Ahmad Sanjar (, ;

full name A personal name, full name or prosoponym (from Ancient Greek ''prósōpon'' – person, and ''onoma'' –name) is the set of names by which an individual person or animal is known. When taken together as a word-group, they all relate to that ...

: ''Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah'') (6 November 1086 – 8 May 1157) was the

Seljuq Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

ruler of

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

from 1097 until 1118,"SANJAR, Aḥmad b. Malekšāh"
''Encyclopædia Iranica'' when he became the

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

of the

Seljuq Empire The Seljuk Empire, or the Great Seljuk Empire, was a High Middle Ages, high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turco-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, established and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. ...

, which he ruled until his death in 1157.

Early years

Sanjar was born on 6 November 1086 in

Sinjar Sinjar (; , ) is a town in the Sinjar District of the Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. It is located about five kilometers south of the Sinjar Mountains. Its population in 2013 was estimated at 88,023, and is predominantly Yazidi. History ...

, a town situated in northwestern

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Although primary sources state that he was named after his birthplace (Rāvandi, p. 185; Ebn al-Jawzi, XVIII, p. 161) Bosworth notes ''Sanjar'' is a Turkic name, denoting "he who pierces", "he who thrusts". He was a son of

Malik Shah I Malik-Shah I (, ) was the third sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072 to 1092, under whom the sultanate reached the zenith of its power and influence. During his youth, he spent his time participating in the campaigns of his father Alp Arslan, ...

and participated in wars of succession against his three brothers and a nephew, namely

Mahmud I Mahmud I (, ; 2 August 1696 13 December 1754), known as Mahmud the Hunchback, was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1754. He took over the throne after the quelling of the Patrona Halil rebellion. His reign was marked by wars in P ...

Barkiyaruq Rukn al-Din Abu'l-Muzaffar Berkyaruq ibn Malikshah (; 1079/80 – 1105), better known as Berkyaruq (), was the fifth sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1094 to 1105. The son and successor of Malik-Shah I (), he reigned during the opening stages o ...

Malik Shah II Malik-Shah II (; ) or Mu'izz ad-Din Malik Shah II was Seljuq Sultan in Baghdad during 1105. He was the grandson of Malik Shah I, and was theoretically the head of the dynasty, although his relative Ahmad Sanjar Sanjar (, ; full name: ''Mui ...

and Muhammad I. In 1096, he was given the province of

to govern under his brother Muhammad I.Grousset, René (1970) ''The Empire of the Steppes'' Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
p. 159
Over the next several years Ahmad Sanjar became the ruler of most of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

with his capital at

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

Campaigns and Battles

Battle with Emir Muhammad

In 1097,

Berkyaruq Rukn al-Din Abu'l-Muzaffar Berkyaruq ibn Malikshah (; 1079/80 – 1105), better known as Berkyaruq (), was the fifth sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1094 to 1105. The son and successor of Malik-Shah I (), he reigned during the opening stages of ...

appointed Sanjar as the governor of

. The Seljuk Prince Emir Muhammad rebelled during Sanjar's term as governor of

and sought support to take control of Khorasan. Emir Muhammad found this support from the

Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...

and marched against Sanjar. Upon receiving news that Emir Muhammad had arrived with his army, Sanjar marched against him with his army. In the battle between the two sides, Emir Muhammad's army was defeated and Emir Muhammad was taken prisoner. Thanks to this victory, Sanjar both increased his reputation and prevented Khorasan from falling into the hands of the

. Because if Emir Muhammad had been victorious, he would have entered the service of the

as the governor of Khorasan.

Battle of Nushecan (1100)

As a result of the conflicts between Sanjar and Habeshi bin Altuntaq, who were struggling to dominate

, Habeshi bin Altuntaq was defeated. Upon this situation, Habeshi bin Altuntaq complained about Sanjar to

and asked for help from Berkyaruq. Berkyaruq came to

with his army. The parties met near Nushecan. In the battle between the two parties, Sanjar's army defeated Berkyaruq's army. Habeshi bin Altuntaq was taken prisoner.

