Part 4
Author: Harith Ubaida
Sultan Muhammad (Alp Arslan)
After the death of his uncle, Tughril Beg, Alp Arslan ascended to power in the Seljuk Empire. Despite initial internal conflicts over succession, he swiftly quelled these disputes. Renowned for his wisdom, experience, and courage, Alp Arslan adopted a strategic approach to expanding the empire’s borders.
Alp Arslan’s first priority was to consolidate the regions already under Seljuk control, ensuring stability before shifting his focus to external expansion. Deeply committed to jihad for the sake of Allah, he worked tirelessly to spread Islam in neighboring Christian empires, persistently striving to bring the regions of Armenia and the Byzantine territories under Islamic rule. A devoted warrior of Islam, his unwavering spirit of jihad fueled his remarkable military successes, infusing his campaigns with a profound religious purpose.
This great leader of the Seljuk Empire was a true warrior of Islam, dedicated to spreading the faith in Christian territories. He emerged as a steadfast and determined figure, illuminating the light of Islam across vast regions of the Byzantine Empire.
Before expanding the empire’s borders, Alp Arslan spent seven years assessing the conditions in the distant regions of his realm. Once confident in their stability and security, he began strategizing to achieve his greater objective.
His primary goal was to conquer the Christian territories bordering the Seljuk Empire, dismantle the Fatimid rule in Egypt—also known as the Ubaydi dynasty—and unify the entire Islamic world under the banner of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Seljuk Empire.
To realize this vision, Alp Arslan assembled a massive army and personally led it into Armenia and Georgia, successfully conquering and integrating these regions into his empire. Alongside his military campaigns, he worked actively to spread Islam in the newly annexed territories.
Alp Arslan continued his conquests, advancing into northern Syria, where he laid siege to the Mirdasid state in Aleppo. The Mirdasid dynasty, a Shiite-led state, had been founded in 414 AH (1023 CE) by Salih ibn Mirdas. Alp Arslan forced its ruler to renounce allegiance to the Fatimid Caliph and submit to the Abbasid Caliph instead, ensuring loyalty to Abbasid rule. Following this success, Alp Arslan dispatched the Turkic commander Atsiz ibn Uvaq Khwarazmi to launch an offensive in southern Syria.
Khwarazmi successfully captured Ramla and Jerusalem from the Fatimids, but he was unable to seize Ascalon, a crucial strategic point serving as a gateway to Egypt. This brought the Seljuks closer to Jerusalem, positioning them near the center of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Seljuk Sultanate.