Jalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh or simply Malik Shāh (Persian: ملكشاه, Turkish: Melikşah) (died 1092) was the Seljuk sultan from 1072 to 1092.
He drove the Byzantine Empire out of most of Anatolia following their defeat by his father Alp Arslan at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Likewise, he reformed the calendar with the Jalāli calendar in 1079. Malik Shah expanded Seljuk power into Syria at the expense of the Fatimids of Egypt, setting up client princes in Edessa, Aleppo and Damascus and is remembered as one of the greatest of the Seljuk sultans.
Revolt in Anatolia
Suleyman revolted against Malik Shah I and proclaimed himself the Sultan of Rûm, establishing his capital at Nicaea. Suleyman expanded his realm but was killed near Antioch in 1086 by Tutush I, the Seljuk ruler of Syria. Suleyman's son, Kilij Arslan I, was captured and taken as a hostage by Malik Shah I to Isfahan. It is uncertain whether Tutush killed Suleyman out of loyalty to Malik Shah I or simply for personal gain.
State Organization
The principal post in the organization was that of the vizier Nizam al-Mulk who served both him and his father and achieved a near mythic stature in contemporary Muslim histories.
He moved the capital from Rayy to Isfahan.
 |
This section requires expansion. |
Legacy
After his death in 1092, the Seljuk empire dissolved into smaller, warring states, as Malik Shah's brother and four sons quarreled over the apportioning of the empire between themselves. Kilij Arslan I reestablished the Sultanate of Rûm in Anatolia, and Tutush I established himself in Syria. In Persia, Malik Shah was succeeded by his son Mahmud I whose reign was contested by his other three brothers: Barkiyaruq in Iraq, Muhammad I in Baghdad, and Ahmed Sanjar in Khorasan.
The disunity within the Seljuk lands contributed to the success of the First Crusade.
| Preceded by Alp Arslan |
Sultan of Great Seljuk 1072–1092 |
Succeeded by Mahmud I of Great Seljuk |
 |
This biography of a member of a Middle Eastern royal house is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
