Ahmad Sanjar
Ahmad Sanjar was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until 1118, when he became the Sultan of the Seljuq Empire, which he ruled until his death in 1157.
Early years
Sanjar was born on 6 November 1086 in Sinjar, a town situated in Upper Mesopotamia. Although primary sources state that he was named after his birthplace Bosworth notes Sanjar is a Turkic name, denoting "he who pierces", "he who thrusts". He was a son of Malik Shah I and participated in wars of succession against his three brothers and a nephew, namely Mahmud I, Berkyaruq, Malik Shah II and Muhammad I. In 1096, he was given the province of Khorasan to govern under his brother Muhammad I. Over the next several years Ahmad Sanjar became the ruler of most of Iran with his capital at Nishapur.Campaigns and Battles
Campaign of Khorasan
Malik Sanjar, commissioned by his elder brother Sultan Berkyaruq to lead an expedition against his rebellious uncle Malik Arslan Argun, learned upon arriving in Damghan that Malik Arslan Argun had been killed by one of his slaves. Malik Sanjar and his army joined forces with Sultan Berkyaruq's army in Damghan and advanced towards Khorasan. On April 21, 1097, they captured Nishapur and then Khorasan, which was under Arslan Argun's control. They then marched on Balkh, where Arslan Argun's army was stationed. Upon learning of Berkyaruq and Sanjar's approach, Arslan Argun's army, along with 7 year old son of Arslan Argun, retreated to the mountainous regions of Tokharistan and begged for forgiveness. Sultan Berkyaruq, accepting their plea for forgiveness, treated his 7 year old cousin well and granted him the fiefs that had been given to his uncle Arslan Argun during his father Sultan Malik-Shah's reign. After resolving this matter, they marched on Termez and captured the city.Battle with Emir Muhammad
In 1097, Berkyaruq appointed Sanjar as the governor of Khorasan. The Seljuk Prince Emir Muhammad rebelled during Sanjar's term as governor of Khorasan and sought support to take control of Khorasan. Emir Muhammad found this support from the Ghaznavids 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 Ghaznavids. Because if Emir Muhammad had been victorious, he would have entered the service of the Ghaznavids as the governor of Khorasan.Battle of Balkh (1098)
The Seljuk prince Devlet-Shah, who formed an army in Tokharistan and rebelled in 1098, launched an expedition to seize control of Khorasan. Devlet-Shah marched with his army towards Balkh. Hearing that Devlet-Shah was approaching Balkh, Sanjar launched an expedition against him. The two armies met near Balkh. In the ensuing battle, Devlet-Shah and his army were defeated. Devlet-Shah was taken prisoner, his eyes sealed, and he was imprisoned.Battle of Nushecan (1100)
When Sanjar was governor of Khorasan, there was a governor named Habeshi ibn Altuntak. Parts of Khorasan, Tabaristan, and Gerdkuh were under the control of the Habeshi. Sanjar launched an expedition against the Habeshi with an army of 20,000. Later, Sanjar received news that a 5,000-strong Batini army had arrived to support the Habeshi. The Habeshi army was larger than Sanjar's, and this caused unrest within Sanjar's army. According to some sources, the Habeshi requested assistance from Berkyaruk, who responded positively. Berkyaruq came to Khorasan with his army. The two armies 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 Khorasan, the Kara-Khanid ruler Kadir Khan took advantage of this and went on an expedition to Khorasan with an army of 100,000. Sanjar, who heard about this expedition of Kadir Khan, returned with his cavalry unit. While Kadir Khan was out hunting, he was taken prisoner in a sudden raid by the Seljuks. Sanjar ordered Kadir Khan to be killed. Thus, Sanjar took control of Transoxiana. Sanjar then attacked Termez, captured the city, and installed Muhammad ibn Suleiman on the Western Kara-Khanid throne. Muhammad ibn Suleiman ascended the throne in Samarkand.Struggle with Ömer Khan
