• from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kayqubad I (1188–1237, Persian: علاء الدين كيقباد بن كيكاوس‎, 'Alā ad-Dīn Kayqubād bin Kaykāvūs; Turkish: I. Alâeddin Keykûbad) was the Seljuq Sultan of Rûm who reigned from 1220 to 1237. He expanded the borders of the sultanate at the expense of his neighbors, particularly the Mengujek emirate and the Ayyubids, and established a Seljuq presence on the Mediterranean with his acquisition of the port of Kalon Oros, later renamed Ala'iyya in his honor. He also brought the southern Crimea under Turkish control for a brief period as a result of a raid against the Black Sea port of Sudak. The sultan, sometimes styled "Kayqubad the Great", is remembered today for his rich architectural legacy and the brilliant court culture that flourished under his reign.

Kayqubad's reign represented the apogee of Seljuq power and influence in Anatolia, and Kayqubad himself was considered the most illustrious prince of the dynasty. In the period following the mid-13th century Mongol invasion, inhabitants of Anatolia frequently looked back on his reign as a golden age, while the new rulers of the Anatolian beyliks sought to justify their own authority through pedigrees traced to him.

Contents

• 1 Biography
• 2 Family
• 3 Architectural and cultural legacy
• 4 Notes
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Biography

Kayqubad was the second son of Sultan Kaykhusraw I, who bestowed upon him at an early age the title malik and the governorship of the important central Anatolian town of Tokat. When the sultan died following the battle of Alaşehir in 1211,[1] both Kayqubad and his elder brother Kaykaus struggled for the throne. Kayqubad initially garnered some support among the neighbors of the sultanate: Leo I, the king of Cilician Armenia and Tughrilshah, the brothers' uncle and the independent ruler of Erzurum. Most of the emirs, as the powerful landed aristocracy of the sultanate, supported Kaykaus. Kayqubad was forced to flee to the fortress at Ankara, where he sought aid from the Turkman tribes of Kastamonu. He was soon apprehended and imprisoned by his brother in a fortress in western Anatolia.[2]

Upon Kaykaus' unexpected death in 1219 (or 1220), Kayqubad, released from captivity, succeeded to the throne of the sultanate.

In foreign policy, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was reduced and became a vassal of the sultanate. The sultan settled Turcomans along the Taurus Mountains frontier, in a region later called İçel. At the end of the 13th century, these Turcomans established the Karamanids.

In 1227/1228, Kayqubad advanced into eastern Anatolia, where the arrival of Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, who was fleeing the destruction of his Khwarezmian Empire by the Mongols, had created an unstable political situation. The sultan defeated the Artuqids and the Ayyubids and absorbed the Mengujek emirate into the sultanate, capturing the fortresses of Hısn Mansur, Kahta, and Çemişgezek along his march. He also put down a revolt by the Empire of Trebizond and, although he fell short of capturing their capital, forced the Komnenos dynasty family to renew their pledges of vassalage.[citation needed]

At first Kayqubad sought an alliance with his Turkish kinsman Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu against the Mongol threat. The alliance could not be achieved, and afterwards Jalal ad-Din took the important fortress at Ahlat. Kayqubad finally defeated him at the Battle of Yassıçimen between Sivas and Erzincan in 1230. After his victory, he advanced further east, establishing Seljuq rule over Erzurum, Ahlat and the region of Lake Van (formerly part of Ayyubids). The Artuqids of Diyarbakır and the Ayyubids of Syria recognized his sovereignty. He also captured a number of fortresses in Georgia, whose queen sued for peace and gave her daughter Tamar in marriage to Kayqubad's son, Kaykhusraw II.[3]

Mindful of the increasing presence and power of the Mongols on the borders of the Sultanate of Rum, he strengthened the defenses and fortresses in his eastern provinces. He died at an early age in 1237, the last of his line to die in independence.

Family

Kayqubad had three sons:'Izz al-Din, son of his Ayyubid wife; Rukn al-Din, son of his Ayyubid wife; and Kaykhusraw II, the eldest.[4] Kayqubad originally had his subjects swear allegiance to his son Izz al-Din, but the emirs generally preferred to rally behind the more powerful Kaykhusraw. With no clear successor, conflict broke out between the various factions upon Kayqubad's death.

Architectural and cultural legacy

Kayqubad sponsored a large scale building campaign across Anatolia. Apart from reconstructing towns and fortresses, he built many mosques, medreses, caravanserais, bridges and hospitals, many of which are preserved to this day. Besides completing the construction of the Seljuq Palace in Konya, he also built the Kubadabad Palace on the shore of Lake Beyşehir[5] and Keykubadiye Palace near Kayseri.

Notes

1. Reford, p. 70.
2. Cahen, Pre-Ottoman Turkey, pp. 120-1.
3. Cahen, p. 130
4. Cahen, p. 133
5. Thirteenth-Century Rum Seljuq Palaces and Palace Imagery, Scott Redford, Ars Orientalis, Vol. 23, Pre-Modern Islamic Palaces (1993), 220.

References

• limited preview Peter Malcolm Holt, Ann K. S. Lambton, Bernard Lewis (1977). The Cambridge History of Islam ISBN 0-521-29135-6. Cambridge University Press.
• Cahen, Claude (1968). Pre-Ottoman Turkey: A general survey of the material and spiritual culture and history c. 1071-1330. New York: Taplinger. p. +. ISBN 1-59740-456-X. hdl:2027/heb.00871.
• Crane, H. (1993). "Notes on Saldjūq Architectural Patronage in Thirteenth Century Anatolia". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient (Leiden: Brill) 36 (1): pp. 1–57. doi:10.1163/156852093X00010. ISSN 0022-4995. JSTOR 3632470.
• Peacock, A. C. S. (2006). "The Saljūq Campaign against the Crimea and the Expansionist Policy of the Early Reign of 'Alā' al-Dīn Kayqubād". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) 16 (02): pp. 133–149. doi:10.1017/S1356186306005979. ISSN 1356-1863.
• Redford, Scott (1991). "The Alaeddin Mosque in Konya Reconsidered". Artibus Asiae (Zürich: Artibus Asiae Publishers) 51 (1/2): pp. 54–74. doi:10.2307/3249676. ISSN 0004-3648. JSTOR 3249676.

