Altun Jan Khatun

Last updated
Altun Jan Khatun
Born Khwarezm (?)
DiedDecember 1060
Zanjan, Seljuk Empire
Burial
Spouse
Issue Anushirwan
House Seljuq (by marriage)
Religion Islam

Altun Jan Khatun or Altuncan Khatun (died December 1060) was the principal consort of Sultan Tughril, the founder of the Seljuk Empire, ruling from 1037 to 1063.

Contents

Early life

Altun Jan Khatun was a Turkish woman, possibly from Khwarazm. Before becoming Tughril Beg's wife she had been married to the Khwarazm Shah Shah Malik. Her son by that marriage, Anushirwan, apparently remained with her after she married Tughril Beg in around 1043. [1] [2]

Political influence

Tughril Beg is reported to have consulted his chief wife Altun Jan in affairs, Sibt ibn al-Jawzi states that she was a religious woman, much given to charitable works, of good judgement and firm determination. [3] [4]

When Tughril Beg went to Hamadan in 1058 to deal with the revolt of Ibrahim Inal, he sent Altun Jan, Anushirwan and al-Kunduri to Baghdad. Despite the Caliph's objection, Altun Jan went to join her husband at Hamadan, taking the treasury and Seljuk soldiery in Baghdad with her, leaving al-Kanduri. When Ibrahim Inal learnt of Altun Jan's approach he seems to have sent a force to have her intercepted. Other Turkmen joined Tughril Beg's forces, and defeated Ibrahim Inal. After this Tughril retired to Rey, where Altun Jan joined him. [5]

In Tughril's last days, before al-Basasiri's seizure of the city, a convoluted plot had been hatched by Altun Jan and his vizier al-Kunduri to install Altun Jan's son, Anushirwan. However, Anushirwan attracted no support, and Altun Jan soon dissociated herself from the plot, all of whose conspirators appear to have been eventually restored to favor without further punishment. [6]

Death and aftermath

She died of edema in December 1060 in Zanjan. Tughril grieved for her greatly, and her bier was carried to Rey, where she was buried. [7] [8] She held estates in Iran. Just before her death she bequeathed her states, assignments and pensions to the Caliph's daughter Sayida Khatun. Tughril assigned these to the latter when the marriage contract between him and the caliph's daughter was finally concluded in 1062. [9] According to some sources she requested Tughril to marry the caliph's daughter at her deathbed. [6] After Tughril's death in 1063, Anushirwan rebelled but was captured. He was imprisoned in Rey and was killed. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alp Arslan</span> Sultan of Seljuk Empire from 1063 to 1072

Alp Arslan, born Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to the south and northwest, and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, ushered in the Turkmen settlement of Anatolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malik-Shah I</span> Third Seljuk sultan (r. 1072–1092)

Malik-Shah I, was the third sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072 to 1092, under whom the sultanate reached its zenith of power and influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tughril I</span> Founder and the first sultan of the Seljuk empire

Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il, better known as Tughril, was a Turkoman chieftain, who founded the Seljuk Empire, ruling from 1037 to 1063.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad I Tapar</span> Seljuk sultan (r. 1105–1118)

Abu Shuja Ghiyath al-Dunya wa'l-Din Muhammad ibn Malik-Shah, better known as Muhammad I Tapar, was the sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1105 to 1118. He was a son of Malik-Shah I and Taj al-Din Khatun Safariya. In Turkish, Tapar means "he who obtains, finds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahmud II (Seljuk sultan)</span> Seljuk Sultan (r. 1118–1131)

Mughith al-Dunya wa'l-Din Mahmud bin Muhammad known as Mahmud II was the Seljuk sultan of Baghdad from 1118–1131 following the death of his father Muhammad I Tapar. At the time Mahmud was fourteen, and ruled over Iraq and Persia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Qa'im (Abbasid caliph at Baghdad)</span> Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1031 to 1075

Abū Ja'far Abdallah ibn Aḥmad al-Qādir, better known by his regnal name al-Qā'im bi-amri 'llāh or simply as al-Qā'im; 8 November 1001 – 3 April 1075), was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1031 to 1075. He was the son of the previous caliph, al-Qadir. Al-Qa'im's reign coincided with the end of the Buyid dynasty's dominance of the caliphate and the rise of the Seljuk dynasty.

al-Nasir Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad (r. 1180–1225)

Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn al-Hasan al-Mustaḍīʾ, better known by his laqabal-Nāṣir li-Dīn Allāh or simply as al-Nasir, was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1180 until his death. His laqab literally can mean The One who Gives Victory to the Religion of God. He continued the efforts of his grandfather al-Muqtafi in restoring the caliphate to its ancient dominant role and achieved a surprising amount of success as his army even conquered parts of Iran. According to the historian, Angelika Hartmann, al-Nasir was the last effective Abbasid caliph.

