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Turkish Studies Volume 14 Issue 1, 2019, p. 495-509 DOI: 10.7827/TurkishStudies.14907 ISSN: 1308-2140 Skopje/MACEDONIA-Ankara/TURKEY Research Article / Araştırma Makalesi A r t i c l e I n f o / M a k a l e B i l g i s i Received/Geliş: Ocak 2019 Accepted/Kabul: Şubat 2019 Referees/Hakemler: Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Ziya POLAT – Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Efe DURMUŞ This article was checked by iThenticate. NUREDDİN MAHMUD ZENGİ’NİN KUZEY SINIRINDAKİ MÜSLÜMAN DEVLETLERLE İLİŞKİLERİ (1146-1174) Ahmet KÜTÜK* ÖZET İmadüddin Zengi’nin ölümünden sonra Haleb ve Musul olarak iki ana şubeye ayrılan Zengi Atabeyliği, Haleb hâkimi Nureddin Mahmud Zengi’nin akıllı idaresi ve cesareti sayesinde bir asır daha bu bölgede varlığını güçlü bir şekilde sürdürmüştür. Nureddin, babasının ölümünü fırsat bilerek Suriye ve el-Cezire topraklarına girmeye çalışan rakipleriyle giriştiği egemenlik mücadelesini kazanarak ülkesine yönelen tüm tehditleri bertaraf etmeyi başarmıştır. Öncelikle kuzey sınırında Haçlıları işlevsiz hale getirdikten sonra bölgeye egemen olmaya çalışan Selçuklu ve Artuklu gibi Müslüman devletlere karşı hassas bir politika takip etmek zorunda kalmıştır. Bölgedeki en ciddi rakibi Selçuklulara karşı gerek I. Mesud gerekse onun oğlu II. Kılıç Arslan zamanında işlevsel bir politika takip ederek bu devletin Anadolu’nun doğusuna ve el-Cezire bölgesine sarkmasını engellemiştir. Özellikle II. Kılıç Arslan ile döneminde Selçuklularla sık sık karşı karşıya gelen Nureddin, onun Danişmend coğrafyası üzerindeki uzak hedefleri önünde en büyük engel olmuştur. Bununla birlikte Nureddin, kuzey sınırındaki Müslüman devletlerle ilişkilerini tamamiyle bir düşmanlık politikası üzerine tesis etmemiş, aynı bölgede faaliyet gösteren gayr-ı müslim devletlere karşı ittifak kurmak için zaman zaman tolere edilebilecek bir rekabet politikası takip etmiştir. Bu makalede kaynaklarda yer alan bilgiler üzerinden Nureddin’in, kuzey sınırına yerleşen Müslüman devletlerle giriştiği hâkimiyet mücadelesi anlatılmaya çalışılacak ve onun yaklaşık 30 yıllık saltanat süresi boyunca bölgede takip ettiği siyasetin esasları ortaya konmaya çalışılacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Nureddin Mahmud Zengi, I. Mesud, II. Kılıç Arslan, Timur-taş, Fahreddin Kara Arslan * Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Mardin Artuklu Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Tarih Bölümü, E-posta: [email protected] 496 Ahmet KÜTÜK NUR AL-DIN MAHMUD ZANKI’S RELATIONS WITH ISLAMIC STATES IN HIS NORTHERN FRONTIER (1146-1174) ABSTRACT Zangids which is divided into two main branches as Haleb and Mosul after İmad-al-Din Zanki’s death, thanks to the ruler of Haleb Nur al-Din’s intelligent management and courage, remained in the region spiritedly for another century. Nur al-Din managed to eliminate all threats to his country by winning the sovereignty struggle with his opponents who tried to enter Syria and al-Jazeera with the opportunity of his father's death. Firstly he made Crusaders dysfunctional on the northern border and afterwards he had to pursue a sensitive policy towards Islamic states like Saldjukids and Artukids. Against the most serious opponent the Saldjukids, both in the time of Mesud I and his son Kilidj Arslan II, he followed a functional policy that prevented them in east of Anatolia and Al-Jazeera. Especially in the period of Kilidj Arslan, Nureddin often came across with Saldjukids in Danishmendids territory and he was the biggest obstacle to his distant targets regarding this region. Nevertheless, Nureddin did not establish his relations with Muslim states on the northern border on a purely hostile policy. He followed a competitive policy that could be tolerated from time to time to form an alliance against the non-Muslim states operating in the same region. In this article, it will be tried to explain Nureddin's struggle for dominance with the Islamic states on the northern border and during the 30 years of his reign, the principles of the politics he pursued against Muslim states will be put forward. STRUCTURED ABSTRACT The Zangids whose rule modestly began in Mosul and expanded in short time through the policies of Imad al-Din Zanki were initially expected to die out after his sudden death. But this state turned into a power holding together the realms of Syria, Egypt, Anatolia and Iraq via the brave moves of his successor Nur al-Din Mahmud. Although Nur al- Din was resolved to fight against the Crusaders throughout the important part of his reign, Christian states of the northern border were not the only rivals of Nur al-Din. He did not neglect to struggle with Muslim states to prevent the formation of a political intervention against himself when the necessity arose. Thus, during his reign Nur al- Din was engaged in political struggles with the Muslim states for regional dominance. In this context he developed an efficient policy against his northern