A civil war erupted within the Kara-Khanid Khanate due to a struggle between two men, Ömer Khan and Arslan Khan Muhammed. Following this struggle, Arslan Khan Muhammed was defeated and fled Samarkand. However, despite his victory, Ömer Khan began experiencing problems with his army and was forced to leave Kara-Khanid territories and flee to Khwarazm, which belonged to the Seljuk Empire. Upon arriving in Khwarazm, Ömer Khan engaged in a battle with Sanjar, the Seljuk governor of Khorasan. Following this battle, Ömer Khan was defeated and killed.Battle of Nakhshab (1110)
In 1110, the Kara-Khanid prince Sagün Bey gathered an army and rebelled against the Kara-Khanid ruler Muhammad ibn Suleiman. In the face of this rebellion, Muhammad ibn Suleiman asked for help from Sanjar, the governor of Khorasan of the Seljuk Empire, of which he was a vassal. Sanjar responded positively and sent his army to Kara-Khanid territory. The two armies met near Nakhshab. In the ensuing battle, Sagün Bey and his army suffered a major defeat. Sanjar's army gained considerable booty. After these events, Sanjar's army returned to Khorasan.Campaign against the Nizari Ismailis
Sanjar undertook a campaign to eliminate the Nizari Ismailis within Persia and successfully drove them from a number of their strongholds, including Quhistan and Tabas. However, an anecdote indicates that en route to their chief stronghold at Alamut, Sanjar woke up one day to find a dagger beside him, pinning a note from Hassan-i Sabbah stating that he 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 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. Ahmad Sanjar invading from Khorasan took his army into Afghanistan 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.Battle of Saveh (11 Agust 1119)
On February 26, 1105 Sultan Barkiyaruq died. He chose his younger son, Muizzeddin Malik-Shah, as heir to the throne. Malik-Shah took the name Malik-Shah II 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 was declared as new sultan.When Muhammad's son Mahmud II ascended the throne, Emir of Yazd 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, while Yazd was granted to the royal cupbearer. Garshasp, however, escaped and returned to Yazd, where he requested protection from Ahmad Sanjar.
Garshasp urged Ahmad to invade the domains of Mahmud in Central Persia, and gave him information on how to march to Central Persia, and the ways to combat Mahmud. Meanwhile Ahmad had his own ambitions, wishing to restore the unity of the Great Seljuks under one Sultan, as had been prior to the death of Malikshah. Mahmud's attempt of placating his uncle with a large tribute of 200,000 dinars, coupled the cession of Mazandaran, failed.
Sanjar, upon learning that his nephew Mahmud had distanced himself from state affairs and made wrong decisions, organized an expedition to the western part of his country with an army of 20,000 men, including 18 elephants. Upon hearing that his uncle Sanjar was campaigning westward, Mahmud set out against him with an army of 30,000 men. Mahmud's army included prominent emirs such as Hacib Ali Bar, Atabek Guzoğlu, Mengübars, Sungur Buhari, and Karaca Saki, along with Porsukoğlları. Until in 11 Agust 1119 Sanjar and five kings, as well as some Nizari forces, met Mahmud at Saveh. When the war broke out between the two sides, Mahmud's army, being numerically superior, began to gain the upper hand. Sanjar's right and left flanks were routed. Seeing the situation turn against him, Sanjar ordered elephants to be brought onto the battlefield. Upon the elephants' entry into the battle, Mahmud's cavalry retreated in fear. Following this, the war turned in Sanjar's favor, and Mahmud's army was routed. Mahmud fled the battlefield.
Victorious, Sanjar pushed to Baghdad. Whereupon Mahmud was married to one of Sanjar's daughters and made his uncle's heir. However, the narrowness of his victory highlighted to Sanjar just how precarious his situation was. Later, after some efforts, peace was made between the two sides. Mahmud, as Sanjar's vassal, was appointed to govern the western territories of the country, excluding Ray and Sanjar restored the domains of Garshasp II, before returning back east.