1. Alp Arslan, born Muhammad Alp Arslan bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty.
22 Facts About Alp Arslan
1. 2.
Alp Arslan greatly expanded Seljuk territories and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to the south, east and northwest.
3.
Alp Arslan was the son of Chaghri and nephew of Tughril, the founding sultans of the Seljuk Empire.
4.
Alp Arslan's grandfather was Mikail, who in turn was the son of the warlord Seljuk.
5.
Alp Arslan was the father of numerous children, including Malik-Shah I and Tutush I It is unclear who the mother or mothers of his children were.
6.
Alp Arslan was known to have been married at least twice.
7.
Alp Arslan's wives included the widow of his uncle Tughril, a Kara-Khanid princess known as Aka or Seferiye Khatun, and the daughter or niece of Bagrat IV of Georgia.
8.
Kilij Alp Arslan, the son and successor of Suleiman ibn Kutalmish, was a major opponent of the Franks during the First Crusade and the Crusade of 1101.
9.
Alp Arslan accompanied his uncle Tughril on campaigns in the south against the Fatimids while his father Chaghri remained in Khorasan.
10.
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.
11.
En route to fight the Fatimids in Syria in 1068, Alp Arslan invaded the Byzantine Empire.
12.
Alp Arslan, who had moved his troops south to fight the Fatimids, quickly reversed to meet the Byzantines.
13.
Alp Arslan repeatedly berated the emperor, including for spurning his emissaries and offers of peace.
14.
The reason Alp Arslan spared Romanos was likely to avoid a two-front war.
15.
Alp Arslan's victories changed the balance in western Asia completely in favor of the Seljuq Turks and Sunni Muslims.
16.
Alp Arslan had long, thin whiskers, which he used to knot up when shooting arrows.
17.
Alp Arslan was so dedicated to the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence that he always kept a qadi by his side, including in battles.
18.
Alp Arslan was exceedingly imperious and awe-inspiring and, because he was so earnest and fanatical in his beliefs and disapproved of the Shafi'i rite, I lived in constant fear of him.
19.
Alp Arslan had been formerly the wife of Sultan Tughril.
20.
Alp Arslan divorced her, and married her to Nizam al-Mulk.
21.
Alp Arslan's sons were Malik-Shah I, Tutush I, Arslan Shah, Tekish, Toghan-Shah, Ayaz and Buibars.
22.
Son of Alp Arslan's sister, Dev Ali Beg was a royal military general who played a key role in the conquest of Kayseri and gave his name to Develi district of Kayseri.