй ...
, the supreme chieftain of the Oghuz, he split his clan off from the bulk of the Tokuz-Oghuz and set up camp on the west bank of the lower Syr Darya. Around 985, Seljuq converted to Islam.[Michael Adas, ''Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History'', (Temple University Press, 2001), 99.] In the 11th century the Seljuqs migrated from their ancestral homelands into mainland Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, in the province of Khurasan, where they encountered the Ghaznavid
The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
empire. In 1025, 40,000 families of Oghuz Turks migrated to the area of Caucasian Albania. The Seljuqs defeated the Ghaznavids at the Battle of Nasa plains in 1035. Tughril, Chaghri, and Yabghu received the insignias of governor, grants of land, and were given the title of '' dehqan''. At the Battle of Dandanaqan
The Battle of Dandanaqan ( fa, نبرد دندانقان) was fought in 1040 between the Seljuq Turkmens and the Ghaznavid Empire near the city of Merv (now in Turkmenistan). The battle ended with a decisive Seljuq victory, which subsequently br ...
they defeated a Ghaznavid army, and after a successful siege of Isfahan by Tughril
Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il ( fa, ابوطالب محمد تغریل بن میکائیل), better known as Tughril (; also spelled Toghril), was a Turkmen"The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
in 1050/51, they established an empire later called the Great Seljuk Empire
The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant in the west to t ...
. The Seljuqs mixed with the local population and adopted the Persian culture
The culture of Iran () or culture of PersiaYarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) is among the most influential in the world. Iran, also known as Persia, is widely considered to be one of the cradles of civilization. Due t ...
and Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken a ...
in the following decades.[O.Özgündenli, "Persian Manuscripts in Ottoman and Modern Turkish Libraries", '']Encyclopaedia Iranica
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article ...
'', Online Edition,
LINK
['']Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
'', "Seljuq", Online Edition,
LINK
: "... Because the Turkish Seljuqs had no Islamic tradition or strong literary heritage of their own, they adopted the cultural language of their Persian instructors in Islam. Literary Persian thus spread to the whole of Iran, and the Arabic language disappeared in that country except in works of religious scholarship ..."[M. Ravandi, "The Seljuq court at Konya and the Persianisation of Anatolian Cities", in ''Mesogeios (Mediterranean Studies)'', vol. 25–6 (2005), pp. 157–69]
Alp Arslan's will
Alp Arslan died in 1072. But before death he willed his throne to Malik Shah I
Jalāl al-Dawla Mu'izz al-Dunyā Wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fatḥ ibn Alp Arslān (8 August 1055 – 19 November 1092, full name: fa, ), better known by his regnal name of Malik-Shah I ( fa, ), was the third sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire from 1072 t ...
, his second son. He also expressed his concern about possible throne struggles. The main contestants for the throne were his eldest son Ayaz and his brother Qavurt. As a compromise, he willed generous grants to Ayaz and Qavurt. He also willed Qavurt to marry his widow.
Qavurt's rebellion
Malik Shah was only 17 or 18 years of age when he ascended to throne. Although Ayaz presented no problem, he faced with the serious problem of Qavurt's rebellion. His vizier Nizam al-Mulk was even more worried for he had become the de facto ruler of the empire during young Malik Shah's reign. Although Qavurt had only a small army, Turkmen officiers in Malik Shah's army tended to support Qavurt. So Malik Shah and Nizam al-Mulk added non Turkic regiments to Seljuk army. Artukids also supported Malik Shah. The clash, the Battle of Kerj Abu Dulaf, was at a location known as ''Kerç kapı'' (or ''Kerec'' ) close to Hamedan
Hamadan () or Hamedan ( fa, همدان, ''Hamedān'') (Old Persian: Haŋgmetana, Ecbatana) is the capital city of Hamadan Province of Iran. At the 2019 census, its population was 783,300 in 230,775 families. The majority of people living in Ham ...
on 16 May 1073. Malik Shah was able to defeat Qavurt's forces. Although Qavurt escaped, he was soon arrested. Initially Malik Shah was tolerant to his uncle. But Nizam al-Mulk convinced the young sultan to execute Qavurt. Nizam al-Mulk also executed Qavurt's four sons.
Salim Koca: The Forces in the Determination of the Political Power in the
Seljuk State Later he eliminated most of the Turkic commanders of the army whom he suspected to be Qavurt's partisan.