Defense of Khorasan (1102)

While Sanjar was not in

, the Karakhanid ruler Kadir Khan (Arslan Khan) took advantage of this and went on an expedition to

with an army of 100,000. Sanjar, who heard about this expedition of Kadir Khan, returned with his cavalry unit. While Kadir Khan (Arslan Khan) was out hunting, he was taken prisoner in a sudden raid by the Seljuks. Sanjar ordered Kadir Khan to be killed.

Campaign against the Nizari Ismailis

Sanjar undertook a campaign to eliminate the

Nizari Ismailis Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or ''ijtihad''; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cu ...

within Persia and successfully drove them from a number of their strongholds, including

Quhistan Quhistan () or Kohistan (, "mountainous land") was a region of medieval Persia, essentially the southern part of Khurasan. Its boundaries appear to have been south of Khorasan to north, Yazd to West, Sistan to South, Afghanistan to East. Quhistan ...

and

Tabas Tabas () is a city in the Central District of Tabas County, South Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. History Early history The history of Tabas dates back to pre-Islamic times. It was an im ...

. However, an anecdote indicates that en route to their chief stronghold at

Alamut Alamut () or Rudbar () is a region in Iran including western and eastern parts on the western edge of the Alborz (Elburz) range, between the dry and barren plain of Qazvin in the south and the densely forested slopes of the Mazandaran provin ...

, Sanjar woke up one day to find a dagger beside him, pinning a note from

Hassan-i Sabbah Hasan al-Sabbah also known as Hasan I of Alamut, was an Iranian religious and military leader, founder of the Nizari Ismai'li sect widely known as the '' Hashshashin'' or the Order of Assassins, as well as the Nizari Ismaili state, ruling fro ...

stating that he (Hassan) would like peace. Sanjar, shocked by this event, sent envoys to Hassan and they both agreed to stay out of each other's way.

Battle of Ghazni (1117)

The death of

Mas'ud III of Ghazni Mas'ūd III of Ghazna (b. 1061 – d. 1115), was a sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire and son of Ibrahim of Ghazna. Life Mas'ūd was born in 1061 in Ghazni. Reign Mas'ud was sultan for 16 years. In 1112, Mas'ūd III built the Palace of Sultan ...

in 1115 began a heated contest for the throne. Shirzad took the throne that year but the next year he was assassinated by his younger brother Arslan. Arslan had to face the rebellion of his other brother, Bahram, who received support from the Seljuk Sultan

Ahmad Sanjar Sanjar (, ; full name: ''Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah'') (6 November 1086 – 8 May 1157) was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until 1118,Jaques 2007, p. 391 Ahmad Sanjar invading from

took his army into

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and inflicted a crushing defeat to Arslan near Ghazni at Shahrabad. Arslan managed to escape and Bahram succeeded to the throne as the Seljuk's vassal.Jaques 2007, p. 391

Battle of Saveh (1119)

On February 26, 1105 Sultan

died. He chose his younger son, Muizzeddin Malik-Shah, as heir to the throne. Malik-Shah took the name

Malik-Shah II Malik-Shah II (; ) or Mu'izz ad-Din Malik Shah II was Seljuq Sultan in Baghdad during 1105. He was the grandson of Malik Shah I, and was theoretically the head of the dynasty, although his relative Ahmad Sanjar Sanjar (, ; full name: ''Muizz ...

after being proclaimed the Sultan of the Seljuk Empire. However, the true power was in the hands of his uncle, Muhammad Tapar. In the same year, Muhammad Tapar dethroned his nephew and started to rule the State himself as sultan. When Muhammad died on April 4, 1118, his son

Mahmud II Mahmud II (, ; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. Often described as the "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud instituted extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms ...

was declared as new sultan. When Muhammad's son Mahmud II ascended the throne,

Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

Garshasp II fell into disgrace; slander about him spread to the court that made him lose confidence, and made Mahmud send a military force to Yazd where Garshasp was arrested and jailed in

Jibal Jibāl (), also al-Jabal (), was the name given by the Arabs to a region and province located in western Iran, under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Its name means "the Mountains", being the plural of ''jabal'' ("mountain, hill"), highlight ...