Shah Malik was the head of the Oghuz Yabghus of Jand and Yengi-kent, and was also Khwarazm Shah (1041–1042).

Ghiyath al-Dunya wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fath Mas'ud bin Muhammad was the Seljuq Sultan of Iraq and western Persia in 1133–1152.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toghrul III</span> Last sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire (r.1176–1194)

Toghrul III was the last sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire and the last Seljuk Sultan of Iraq. His great uncle Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud had appointed Shams ad-Din Eldiguz as atabeg of his nephew Arslan-Shah, the son of his brother Toghrul II, and transferred Arran to his nephew's possession as iqta in 1136. Eldiguz eventually married Mu’mina Khatun, the widow of Toghril II, and his sons Nusrat al-Din Muhammad Pahlavan and Qizil Arslan Uthman were thus half-brothers of Arslan Shah, but despite close ties with the Royal Seljuk house, Eldiguz had remain aloof of the royal politics, concentrating on repelling the Georgians and consolidating his power. In 1160, Sultan Suleiman-Shah named Arslan Shah his heir and gave him governorship of Arran and Azerbaijan, fearful of the power of Eldiguz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaghri Beg</span> Seljuk Co-ruler (r. 1040–1060) and Ruler of Khorasan

Abu Suleiman Dawud Chaghri Beg ibn Mikail, widely known simply as Chaghri Beg (989–1060), Da'ud b. Mika'il b. Saljuq, also spelled Chaghri, was the co-ruler of the early Seljuk Empire. The name Chaghri is Turkic and literally means "small falcon", "merlin".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad II ibn Mahmud</span> Seljuk Sultan (r. 1153–1159)

Muhammad II ibn Mahmud was Sultan of Seljuq Empire from 1153 to 1159. He was son of Mahmud II and brother of Malik-Shah III. The Cambridge History of Iran notes that Sultan Muhammad "tried energetically to restore the slipping authority of his dynasty in Iraq".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Kunduri</span> 11th-century Seljuq Vizier (1055 – 1063)

Amid al-Mulk Abu Nasr al-Kunduri, commonly known as al-Kunduri, was a Persian bureaucrat, who served as the vizier of the first Seljuk Sultan Tughril and his nephew Alp Arslan.

Celâliye Terken Khatun was the first wife and chief consort of Malik Shah I, Sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072, until his death in 1092. She was born as a Karakhanid princess, the daughter of Tamghach Khan Ibrahim. She was the mother of Mahmud I, the next ruler of the Seljuk Empire, and regent during his minority in 1092–1094.

Mu'izz al-Dunya wa'l-Din Abu'l-Harith Suleiman-Shah bin Muhammad, was sultan of the Seljuq Empire from 1159 to 1160.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Damghan (1063)</span> Battle fought during the Seljuk war of succession of 1063

Battle of Damghan was a battle fought during the Seljuk war of succession of 1063.

Rukn al-Dunya wa'l-Din Abu Talib Tughril bin Muhammad known as Tughril II was the Sejluk sultan of Persian Iraq briefly in 1132. He maintained power through the support of his uncle, the principal Seljuk sultan Ahmad Sanjar ; when the latter left for Transoxiana to suppress a rebellion in 1132, Tughril II lost Iraq to his rival and brother Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud. Tughril II briefly took refuge in the domain of the Bavandid ispahbad (ruler) Ali I in Mazandaran, where he stayed during the whole winter of 1132–1133. He subsequently captured the capital Hamadan, but was stricken with sickness and died on his arrival to the capital, in October/November 1134. Tughril II was survived by his son Arslan, who was raised by the atabeg Eldiguz, who installed him on the throne in 1161.

Khadija Arslan Khatun was a Seljuk princess, sister of sultan Alp Arslan (r.1063–1072) and Aunt of sultan Malik Shah. She was a royal consort of Abbasid caliph Al-Qaim, and then a consort of Kakuyid ruler Ali ibn Faramurz.

Fatima Khatun was a Seljuk princess, daughter of sultan Muhammad I Tapar, sister of sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud and principal wife of Abbasid caliph al-Muqtafi.

Amira Khatun was a Seljuk princess, daughter of sultan Ahmad Sanjar and the principal wife of Abbasid caliph al-Mustarshid.

References

  1. Lambton 1988, p. 262.
  2. Türk 2008, p. 112.
  3. Gibb 1954, p. 482.
  4. Kupferschmidt 1987, p. 482.
  5. Basan 2010, p. 68.
  6. 1 2 Peacock 2015.
  7. Boyle 1968, p. 224.
  8. Richards 2014, p. 134.
  9. Lambton 1988, p. 259.
  10. Lambton 1988, pp. 262–63.

Sources