| Muhammad I Tapar محمد اول تاپار | |
|---|---|
| Sultan Shahanshah | |
Investiture scene of Muhammad I Tapar, from the 14th-century bookJami' al-tawarikh | |
| Sultan of theSeljuk Empire | |
| Reign | 13 February 1105 – 18 April 1118 |
| Predecessor | Malik-Shah II |
| Successor | Mahmud II (inIraq and westernIran) Ahmad Sanjar (inKhurasan andTransoxiana) |
| Born | 20 January 1082 |
| Died | 18 April 1118(1118-04-18) (aged 36) Baghdad |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue | |
| House | House of Seljuk |
| Father | Malik-Shah I |
| Mother | Taj al-Din Khatun Safariya |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Muhammad I Tapar (Persian:محمد اول تاپار; 20 January 1082 – 18 April 1118), was thesultan of theGreat Seljuk Empire from 1105 to 1118. He was a son ofMalik-Shah I (r. 1072–1092) and Taj al-Din Khatun Safariya.[1]
Muhammad was born in 20 January 1082.[2][3] He succeeded his nephew,Malik Shah II, as Seljuq Sultan inBaghdad, and thus was theoretically the head of the dynasty, although his brotherAhmad Sanjar inKhorasan held more practical power. Muhammad I probably allied himself withRidwan ofAleppo in the battle of the Khabur River againstKilij Arslan I, the sultan ofRüm, in 1107, in which the latter was defeated and killed.[4] Following the internecine conflict with his half brother,Berkyaruq, he was given the title ofmalik and the provinces of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Dissatisfied by this he revolted again, but had to flee back to Armenia. By 1104, Berkyaruq, ill and tired of war, agreed to divide the sultanate with Muhammad.[5] Muhammad became sole sultan following the death of Berkyaruq in 1105.
In 1106, Muhammad conquered theIsmaili fortress ofShahdiz, and ordered theBavandid rulerShahriyar IV to participate inhis campaign against the Ismailis. Shahriyar, greatly angered by the message Muhammad sent him, refused to aid him against the Ismailis.[6] Shortly after, Muhammad sent an army headed by Amir Chavli, who tried to captureSari but was unexpectedly defeated by an army under Shahriyar and his sonQarin III. Muhammad then sent a letter, which requested Shahriyar to send one of his sons to the Seljuq court inIsfahan.[7] He sent his sonAli I, who impressed Muhammad so much that he offered him his daughter in marriage, but Ali refused and told him to grant the honor to his brother and heir of the Bavand dynasty, Qarin III. Qarin III then went to the Isfahan court and married her.
In 1106/1107,Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk, the son of the famousvizierNizam al-Mulk, went to the court of Muhammad I to file a complaint against therais (head) ofHamadan. When Ahmad arrived to the court, Muhammad I appointed him as his vizier, replacing Sa'd al-Mulk Abu'l-Mahasen Abi, who had been recently executed on suspicion of heresy. The appointment was due mainly to the reputation of Ahmad's father. He was then given various titles which his father held (Qewam al-din, Sadr al-Islam and Nizam al-Mulk).
Muhammad I, along with his vizier Ahmad, later campaigned inIraq, where they defeated and killed theMazyadid ruler Sayf al-dawla Sadaqa ibn Mansur, who bore the title "king of the Arabs". In 1109, Muhammad I sent Ahmad and Chavli Saqavu to capture theIsmaili fortresses ofAlamut and Ostavand, but they failed to achieve any decisive result and withdrew.[8] Ahmad was shortly replaced by Khatir al-Mulk Abu Mansur Maybudi as vizier of the Sejluq Empire. According toAli ibn al-Athir (a historian who lived about a hundred years later), Ahmad then retired to a private life inBaghdad, but, according to the contemporary biographer,Anushirvan ibn Khalid, Muhammad I had Ahmad imprisoned for ten years.[9]
Muhammad I died on 18 April 1118[2] and was succeeded byMahmud II, although after Muhammad I's death Sanjar was clearly the chief power in the Seljuq realms.
One of Muhammad's wives was Gawhar Khatun, the daughter of Isma'il, son of Yaquti.[10] She was killed in 1118 on Muhammad's order at his death in order to prevent his brother Sanjar from marrying her.[11] Another wife was Qutlugh Khatun.[12] Another wife was Shah Khatun Safiya. She was the mother of Saljuk-Shah.[13] Another wife was Nisandar Jahan,[14][15][16] also known as Sarjahan Khatun.[17] She was the mother of SultanGhiyath ad-Din Mas'ud[18] andFatimah Khatun.[10] After Muhammad's death Mengubars, the governor of Iraq, married her.[19][20] Their daughter Fatimah married Abbasid CaliphAl-Muqtafi in 1137,[21] and died in September 1147.[22] Another of his daughters marriedArslan Shah I, son of Kirman Shah, and the grandson of Qavurt.[10]
Muhammad was the last Seljuk ruler to have strong authority in the western part of the sultanate.[23] The Seljuk realm was in a dire state after Muhammad's death, according to bureaucrat and writerAnushirvan ibn Khalid (died in 1137/1139); "In Muhammad's reign the kingdom was united and secure from all envious attacks; but when it passed to his son Mahmud, they split up that unity and destroyed its cohesion. They claimed a share with him in the power and left him only a bare subsistence."[23] Muhammad is mainly portrayed in a positive light by contemporary historians. According to the historianImad ad-Din al-Isfahani (died in 1201), Muhammad was "the perfect man of the Seljuk dynasty and their strongest steed".[24]
Muhammad's ceaseless campaigns inspired one of his poets,Iranshah, to compose the Persianepic poem ofBahman-nama, anIranian mythological story about the constant battles betweenKay Bahman andRostam's family. This implies that the work was also written to serve as advice for solving the socio-political issues of the time.[25]
Muhammad Tapar's religious policies were deeply rooted in his personal piety and his strong support forSunni Islam. He actively worked to strengthen religion and suppress perceived innovations and heresy, particularly those associated with the Ismailis. This commitment earned him the title of amujahid, or holy warrior, in the strengthening of religion. His reign was characterized by a concerted effort to repel heretical groups who had become "very strong" during his time. The historical memory of Muhammad Tapar is of a just ruler who was a friend to religious clerics.
In addition to his support for the Ulama, Muhammad Tapar's religious policies extended to economic and legal matters. He notably abolished non-canonical taxes. This act was a significant demonstration of his adherence toIslamic law, as it removed taxes not sanctioned by religious texts. Overall, Muhammad Tapar's reign was remembered for his commitment to justice, his personal faith, and his dedication to supporting the Sunni religious establishment.[26]
| Preceded by | Sultan of the Seljuq Empire 1105–1118 | Succeeded by |
| Succeeded by |