, while Yazd was granted to the royal cupbearer. Garshasp, however, escaped and returned to Yazd, where he requested protection from Ahmad Sanjar (Garshasp's wife was the sister of Ahmad). Garshasp urged Ahmad to invade the domains of Mahmud in Central Iran and gave him information on how to march to Central Iran, and the ways to combat Mahmud. Ahmad accepted and advanced with an army to the west in 1119, where he together with "five kings" defeated Mahmud at

Saveh Saveh () is a city in the Central District of Saveh County, Markazi province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is about southwest of Tehran. History In the 7th century BC it was a stronghold of the Medes. ...

. The kings who aided Ahmad during the battle were Garshasp himself, the

Sistan Sistān (), also known as Sakastān (, , current name: Zabol) and Sijistan (), is a historical region in south-eastern Iran and extending across the borders of present-day south-western Afghanistan, and south-western Pakistan. Mostly correspond ...

and the

Khwarazmshah 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 ...

, including two other unnamed kings.

Nizari Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Isma'ilism, Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or ''ijtihad''; Pluralism (philosophy), pluralism— ...

forces were also present in Sanjar's army. After being victorious, Ahmad then restored the domains of Garshasp II. Ahmad then marched as far as Baghdad, where he agreed with Mahmud that he should marry one of his daughters, and that he should give up strategic territories in northern Persia.

Campaign of Western Karakhanid (1130)

As a result of the internal turmoil that broke out in the Western

Karakhanid The Kara-Khanid Khanate (; zh, t=喀喇汗國, p=Kālā Hánguó), also known as the Karakhanids, Qarakhanids, Ilek Khanids or the Afrasiabids (), was a Karluk Turkic khanate that ruled Central Asia from the 9th to the early 13th century. Th ...

country in 1130, the Western

ruler Arslan Khan asked for help from Sanjar. After a while, he announced that the internal unrest had ended and asked for Sanjar to return. Later, it was revealed that Sanjar would be assassinated by Arslan Khan's order. Following these events, Sanjar marched to

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

with his army and laid siege to the city. The

Seljuk Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

army under the command of Sanjar captured

Battle of Kashgar

When the Qara-Khitans migrating west arrived in the

Kara-Khanid The Kara-Khanid Khanate (; zh, t=喀喇汗國, p=Kālā Hánguó), also known as the Karakhanids, Qarakhanids, Ilek Khanids or the Afrasiabids (), was a Karluk Turkic khanate that ruled Central Asia from the 9th to the early 13th century. Th ...

lands, the Eastern Kara-Khanid ruler Ahmed Khan defeated the Qara-Khitans in 1122 and took them into his service. Later, after the death of Ahmed Khan, during the reign of the ruler who ascended to the Eastern Kara-Khanid throne, a rebellion broke out in the Eastern Kara-Khanid lands, including many tribes, primarily the Oghuz and

Karluks The Karluks (also Qarluqs, Qarluks, Karluqs, , Qarluq, Para-Mongolic languages, Para-Mongol: Harluut, zh, s=葛逻禄, t=葛邏祿 ''Géluólù'' ; customary phonetic: ''Gelu, Khololo, Khorlo'', , ''Khallokh'', ''Qarluq'') were a prominent no ...

. Taking advantage of this rebellion, the Qara-Khitans captured

Balasagun Balasagun ( or ''Balasagyn''; ) was an ancient Sogdian city in modern-day Kyrgyzstan, located in the Chüy Valley between Bishkek and the Issyk-Kul lake. Located along the Silk Road, the ruins of the city were inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO Wo ...

. The Eastern Kara-Khanid, who were vassals of the

Great Seljuk Empire The Seljuk Empire, or the Great Seljuk Empire, was a high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, established and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. The empire spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant ...