neighbors, the Artukids and the Saldjukids and the same policy was kept up by his successor Saladin his successor. The Artukids were one of his rivals along the northern frontier. In this period Qara Arslan (1144-1167), the grandson of Sokman, dominated Hısnkeyfa and Timurtash, son of Ilghazi, ruled in Mardin. After Imad al din Zanki’s death in 1146 these noblemen began to hope for the recovery of their former territories that he had captured. Within this framework, Qara Arslan attacked Tur Abidin in the same year and despite great losses he succeeded to capture it. Likewise, in 1147 Timurtash tried to capture Dara which happened to be very close to his Turkish Studies Volume 14 Issue 1, 2019 Nureddin Mahmud Zengi’nin Kuzey Sınırındaki Müslüman Devletlerle İlişkileri 497 own domain. During these years, Nur al-Din was not closely interested in these regional developments as he was invested against the Crusader Principality of Antioch. But these the Artukid attempts in the region were followed by his brother Sayf al-Din Ghazi, the ruler of Mosul. In the 1160’s Nur al-Din focused on the Crusaders and the Saldjukids in the northwest frontier region but he did not attempt against the Muslim states in the northeast as long as they obeyed him. But he took care of choosing the new ruler when one of princes in that region died. The Saldjukids were doubtlessly the most compelling rival for Nur al-Din in the north apart from the Crusaders. According to the sources the Saldjukids made a systematic policy of spreading towards the east during the reigns of Masud I and his son Kilidj Arslan. Nur al-Din sometimes used the Byzantines and even the Crusaders as an element of equilibrium against the Saldjukids. He therefore prevented them from dominating eastern Anatolia and the al-Jazirah. In this period the Saldjukids focused on obtaining Malatya which the Danishmendis ruled and then the other important cities to the east like Marash, Albistan, Kaysun, Tell-Bashir which were under the rule of the Crusaders. Mesud was especially keen on capturing Malatya which was included within the Saldjukid rule at his father’s time (Kilidj Arslan I). But in the earlier parts of his reign both the troubles in Byzantine frontier and existence of Emir Ghazi, the powerful ruler of the Danishmendids, blocked him from spreading further east. Notwithstanding he did not neglect to follow closely the political developments in the region so as to interfere under favorable circumstances. He wanted to have a say not only in the Danishmendids realm but also in the Artukids region. He therefore was not uninterested with the political developments in the region. Nur al- Din who was troubled by the approach of the Saldjukids to the Jazirah came against them in the region frequently. For example, when Masud besieged Tall-Bashir in 1150, Nur al-Din confronted him at once in order to defend his domain. In 1155 Masud’s death changed the political circumstances in the region. His successor Kilidj Arslan II had to combat with his brothers for the sultanate. Taking advantage of sultanate fights in the Saldjukid capital, Nur al-Din attacked the Saldjukid lands. According to Ibn al Qalanisi, Nur al- Din went down to Asia Minor in 1155. Kilidj Arslan turned his face to the east right after establishing his authority and he primarily came to realize the policy of conquest of the Danishmendid region. During all his reign Nur al-Din had to take measures in this region against the greedy policies of Izz al din Masud and his son Kilidj Arslan. So he pursued a policy against Saldjukids’ enlargement of the Danishmendid territory. The relations of the Zangids and the Saldjukids were tense between 1160-1162. Indeed the principalities of the region that were troubled by Kilidj Arslan’s expansion activities toward the east formed a powerful alliance against him under the leadership of Nur al- Din. Byzantine emperor was also included this alliance. In 1164-1165 a violent conflict between parties took place because of the Saldjukid greedy politics in the Danishmendid realm. Nur al-Din and Kilidj Arslan got ready for battle. But at the last moment Salih b. Ruzzik the Fatimid vizier intervened and prevented the battle. Kilidj Arslan made it a matter of pride to take over Malatya which his father had tried so hard to capture. Nur al-Din was especially concerned to keep Malatya and its environs under the Danishmendid control. He must have considered Turkish Studies Volume 14 Issue 1, 2019 498 Ahmet KÜTÜK that the Danishmendid dominance in this region was preferable to the Saldjukid. He clearly preferred the existence of a weak Danishmendid rule in his northern frontier rather than a powerful Saldjukid neighbor. Nur al-Din continued to fight with the Saldjukids until the end of his life in the region in order to hinder any and every political development against himself. In 1174 he made some preparations to march against the Principality of Antioch and the Saldjukids which happened to be his two important rivals in northern frontier.