الحروب البيزنطية السلجوقية

Byzantine–Seljuq wars
التاريخ	1048 to 1308 (End of Sultanate of Rum)
المسقط	Asia Minor
التغيرات; الإقليمية	Most of Anatolia permanently conquered by the Seljuq
الخصوم
Byzantine Empire; Empire of Trebizond; the Crusader States	Seljuq Seljuk Empire; Sultanate of Rum;
القوات
c. 1071 :; Could raise up to 100,000 troops; 1140 :; 25,000 to 50,000 field troops	unknown

The Byzantine–Seljuq Wars ((بالهجرية: Bizans-Selçuklu Savaşları)‏) were a series of decisive battles that shifted the balance of power in Asia Minor and Syria from the European Byzantine Empire to the Central Asian Seljuq. Riding from the steppes of Central Asia, the Seljuq replicated tactics practiced by the Huns hundreds of years earlier against a similar Roman opponent but now combining it with new-found Islamic zeal; in many ways, the Seljuq resumed the conquests of the Muslims in the Byzantine–Arab Wars initiated by the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abassid Caliphate in the Levant, North Africa and Asia Minor.

Today, the Battle of Manzikert is widely seen as the moment when the Byzantines lost the war against the Turks; however the Byzantine military was of questionable quality before 1071 with regular Turkish incursions overrunning the failing theme system. Even after Manzikert, Byzantine rule over Asia Minor did not end immediately, nor were any heavy concessions levied by the Turks on their opponents – it took another 20 years before the Turks were in control of the entire Anatolian peninsula and not for long either.

During the course of the war, the Seljuq Turks and their allies attacked the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, capturing Jerusalem and catalyzing the call for the First Crusade. Crusader assistance to the Byzantine Empire was mixed with treachery and looting, although substantial gains were made in the First Crusade. Within a hundred years of Manzikert, the Byzantines had (with Crusader assistance) successfully driven back the Turks from the coasts of Asia Minor and extended their influence right down to Palestine and even Egypt. Later, the Byzantines were unable to extract any more assistance, and the Fourth Crusade even led to the sack of Constantinople. Before the conflict petered out, the Seljuqs managed to take more territory from the weakened Empire of Nicaea until the Sultanate itself was taken over by the Mongols, leading to the rise of the ghazis and the conclusive Byzantine–Ottoman wars.

Origins

The division of the Empire after the death of Theodosius I, ca.395 AD superimposed on modern borders.

Byzantine Empire in 1025 AD.

Initial Conflicts: 1064–1071

Alp Arslan led Seljuq Turks to victory against the Byzantines in 1071.

Turkic Conquests: 1071–1096

Byzantine Empire 1081. By now, the Empire was in financial crisis at a time when increased taxes needed to be levied on a smaller population to raise revenue for increased defenses.

Byzantium Survives: 1096–1118

A 15th century depiction of the siege of Antioch, with soldiers anachronistically shown wearing plate as opposed to mail armour.

Byzantine counter-attack: 1118–1176

John II Comnenus, Byzantium's greatest military leader since Basil II. John was able to exploit the weakness of the Turks using the still fragile state and army he had inherited from his father

John II Comnenus

Manuel Comnenus

Byzantine territory in red, and the Sultanate of Iconium and Four Emirates in 1180 A.D. Due to the nature of the war and terrain, boundaries were constantly violated by raiding parties on both sides.

Byzantine Collapse 1180–1308

Analysis

The Komnenian Restoration gave the Byzantines a small respite; by 1210 the Byzantines were fighting once more for their survival.

Byzantine army

Year	Population	Soldiers	Area
1025	12,000,000	110,000	Byzantine Empire
1143	10,000,000	50,000	Byzantine Empire
1204	9,000,000	30,000+	Byzantine Empire
1281	5,000,000	20,000	Byzantine Empire

Crusades

Seljuq Turks

A 15th-century French depiction of Manzikert (Paris, BnF ms. fr. 226, fol. 256r), with no accuracy applied to the weapons, tactics or clothing worn by the combatants. On the right, Alp Arslan steps on Romanus

Conclusion

Consequences

Aftermath of Manzikert.

Settlements and regions affected during the first wave of Turkish invasions in Asia Minor (11th-13th century)

انظر أيضاً

Seljuq Turks
Komnenian army
Byzantine military
Decline of the Byzantine Empire
Rise of the Ottoman Empire
Second Crusade
Third Crusade

References

^ "World Gazetteer, Greece". Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
^ ". Gallica.
^ http://www.allempires.com/empires/seljuk/seljuk_warriors_enh.jpg

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