, asked for help from the Great Seljuk Sultan Sanjar. Sanjar also organized an expedition with his army to the Eastern Kara-Khanid lands in 1130. The leader of the rebels fled upon hearing of Sanjar's arrival. Sanjar defeated the advancing towards the Eastern Islamic lands Qara-Khitai army near

Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...

, and then defeated the Oghuz, Karluks and other tribes.

Battle of Dinavar (1132)

After Mahmud's death, his other brothers Mas'ud,

Tughril Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il (), better known as Tughril (; also spelled Toghril / Tughrul), was a Turkoman"The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turkomans at the battle of Malazgirt (Manzikert) is ...

and Seljuk-Shah started a struggle for power. Wanting to end this struggle, Sanjar gave the lands under Mahmud's control to Tughril's. Tughril's other brothers opposed Sanjar's decision and formed an alliance with the caliph

Al-Mustarshid Abu Mansur al-Faḍl ibn Ahmad al-Mustazhir (; 1092 – 29 August 1135) better known by his regnal name Al-Mustarshid Billah () was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1118 to 1135. He was son of his predecessor, caliph al-Mustazhir. He succeeded ...

. Sanjar prepared his army against this alliance and marched against them. The two armies met near

Dinavar Dinavar (also spelled Dinawar and Daynavar; ) was a major town between the 7th and 10th centuries, located to the northeast of Kermanshah in western Iran. The ruins of the town is now located near Shir Khan, in Dinavar District, Sahneh County, ...

. As a result of the battle, the allies were defeated by Sanjar. Sanjar later gave

the lands under Mahmud's control.

Campaign of Khwarezm (1138)

Atsiz Ala al-Din wa-l-Dawla Abu'l-Muzaffar Atsiz ibn Muhammad ibn Anushtegin (; 1098 – 1156), better known as Atsiz () was the second Khwarazmshah from 1127 to 1156. He was the son and successor of Muhammad I. Ruler of Khwarazm Warfare with the ...

, one of Sanjar's governors, captured Jand and

Mangyshlak Mangyshlak or Mangghyshlaq Peninsula (; ) is a large peninsula located in western Kazakhstan. It borders on the Caspian Sea in the west and with the Buzachi Peninsula, a marshy sub-feature of the main peninsula, in the northeast. The Tyuleniy Ar ...

and killed the Muslims who fought against the enemy forces in this region. After these events, Sanjar decided to organize an expedition against

. In 1138, Sanjar marched with his army to

Khwarezm Khwarazm (; ; , ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the east by the Kyzylkum Desert, on the south by ...

and defeated Atsiz and his army in the Battle of

Hazorasp Khazarasp (), or by its more ancient name Hazarasp (, meaning ''"thousand horses"''), is an urban-type settlement in Uzbekistan, administrative centre of the Hazorasp District. Its population is 18,800 (2016). It lies at the head of the Amu Darya ...

and captured

. He then left the governorship of

to his nephew

Suleiman-Shah Mu'izz al-Dunya wa'l-Din Abu'l-Harith Suleiman-Shah bin Muhammad (October–November 1117 – 13 March 1161; ), was ''sultan'' of the Seljuq Empire from 1159 to 1160. Early life Suleiman-Shah was the son of sultan Muhammad I Tapar. His mother ...

and returned to his capital,

Merv Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...

Battle of Qatwan (1141)

In 1141, Ahmad, along with Garshasp II, marched to confront the Kara Khitan threat and engaged them near Samarkand at the

Battle of Qatwan The Battle of Qatwan () was fought in September 1141 between the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty) and the Seljuk Empire and its vassal-state the Kara-Khanid Khanate. The battle ended in a decisive defeat for the Seljuks, signaling the beginnin ...