External links

• Kayqubad's Coinage

  ---

• from the Wikipedia page of the Alaeddin Mosque in Konya:

Kaykaus I began a major rebuilding program in 1219. He changed the main entrance from the west to the north, opposite the mihrab. He added a monumental façade on the north side, overlooking the city and facing the Seljuq palace. A marble tomb was begun in the courtyard. Kaykaus’ building was cut short by his death in the same year, only to be resumed thereafter by his brother and successor Kayqubad I. Kayqubad had several of his brother's inscriptions altered and claimed the improvements to the mosque for himself. In 1235 he added a large room, supported by forty-two columns, to the east of the mihrab.

---

Sultan Alaeddin I was the Sultan of the Seljuk Empire of Rome. His reign lasted for seventeen years from 1220 to 1237 CE. His full name was Alaeddin Kayqubad Bin Kaykavus. He is famous with the name of Kayqubad I. Three Sultans of the Seljuk Empire were having same names as Alaeddin Kayqubad. But Kayqubad I who was the son of Giyaseddin Kaykhusraw I is famous because of his historical victories and he has even been included in the Turkish Season Dirilis Ertugrul. This character is portrayed by Burak Hakki So, in this article, we are going to tell you the true history of this great Sultan of the Seljuk Empire of Rome.

Early Life and Reign

Kayqubad I was born in 1188 CE. His birthplace is yet unknown. He was the son of Giyaseddin Kaykhusraw I, who was also the Sultan and reigned in the Seljuk Empire from 1192-1196 CE and then 1205-1211 CE till his death. He was educated by the Atabegs (Officers who trained the Seljuk Princes) like Ayaba, Emir Seyfeddin, and Emir Bedreddin. He got skills in Turkish as well as Arabic, Persian, and Greek. Kaykhusraw I appointed his second son, Kayqubad I as the Melik (Governor) of Tokat, an important central Anatolian town.

In 1211 CE, after the death of Kaykhusraw I, Izzeddin Kaykaus I became his successor. Kayqubad I struggled to take the throne by preparing an alliance with Leo I, Armenian king and Tugrul Beg Muhammad, the ruler of Erzurum. On the other side, most of the Emirs supported Kaykaus I and Alaeddin Kayqubad had to take refuge in Ankara Castle. Kaykaus I after sieging this Castle captured him and imprisoned him in Minsar Castle, Malatya. Kaykaus died unexpectedly in 1220 CE and Alaeddin I ascended to throne after being released from captivity. He was selected by the honorable members and commanders like Seyfeddin Ayaba and Bahaeddin etc.

Like other Sultans, he also concentrated on the expansion of the Seljuk State. First of all, he conquered Kalonoros castle by defeating Armenians as they were facing the Eastern Latin. He furnished the city and named it Alaiye (Alanya). In 1227 CE, Alaeddin moved into Anatoliand by settling the Turkmens, he succeeded in defeating the ruler of Diyarbakir, Mesud Artuqids and then Ayyubuds. He also conquered the fortress of Hisn Mansur and included the Mengujek Emirate into his empire. Alaeddin I also had a naval force so he sent his navy in the command of Husameddin Coban to Crimea on the request of Seljuk merchants. Coban easily took the Sugdak city and built a mosque there.

After these victories, Alaeddin defeated Celaleddin Menguberti in the Battle of Yassi Cemen in 1230 CE and further moved towards East and took Erzurum, Ahlat and Lake Van. But this is considered a mistake because after this war Mongols way to enter Anatolia was opened. So, they invaded Sivas in the command of Gergoman Noyan and destroyed the region. When Alaeddin came to know that this attack is supported by the Georgian Queen Rosudan, he attacked Georgia. He conquered a lot of fortresses there but Queen asked for peace and married her daughter Tamar Gurcu Hatun to Alaeddin’s son Kaykhusraw II.

He was aware of the increasing power of Mongols so he strengthened the borders of Anatolia by reinforcing the eastern borders. Sultan Alaeddin Kauqubad I safeguarded Anatolia from the Mongols invasion before his death in 1237 CE. His relations with both Muslims and Non-Muslims were good. As when Alaeddin I returned after achieving victory in the Battle of Yassi Cemen, he was welcomed by Christian with their priests and Muslims with their Imams. In great generosity, he also gave them gifts and donations. He was also given the title of “Ulug Sultan”.

Alaeddin I and his Greek wife Mah Pari Hatun gave birth to only son, Kaykhusraw II. His second wife Ghaziya Hatun who was an Ayyubids princess gave birth to Izz al-Din and Rukn al-Din. After the death of Alaeddin I in 1237 CE, Kaykhusraw II became his successor in spite of Kayqubad’s favor towards Izz-al-Din.

Alaeddin I died in 1237 CE and buried in Kumbedhane hill mausoleum which was constructed by Sultan Mesud (1116-1157). Later a mosque was built on that hill. During his reign, he constructed castles, caravansary, and palaces which even still present today. Out of those, two are most famous as Kayqubad Palace in Kayseri and Kubadabad Palace in Beysehir.