1. Ahmad Sanjar was a son of Malik Shah I and participated in wars of succession against his three brothers and a nephew, namely Mahmud I, Barkiyaruq, 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.
Ahmad 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, Ahmad Sanjar woke up one day to find a dagger beside him, pinning a note from Hassan-i Sabbah stating that he would like peace.
Ahmad Sanjar, shocked by this event, sent envoys to Hassan and they both agreed to stay out of each other's way.
Ahmad Sanjar chose his younger son, Muizzeddin Malik-Shah, as heir to the throne.
Ahmad Sanjar accepted and advanced with an army to the west in 1119, where he together with "five kings" defeated Mahmud at Saveh.
Ahmad Sanjar suffered an astounding defeat, and Garshasp was killed.
Ahmad Sanjar escaped with only fifteen of his elite horsemen, losing all Seljuq territory east of the Syr Darya.
Ahmad Sanjar was captured during the battle and held in captivity until 1156.
Ahmad Sanjar eventually escaped from captivity in the fall of 1156, but soon died in Merv, in 1157.
Ahmad Sanjar's tomb was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221, during their invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire.
Ahmad Sanjar is considered one of the most prominent Seljuq sultans and was the longest reigning Muslim ruler until the Mongols arrived.
Indeed, medieval sources described Ahmad Sanjar as having "the majesty of the Khosrows and the glory of the Kayanids".
Ahmad Sanjar was the daughter of Muhammad Arslan Khan, the ruler of the Kara-Khanid Khanate.
Ahmad Sanjar was the daughter of King Demetrius I of Georgia, and the widow of his nephew Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud.
In probably 1119, Ahmad Sanjar married her to his nephew Mahmud II.
When she died aged seventeen in 1122, Ahmad Sanjar sent another daughter, Amir Sitti Khatun, to be his wife.
Amira Khatun, another of Ahmad Sanjar's daughters married Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustarshid in 1124.