. He suffered an astounding defeat, and Garshasp was killed. Ahmad escaped with only fifteen of his elite horsemen, losing all Seljuq territory east of the

Syr Darya The Syr Darya ( ),; ; ; ; ; /. historically known as the Jaxartes ( , ), is a river in Central Asia. The name, which is Persian language, Persian, literally means ''Syr Sea'' or ''Syr River''. It originates in the Tian Shan, Tian Shan Mountain ...

(Jaxartes).

Campaign of Khwarezm (1143)

entered into a struggle with

in 1141 and captured

. Atsiz declared his loyalty to Sanjar, who was preparing to go on a campaign against the Kara-Khitans. Since Sanjar was also going on a campaign against the Kara-Khitans, he did not send him an army and left him as the governor of

. Taking advantage of the defeat following the

attacked

, occupied and plundered many cities, including the capital

, and captured their scholars. After escaping the Battle of Qatwan, Sanjar marched against Atsiz with the new army he had established. After these events, Atsiz fled to Khwarezm. Sanjar then marched to Khwarezm with his army in 1143. He advanced as far as

Urgench Urgench (//, ; ; ) is a district-level city in western Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Xorazm Region. The estimated population of Urgench in 2021 was 145,000, an increase from 139,100 in 1999. It lies on the Amu Darya River and the Shavat canal ...

, the capital of

, where Atsiz was located, and laid siege to the city. Realizing that he could not cope with Sanjar, Atsiz asked for forgiveness from Sanjar and returned the goods he had plundered and the scholars he had captured.

Campaign of Khwarezm (1147)

When Sanjar received news that

was continuing to disobey, he sent an envoy to him. While the envoy was with

, he informed Sanjar that there was a plan to assassinate Sanjar and that two assassins had been sent to

for this purpose.

, who learned of what the envoy had done, killed the envoy. Following these events, Sanjar marched on

with his army in 1147. Sanjar first besieged and captured the castle of

. Sanjar then advanced towards

, the capital of

. Realizing that he would be defeated by Sanjar,

sent envoys, begged for forgiveness and offered obedience. Thereupon, Sanjar forgave him and left him as the governor of

Battle of Nab (1152)

After the

, the

Ghurids The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; ; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty of eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the 8th-century in the region of Ghor, and became an Empire from 1175 to 1215. The G ...

led by

Ala al-Din Husayn Ala al-Din Husayn (Persian: علاء الدین حسین) was king of the Ghurid dynasty from 1149 to 1161. He was one of the greatest Ghurid kings, and it was during his reign that the Ghurid dynasty rose to prominence. Early life Sayf al Din S ...

, a vassal of the

, captured

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...

and advanced towards

Balkh Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021 ...

. Following these developments, the Seljuk commander Emir Kumaç, who took action to stop the Ghurids, was defeated. Later,

attacked the

, a vassal of the Seljuks. He occupied

Ghazna Ghazni (, ), historically known as Ghaznayn () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana (), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan with a population of around 190,000 people. The city is strategica ...

, the capital of the Ghaznavids, and burned the city. Later,

declared his independence. Following these events, Sanjar organized an expedition against

. The two armies met at a place called Nab near

on June 24, 1152. In the ensuing battle,

was decisively defeated and taken prisoner by Sanjar.

Rebellion of Oghuz Turks

Sanjar's as well as the Seljuks' rule collapsed as a consequence of yet another unexpected defeat, this time at the hands of the Seljuks’ own tribe, the

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz Turks ( Middle Turkic: , ) were a western Turkic people who spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conventionally named the Oghuz Yabgu State in Central Asia ...

, in 1153. Sanjar was captured during the battle and held in captivity until 1156. It brought chaos to the Empire - situation later exploited by the victorious Turkmens, whose hordes would overrun Khorasan unopposed, wreaking colossal damage on the province and prestige of Sanjar. Sanjar eventually escaped from captivity in the fall of 1156, but soon died in

(present-day Turkmenistan), in 1157. After his death, Turkic rulers, Turkmen tribal forces, and other secondary powers competed for Khorasan, and after a long period of confrontations, the province was finally conquered by the

in 1192, and by the Khwarazmians in the early 1200s.

