Alp Arslan was a member of the Turkish dynasty and was the sultan of Persia. He had succeeded his father who was also a Seljuk on the throne. He followed the footsteps of his father Daud Chaghri Beg who was the commander of the Turkoman forces in the region f Khurasan and his great-grandfather who had conquered southwest Asia in the eleventh century and was able to conquer major territories during his lifetime.
Background
Famously known as Alp Arslan, his original name was Muhammad ibn Daud. He was born somewhere around in 1025 in Khurasan region of Persia. Seljuk was his great-grandfather who had conquered southwest Asia in the eleventh century. His father was Daud Chaghri Beg who was the commander of the Turkoman forces in the region f Khurasan.
Education
There is very limited information on the formal education achieved by Arp Arslan. Born amid royalty, it can be stated that he was trained in the military and take over his father from an early age. His experience mostly came from the fact that he used to campaign for his father in his military activities.
Career
Alp Arslan started his career campaigning for his father Daud Chaghri Beg who was the commander of the Turkoman forces in the region f Khurasan. After his father’s death sometime around 1059, Alp Arslan took over. He also took over the throne of Tughril
when he died in the year 1063 in Baghdad.
Alp Arslan was faced with several oppositions more from his internal family rather than the people outside. His brother Kawurd who was also the founder of Kirman dynasty protested twice while his uncle from his father’s side created rebellion in 1064 in the entire region of Khurasan.
Suppressing the internal issues, Alp Arslan focused on his work as a Sultan and campaigned against his neighbors. They attacked Armenia and Georgia in the year 1064 and the next year took his forces for attack k in Transoxiana. In the year 1070, he took over Aleppo with an attack in Syria. Soon he had conquered major regions from Central Asia to the Mediterranean.
Alp Arslan was a brave man and was known for his treatment of the opponents. He was found to be a generous leader. His major strength was in his military and the domestic affairs being handled by Nizam al-Mulk who also had established with the administrative organization which had strengthened the working during the time of Alp Arslan as well as his son.
When Byzantine front was being attacked by the Seljuks as well as the Turkish, the Emperor of Byzantine attacked in defense and in the year 0171, Alp Arslan had to escape from Syria. A battle took place and Turkish became victorious. Alp Arslan and the opponent signed a peace treaty after which the Romanus were allowed to return home with army escorts and gifts by Alp Arslan.
It was in the year 1072 that while he was performing his campaign in the region of Turkestan, Alp Arslan was stabbed at the back by a imprisoned commander of the region that had recently been taken over by Arp Arslan. He succumbed to death on 24th of November and the throne was taken over by Alp Arslan’s son Malik Shah who was only 13 years old then.
He was given his name Arp Arslan because of his military strengths and personal heroism. His name means ‘a valiant lion’.
He had two sons Malik Shah I and Tutush I. Arp Arslan political ideas became an inspiration to the region’s neighbors. He is seen as a great leader, an honest man and followed the right path. On the other side for the Christians, he proved to be a harsh human being. He spent most of his life in invasions while the region’s administration was being handled completely by his vizier Niẓām al-Mulk.
Even though Arp Arslan had a short reign over the throne, he was a glorious and a victorious sultan of the time. Right in the first year of taking over the position, he conquered Khatlan, Herat, and Sighaniyan. He was also successful in driving back the Roman who was the Asia Minor then. He later took over Jand where his great-grandfather was buried. He got Aleppo and brought back the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. His last invasion was on Malazgird with his 15000 men and after the battle, he was able to capture the Byzantine Emperor Diogenes Romanus.
Religion
Arp Arslan was given his original name Muhammad because of his religion. It is mentioned that he was a great and generous leader and followed the path to the truth. He punished the wrong only when needed.
Politics
Arp Arslan political ideas became an inspiration to the region’s neighbors. He is seen as a great leader, an honest man and followed the right path. On the other side for the Christians, he proved to be a harsh human being. He spent most of his life in invasions while the region’s administration was being handled completely by his vizier Niẓām al-Mulk.
When Byzantine front was being attacked by the Seljuks as well as the Turkish, the Emperor of Byzantine attacked in defense and in the year 0171, Alp Arslan had to escape from Syria. A battle took place and Turkish became victorious. Alp Arslan and the opponent signed a peace treaty after which the Romanus were allowed to return home with army escorts and gifts by Alp Arslan. This shows that though he was a great leader and the Sultan of Persia he had the respect of his enemies which no one could deny.
Alp Arslan was faced with several oppositions more from his internal family rather than the people outside. His brother Kawurd who was also the founder of Kirman dynasty protested twice while his uncle from his father’s side created rebellion in 1064 in the entire region of Khurasan. Suppressing the internal issues, Alp Arslan focused on his work as a Sultan and campaigned against his neighbors and gain access to other territories to expand his land. He is greatly known for his military skills and political power and for the same reason was given the new name Alp Arslan which means ‘valiant lion’,
Views
Alp Arslan was a brave man and was known for his treatment of the opponents. He was found to be a generous leader. His major strength was in his military and the domestic affairs being handled by Nizam al-Mulk who also had established with an administrative organization which had strengthened the working during the time of Alp Arslan as well as his son.
He is greatly known for his charity and generosity. When Byzantine front was being attacked by the Seljuks as well as the Turkish, the Emperor of Byzantine attacked in defense and in the year 0171, Alp Arslan had to escape from Syria. A battle took place and Turkish became victorious. Alp Arslan and the opponent signed a peace treaty after which the Romanus were allowed to return home with army escorts and gifts by Alp Arslan. He was given his name Arp Arslan because of his military strengths and personal heroism. His name means ‘a valiant lion’. It is stated that Alp Arslan was very less involved with family life and spent most of his time in conquests. He had followed the path of his ancestors to expand the territories and proved himself to be a great military leader.
Quotations:
“My punishment is far heavier, I forgive you, and set you free.”
“What would you have done, had I been brought before you as a prisoner?”
“I love the war because there is a victory at its end.”
Personality
Alp Arslan was a brave man and was known for his treatment of the opponents. He was found to be a generous leader. His major strength was in his military and the domestic affairs being handled by Nizam al-Mulk who also had established with an administrative organization which had strengthened the working during the time of Alp Arslan as well as his son.
When he was put on the throne as a sultan, Alp Arslan was faced with several oppositions more from his internal family rather than the people outside. His brother Kawurd who was also the founder of Kirman dynasty protested twice while his uncle from his father’s side created rebellion in 1064 in the entire region of Khurasan. Suppressing the internal issues, Alp Arslan focused on his work as a Sultan and campaigned against his neighbors and conquered several major regions including the land where his grandfather was buried.
He is greatly known for his charity and generosity. When Byzantine front was being attacked by the Seljuks as well as the Turkish, the Emperor of Byzantine attacked in defense and in the year 0171, Alp Arslan had to escape from Syria. A battle took place and Turkish became victorious. Alp Arslan and the opponent signed a peace treaty after which the Romanus were allowed to return home with army escorts and gifts by Alp Arslan. He was given his name Arp Arslan because of his military strengths and personal heroism. His name means ‘a valiant lion’.
Physical Characteristics:
Arp Arslan’s mustaches are stated to be so long that they were tied up while he went on a shoot. He was tall and magnanimous.
Connections
There is very limited information on Alp Arslan’s married life. Though he had two sons Malik Shah I and Tutush I and his eldest born Malik Shah took over the throne after his father’s death. He was only 13 years of age then. It is stated that Alp Arslan was very less involved with family life and spent most of his time in conquests.