, ''
Jami' al-tawarikh'', 1654 Ottoman copy,
Topkapi Museum. Alp Arslan accompanied his uncle Tughril on campaigns in the south against the
Fatimids, while his father
Chaghri remained in
Khorasan. Upon Alp Arslan's return to Khorasan, he began his work in administration at his father's suggestion. While there, his father introduced him to
Nizam al-Mulk, one of the most eminent statesmen in early Muslim history and Alp Arslan's future vizier.
Defense of Tokharistan (1043–44) Taking advantage of the illness of the governor of
Khorasan Chaghri, the
Ghaznavid Sultan
Mawdud attacked the
Tokharistan region held by the Seljuks with the Ghaznavid army. Alp Arslan, who was in the city of
Balkh at the time, defeated the Ghaznavids. A subsequent Ghaznavid attack was also repelled. The defeated Ghaznavids retreated, abandoning the places they had captured. Later, the Seljuk army, which launched an attack under the command of Alp Arslan and Chaghri Beg, captured the cities of
Termez,
Kubadhiyan,
Vakhsh,
Kunduz (Valvalic), held by the Ghaznavids, and other Tokharistan lands held by the Ghaznavids.
Campaign of Kara-Khanids A few years after
Mawdud of Ghazni suffered a major defeat against the
Seljuks in
Tokharistan, he called on the
Kara-Khanids and the
Buyids to form an alliance against the Seljuks. The Kara-Khanids and the Buyids accepted Mawdud's proposition. Later, the members of this alliance took action to unite their armies. Mawdud also set out with his army to meet the Buyid and Kara-Khanid armies. However, Mawdud fell ill on the way to the meeting place, and the Ghaznavid army was forced to turn back. The Buyids army also set out from
Isfahan to the meeting place, but when they passed
Tabas and entered the desert, an epidemic broke out in the Buyids army. In this epidemic, the commander of the Buyids army fell ill, and the army suffered great losses. Thereupon, the Buyids turned back. The
Kara-Khanid ruler Arslan Khan was unaware of these events. Arslan Khan attacked
Termez and plundered the city. Later, Arslan Khan took action to capture
Balkh. In the face of these events, Alp Arslan went on an expedition against the Kara-Khanids. Arslan Khan was defeated in the war that broke out between the two sides. The defeated Arslan Khan was forced to retreat, and went to the banks of the
Amu Darya River. He then decided to make a peace offer to the Seljuks. When
Chaghri Beg heard about this peace offer, he met with the Kara-Khanid ruler Arslan Khan with his soldiers. As a result of this meeting, peace was made between the
Seljuk Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate.
Raid of Fasa While
Tughril I was busy with the Siege of
Isfahan (1050–51), Alp Arslan attacked and captured the city of
Fasa, belonging to the
Buyids, with his army, without the knowledge of his uncle Tughril. He then returned to
Khorasan to avoid falling under the command of Tughril.
Defense of Khorasan (1056) Taking advantage of the internal turmoil in the
Ghaznavid Empire, the
Seljuks organized an expedition to
Ghazna. The army, under the command of
Chaghri, advanced as far as Bust. The Ghaznavids, who solved the problems, enthroned
Farrukh-Zad. Farrukh-Zad sent his commander, named Hirhiz, against Chaghri. Hirhiz defeated Chaghri and attacked
Khorasan, defeating and capturing Gul-Sarygh and other Seljuk commanders. Thereupon, Alp Arslan received permission from his father to organize an attack to the Ghaznavids, and they were defeated under the command of Hirhiz.
Capture of Chaghaniyan (1059) In 1059, Alp Arslan launched a campaign against the
Kara-Khanids. During this campaign, Alp Arslan captured
Chaghaniyan, which belonged to the Kara-Khanids. Following Alp Arslan's capture of Chaghaniyan, the Kara-Khanid ruler Ibrahim ibn Nasr complained against Alp Arslan to the
Abbasid caliph, but to no avail. The caliph did nothing but give robes and titles to Ibrahim bin Nasr.