Death and legacy

Sanjar died in 1157 and was buried in

. His tomb was destroyed by the

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

s in 1221, during their invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire. The death of Sanjar meant the end of the Seljuq dynasty as an empire, since they controlled only

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

afterwards. Sanjar is considered one of the most prominent Seljuq sultans and was the longest reigning Muslim ruler until the Mongols arrived. Although of Turkic origin, Sanjar was highly Iranized, and due to his feats, even became a legendary figure like some of the mythological characters in the

Shahnameh The ''Shahnameh'' (, ), also transliterated ''Shahnama'', is a long epic poem written by the Persian literature, Persian poet Ferdowsi between and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,000 distichs or couple ...

. Indeed, medieval sources described Sanjar as having "the majesty of the Khosrows and the glory of the Kayanids".

Persian poetry Persian literature comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources have been within Greater Iran including present-day ...

flourished under Sanjar, and his court included some of the greatest Persian poets, such as

Mu'izzi Amīr ash-Shu‘arā’ Abū Abdullāh Muḥammad b. ‘Abd al-Malik Mu‘izzī (, romanized as ''Mu'ezzi'') (born Nishapur 1048/9) was a poet who ranks as one of the great masters of the Persian panegyric form known as ''qasideh''. Mu'izzī's f ...

Nizami Aruzi Ahmad ibn Umar ibn Alī, known as Nizamī-i Arūzī-i Samarqandī () and also Arudi ("The Prosodist"), was a poet and prose writer who flourished between 1110 and 1161. He is particularly famous for his ''Chahar Maqala'' ("Four Discourses"), his ...

, and

Anvari Anvari (1126–1189), full name Awhad ad-Din 'Ali ibn Mohammad Khavarani or Awhad ad-Din 'Ali ibn Mahmud () was a Persian poet. Anvarī was born in Abivard (now in Turkmenistan) and died in Balkh, Khorāsān (now in Afghanistan).''Encyclopædi ...

Family

One of his wives was Turkan Khatun. She was the daughter of Muhammad Arslan Khan, the ruler of the

Kara-Khanid Khanate The Kara-Khanid Khanate (; zh, t=喀喇汗國, p=Kālā Hánguó), also known as the Karakhanids, Qarakhanids, Ilek Khanids or the Afrasiabids (), was a Karluk Turkic khanate that ruled Central Asia from the 9th to the early 13th century. Th ...

. She died in April 1156, and was buried in Yusuf Hamadani Mausoleum Complex in Merv. Another wife was Abkhaziyya Khatun. She was the daughter of King

Demetrius I of Georgia Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumitru, Demitri, D ...

, and the widow of his nephew Sultan

Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud Ghiyath al-Dunya wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fath Mas'ud bin Muhammad ( 1107 – 10 October 1152) was the Seljuq Sultan of Iraq and western Persia in 1133–1152. Reign Ghiyath ad-Din Masud was the son of sultan Muhammad I Tapar and his wife Nistandar Jaha ...

. They married after Mas'ud's death in 1152. One of Sanjar's daughters was Mah-i Mulk Khatun. She was born in 1105. In probably 1119, Sanjar married her to his nephew

. When she died aged seventeen in 1122, Sanjar sent another daughter, Amir Sitti Khatun, to be his wife. Melik Shah III and Gawhar Nasab Khatun were the children of this union. She died in 1129. Amira Khatun, another of Sanjar's daughters married Abbasid Caliph

in 1124. Another daughter of Sanjar, Gawhar Khatun, married his nephew,

in 1134. A daughter of this union was married by Mas'ud to his nephew Dawud, son of Mahmud II. They failed to get on together, and Ma'sud gave his daughter to Dawud's brother, Muhammad II.

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SANJAR, Aḥmad b. Malekšāh
{{Authority control 1157 deaths Seljuk rulers 1080s births 12th-century monarchs in Asia Nizari Ismaili–Seljuk relations People of the Nizari–Seljuk wars People from Sinjar