Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi İslam Tetkikleri Merkezi Dergisi

Öz

Compared to the Great Seljuk Empire; The history of the Anatolian Seljuk State is covered with some unknowns, especially in the late eleventh and twelfth centuries. Some of these issues are the statesmen who served as viziers to the Anatolian Seljuk sultans, how interstate diplomacy was carried out, and the scientific environment of the period and the tolerance shown towards ideas. While preparing this article, which will try to answer this question, as can be expected, the biggest problem was the lack of sufficient resources. This issue has shown itself as the biggest problem that prevents the subject, we will be discussing from being adequately illuminated. Ikhtiyar al-Din Hasan, the wazir of Kilicarslan II, who gave his name to the article, has been tried to be adequately discussed by Arab-Islamic sources on the occasion of his diplomatic relations with the Ayyubids. This important gain appears to be sufficient to answer the question of the powers of the wazirs in the Anatolian Seljuks and how and with whom diplomacy became effective. The fact that a conqueror of Jerusalem like Saladin Ayyubi and a person who won great victories against the Crusaders was at the center of these negotiations was an important gain in resolving the aforementioned obstacles. For this reason, this process has been tried to be revealed better by referring to Crusader sources and chronicles from time to time. In addition, this article has also been a very brief summary of the relations of the Anatolian Seljuks with the Danishmends, Mengucuks, Artuqids, and partly the Zangids and Ayyubids. On the other hand, the study also shed light on some events related to the Armenians and Crusaders in Cilicia, other actors of this period. Among these events, the importance of Saladin’s peace with the Muslim dynasties in the region among the reasons that led to the conquest of Jerusalem and the key role played by the Anatolian Seljuks in the background of some critical events during the Third Crusade came to the fore. During this process, Wazir Hasan again achieved important successes. Meanwhile, Kilicarslan's division of his country among his sons disrupted the central structure of the Anatolian Seljuk State and began to drag the state towards a civil war. Kilicarslan’s wazir Hasan, whom we know as a successful diplomat, not only prevented an inevitable war with the Ayyubids and Artuqids, but also ensured the formation of a unitary state structure in Anatolia. Although these efforts cost him his life, his important efforts in ending the fratricide in Anatolia and restoring the central structure further exalted him. The diplomatic knowledge of the well-established Gavras family, which has been serving Byzantium since the mid-tenth century, played an important role in this success. Ikhtiyar al-Din Hasan, who further developed his family knowledge with his own talents, made a positive contribution to the formation of Anatolian Seljuk diplomacy and the strengthening of the central structure of the state. Kilicarslan’s wazir also strengthened the religious, cultural and social structure of the Anatolian Seljuks with a mosque he built in Konya, a madrasah he opened in Kayseri, and the rich foundations he created. Not content with this, İkhtiyar al-Din Hasan filled an important gap in taking under the protection of scholars and dominating the culture of tolerance in Anatolia. A sufficient understanding of his life has also revealed more clearly the state structure, shaping of diplomacy and the extent of scientific activities of the Anatolian Seljuks in the last quarter of the twelfth century.