Battle of Rey (1059) As a result of the rebellion of
Ibrahim Yinal, the Seljuk Sultan
Tughril I, who was in a difficult situation, asked for help from his brother
Chaghri. Chaghri responded to this request for help by sending an army under the command of his sons Alp Arslan,
Qavurt, and Yakuti. The army under the command of
Ibrahim Yinal and his nephews Mehmed and Ahmed, and the army under the command of Alp Arslan, Qavurt, and Yakuti encountered each other near
Rey. Ibrahim Yinal and his nephews, who lost the battle, were taken prisoner.
Campaign of Khuttal (1063) Upon receiving news of the rebellion of the
Khuttal Emir, Alp Arslan set out on an expedition against Khuttal. The Seljuk army, under the command of Alp Arslan, laid siege to the
Hulbuk Castle, the center of Khuttal. The Hulbuk Castle was built on a mountain and the castle was fortified, which caused the first attacks to be ineffective. Later, as a result of an attack in which Alp Arslan also participated, the Khuttal Emir was killed. Later, the Hulbuk Castle was captured by the Seljuks. Alp Arslan appointed one of his own men as emir to Khuttal.
Battle of Herat (1063) After the death of
Tughril,
Musa Yabghu captured
Herat, which was under the rule of Alp Arslan, and rebellion. In the meantime, Alp Arslan, who was dealing with the rebellion of the
Khatlon emir, suppressed this rebellion and defeated the Khatlon emir, and then went on an expedition against Musa Yabghu. In the battle between the two armies near Herat, Musa Yabghu was defeated. Alp Arslan regained control of Herat and spared the life of Musa Yabghu, who was taken prisoner.
Campaign of Chaghaniyan After Alp Arslan suppressed
Musa Yabghu's rebellion, he marched against Emir Musa, who rebelled in
Chaghaniyan. Emir Musa was defeated and captured in the battle near Chaghaniyan. Later, the Seljuk army captured Chaghaniyan Castle. After suppressing this rebellion, Alp Arslan advanced towards
Ray with his army. Along with
Nizam al-Mulk and
Malik-Shah I, he then marched into
Armenia and
Georgia, which he conquered in 1064. Alp Arslan and Malik-Shah I captured the regions between Tbilisi and the Çoruh river, many cities and castles, especially Akhalkalaki, Alaverdi,
Byurakan (Anberd), Surmari, Hagios Georgios Castle, and Meryemnişin. Alp Arslan went on an expedition to Anatolia and Subizshahr, Akkent, Ağcakale, and surrounding Anatolian castles were captured. Ani, the most fortified castle of the Byzantine Empire, was besieged. The city of Ani was defended by two Byzantine generals, Bagrat and Gregor. After a siege of 25 days, the Seljuks
captured Ani, the capital city of Armenia. After the Seljuks captured Ani,
Kars surrendered to the Seljuks and was thus taken without a fight. An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is given by the historian
Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, who quotes an eyewitness saying:
Campaign of Fars During Sultan Alp Arslan's Campaign of Northwest, following an argument between Fazluye, the governor of
Shiraz, and Alp Arslan's brother
Qavurt, the governor of
Kerman, Sultan Alp Arslan launched an expedition against Qavurt. When Alp Arslan's army attacked, Qavurt's soldiers pleaded for mercy and were taken captive. Qavurt fled. Alp Arslan appointed Fazluye as governor of
Fars and went to
Isfahan.
Campaign of Ustyurt and Mangyshlak (1065) In 1065, Alp Arslan went on an expedition to the
Ustyurt and
Mangyshlak regions with a Seljuk army of approximately 30,000 men. He defeated the Turkmen, Kipchak, and Jazeks forces. Then he defeated the 30,000 men
Kipchak army under the command of Kafshud. Alp Arslan later visited the grave of his grandfather Seljuk in
Jand and attributed it to the lands ruled by his son
Malik-Shah I. As a result of this expedition of Alp Arslan, the lands from the
Caspian Sea to
Tashkent came under the rule of the Seljuk Empire.