Overthrow
The son of
Bahram-Shah, Muhammad-Shah succeeded his uncle
Turan-Shah
Shams ad-Din Turanshah ibn Ayyub al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Fakhr ad-Din known simply as Turanshah ( ar, توران شاه بن أيوب) (died 27 June 1180) was the Ayyubid emir (prince) of Yemen (1174–1176), Damascus (1176–1179), ...
to the throne of Kerman in 1183. By the time of his ascension Kerman had been overrun by bands of
Ghuzz Turks
The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conventi ...
. Their devastation of the province had made the city of
Bardasir virtually uninhabitable, so Muhammad-Shah made
Bam his capital. By 1186, however, Muhammad-Shah been unable to handle the Ghuzz, and he decided to abandon Bam and departed from Kerman. The Ghuzz chief
Malik Dinar
Malik Dinar ( ar-at, مالك دينار, Mālik b. Dīnār, Malayalam: മാലിക് ദീനാര്) (died 748 CE)Al-Hujwiri, "Kashf al-Mahjoob", 89 was a Muslim scholar and traveller. He was one of the first known Muslims to have co ...
quickly seized control of Kerman in his place.
[Bosworth, p. 174]
Muhammad-Shah at first hoped to receive foreign assistance to reacquire Kerman, and traveled to
Fars and
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
requesting help. He also sought for aid from the
Khwarezmshah
Khwarazmshah was an ancient title used regularly by the rulers of the Central Asian region of Khwarazm starting from the Late Antiquity until the advent of the Mongols in the early 13th-century, after which it was used infrequently. There were a to ...
Tekish. Eventually, however, he realized that he could get no assistance in recovering Kerman. He made his way to the
Ghurid Empire
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably Iranian peoples, eastern Iranian Tajik people, Tajik ...
and spent the remainder of his life in the service of the Ghurid sultans.
Seljuq rulers of Kerman
Kerman was a province in southern Persia. Between 1053 and 1154, the territory also included
Umman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
.
*
Qawurd 1041–1073
*
Kerman Shah 1073–1074
*
Sultan Shah 1074–1075
*
Hussain Omar 1075–1084
*
Turan Shah I
Turan ( ae, Tūiriiānəm, pal, Tūrān; fa, توران, Turân, , "The Land of Tur") is a historical region in Central Asia. The term is of Iranian origin and may refer to a particular prehistoric human settlement, a historic geographical re ...
1084–1096
*
Iranshah ibn Turanshah Baha-ad-Din Iran-Shah ibn Turan-Shah ( Persian: بهاالدین ایران شاه, ruled from 1096 until 1101), or better simply known as Iran-Shah, was one of the Seljuk rulers of Kerman. During his reign, his kingdom had been heavily reduced and ...
1096–1101
*
Arslan Shah I Arslan Shah I was Seljuk Sultan of Kerman from 1101–1142, a city in Iran situated at the center of Kerman province. Located in a large and flat plain, this city is placed 1,076 km (669 mi) south of the Iranian capital, Tehran
T ...
1101–1142
*
Muhammad I (Muhammad) 1142–1156
*
Tuğrul Shah 1156–1169
*
Bahram-Shah 1169–1174
*
Arslan Shah II 1174–1176
*
Turan Shah II 1176–1183
*
Muhammad Shah
Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...
1183–1187
Muhammad abandoned Kerman, which fell into the hands of the Oghuz chief
Malik Dinar
Malik Dinar ( ar-at, مالك دينار, Mālik b. Dīnār, Malayalam: മാലിക് ദീനാര്) (died 748 CE)Al-Hujwiri, "Kashf al-Mahjoob", 89 was a Muslim scholar and traveller. He was one of the first known Muslims to have co ...
. Kerman was eventually annexed by the
Khwarezmid Empire
The Khwarazmian or Khwarezmian Empire) or the Khwarazmshahs ( fa, خوارزمشاهیان, Khwārazmshāhiyān) () was a Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran in the app ...
in 1196.
References
*
*
*Peacock, A.C.S., ''Early Seljuq History: A New Interpretation''; New York, NY; Routledge; 2010
*
{{Seljuk dynasty
States and territories established in 1048
History of Kerman Province
1048 establishments in Asia
Turkic rump states
Seljuk Empire