Campaign of Kerman (1067) Alp Arslan went on an expedition against
Qavurt, who rebelled in 1067. Qavurt again asked for forgiveness after the army he sent was defeated by Alp Arslan's vanguard. Alp Arslan forgave him and left him as the prince of
Kerman.
Campaign of Georgia (1068) Bagrat IV agreed to pay jizya to the Seljuks in 1064, but the Georgians broke the agreement in 1065. Alp Arslan invaded Georgia again in 1068. He captured
Tbilisi,
Kartli,
Shirak,
Vanand,
Gugark,
Arran,
Ganja, and
Kars after a short battle and obtained the submission of Bagrat IV. However, the Georgians were liberated from Seljuk rule around 1073–1074 after Alp Arslan died. As a result of the campaigns carried out during the reign of
Malik-Shah I, Georgia became a part of the
Seljuk Empire again.
Raid on Caesarea In consolidating his empire and subduing contending factions, Alp Arslan was ably assisted by Nizam al-Mulk, and the two are credited with helping to stabilize the empire after the death of
Tughril. With peace and security established in his dominions, Alp Arslan convoked an assembly of the states, and in 1066, he declared his son
Malik Shah I his heir and successor. With the hope of capturing
Caesarea Mazaca, the capital of
Cappadocia, he placed himself at the head of the
Turkoman cavalry, crossed the
Euphrates, and entered and invaded the city. The Raid on Caesarea occurred in 1067, when the Seljuk Turks, under Alp Arslan and
Afshin Bey, attacked
Caesarea. Caesarea was sacked and its Cathedral of St. Basil was desecrated. This provoked Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes'
first campaign in 1068.
Campaign of Northern Syria and Anatolia In 1070, the emirs of
Mecca and
Medina came under the rule of the
Seljuk Empire. After Mecca and Medina came under Seljuk Empire rule, the
Fatimid Vizier Nasr-Dawla asked for help from Alp Arslan against the Fatimids. Alp Arslan moved with his army upon the call for help and entered
Anatolia via
Azerbaijan. Alp Arslan first captured the castles of
Manzikert and
Erciş. Later, he went down to the
Silvan and
Diyarbekir (Amid) regions and made the emirs there his vassals of Seljuk Empire, then he went to
Edessa and besieged the city. When the siege was prolonged, he lifted the siege by receiving a tribute of 50,000 dinars. He advanced to
Aleppo, which was in the hands of the
Mirdasids, and captured the Byzantine castles on his way. When he arrived in Aleppo, he laid siege to the city due to the disobedience of
Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud, the Mirdasid emir of Aleppo. Some time after the siege, Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud came to Alp Arslan, apologized, and became his vassal. Later, as
Egypt was preparing to advance, the
Byzantine envoy arrived and Alp Arslan turned his attention to Manzikert.
Battle of Manzikert (1071) En route to fight the Fatimids in Syria in 1068, Alp Arslan invaded the
Byzantine Empire. The Emperor
Romanos IV Diogenes, assuming command in person, met the invaders in
Cilicia. In three arduous campaigns, the Turks were defeated in detail and driven across the
Euphrates in 1070. The first two campaigns were conducted by the emperor himself, while the third was directed by
Manuel Komnenos, the brother of future emperor
Alexios I Komnenos. During this time, Alp Arslan gained the allegiance of
Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud, the Mirdasid emir of Aleppo. In 1071, Romanos took the field again and advanced east with his army, including a contingent of
Cuman Turks as well as contingents of
Franks and
Normans, under
Ursel de Baieul. Alp Arslan, who had moved his troops south to fight the
Fatimids, quickly reversed to meet the Byzantines. When Alp Arslan arrived in Silvan and learned that Romanos Diogenes had captured
Manzikert, he set out towards
Ahlat. The two armies met at the Rahve Plain near Manzikert. Alp Arslan sent a final ambassador to the Romanos IV Diogenes, offering a peace deal. The Romanos IV Diogenes rejected the peace deal, whereupon Alp Arslan put his army in battle formation and placed some of his cavalry in ambush along the valley. Alp Arslan placed the 4,000-man force he would command in the center line. On the Byzantine side, Emperor Romanos Diogenes also put his army in battle formation. Both armies made their final preparations on August 25. Before the battle on August 26, Alp Arslan gave the following speech to his army: On August 26, the
Battle of Manzikert began with a Seljuk attack. The central army, under the command of Alp Arslan, attacked the numerically superior Byzantine army and, after a while, retreated due to war tactics. The central army, led by the Byzantine emperor Romanus Diogenes, started to follow the
Seljuk army, and when they reached the ambush point, the army under the command of Alp Arslan turned towards the Byzantine army and other Seljuk soldiers emerged from the hills where they were hiding and surrounded the
Byzantine army. The Byzantine army, which fell into the ambush set by the Seljuks, was defeated and for the first time in history, a Byzantine emperor was taken prisoner by a Turkish and
Muslim commander. The Byzantines were wholly routed. after the
Battle of Manzikert. From a 15th-century illustrated French translation of
Boccaccio's
De Casibus Virorum Illustrium Emperor Romanos himself was captured in battle and presented to Alp Arslan. It is reported that upon seeing the Roman emperor, the sultan leaped from his throne, commanded Romanos to kiss the ground, and stepped on his neck. He repeatedly berated the emperor, including for spurning his emissaries and offers of peace. Romanos remained unrepentant, asserting that he had merely done what was "possible for a man, and which kings are bound to do, and I have fallen short in nothing. But God has fulfilled his will. And now, do what you wish and abandon recriminations." Purportedly declaring Romanos "too trivial... to kill", Alp Arslan then led him about the camp to sell the prisoner to one of his men. The Seljuk soldiers initially refused to spend any money on buying the emperor, until one man traded a dog for him. After hearing of the death of Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, Sultan Alp Arslan pledged: "The Byzantine nation has no God, so this day the oath of peace and friendship taken by both the Persians and Byzantines is nullified; henceforth I shall consume with the sword all those people who venerate the cross, and all the lands of the Christians shall be enslaved." Alp Arslan and his successor
Malik Shah urged Turkish tribes to invade and settle Anatolia, where they would not only cease to be a problem for the Seljuk Sultanate, but also extend its territory further. Alp Arslan commanded the Turks as follows: Alp Arslan's victories changed the balance in western Asia completely in favor of the
Seljuq Turks and
Sunni Muslims. While the
Byzantine Empire was to continue for nearly four more centuries, the victory at Manzikert signalled the beginning of Turkic ascendancy in Anatolia.
Campaign of Turkestan (1072) Alp Arslan launched an expedition to Turkestan in 1072 with an army of 200,000. The reason for this expedition was that the
Seljuk Dynasty's son-in-law,
Shams al-Mulk, killed his wife, Alp Arslan's daughter (though some sources say she was his sister). Alp Arslan had ships built to cross the
Amu Darya River with his army. Alp Arslan and his army crossed the Amu Darya River with the help of ships in 24 days. Later, Alp Arslan entered the
Kara-Khanid lands with his army. Alp Arslan and his army came to the front of Barzem Castle without encountering any resistance or attacks and surrounded the castle. After a while, the castle, unable to withstand the siege, surrendered. The castle commander Yusuf al-Kharezmi came to Alp Arslan, stabbed him, and seriously wounded him. Alp Arslan held out for four days, but then died. == State organization ==