Tughtigin, Ruler of Damascus: Struggle with the Crusaders, War, and Alliance
Birsel KüçüksipahioğluDuring the Crusades, which officially began in 1095, the Turks carried out the fight against the Crusaders with great devotion and zeal. The strategy and success of the Turkish Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan I against the Crusaders, who made Anatolia impassable against them Crusaders were important. In 1108, the struggle against the Crusaders was turned into a state policy by the Great Seljuk Empire, and Sultan Muhammad Tapar appointed Mawdūd, amīr of Mosul, to this task. The process that started with Mawdūd and continued with Imād al-Dīn Zangī and Nūr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Zangī was supported by Belek, Aksunkur al-Bursukī, Ilghāzī and Tughtigin, the Atabeg of Damascus. It is known that Tughtigin was a supporter of the Seljuk Malik of Syria Tutush, who impressed the malik with his diligence and success. For, this reason, he was appointed atabeg to his son Dukāk by Tutush. After Dukāk’s death in 1104, he began his political formation and established the Atabegate of Damascus or Tughtiginites. Tughtigin, who treated his people generously and fairly throughout his independent rule, fought against the Crusaders and did not hesitate to ally with them due to the conditions of the period.
Dımaşk Hâkimi Tuğtegin: Haçlılarla Mücadele, Savaş ve İttifak
Birsel Küçüksipahioğlu1095’te resmen başlayan Haçlı Seferleri sırasında Haçlılarla mücadele büyük bir özveri ve gayretle Türkler tarafından gerçekleştirildi. Türkiye Selçuklu Sultanı I. Kılıç Arslan’ın Haçlılara karşı Anadolu’yu geçilmez kılan stratejisi ve başarısı önemliydi. 1108’de Büyük Selçuklu Devleti tarafından Haçlılarla mücadele devlet politikasına dönüştü ve Sultan Muhammed Tapar tarafından bu göreve Musul emîri Mevdûd b. Altuntegin getirildi. Mevdûd ile başlayan, İmâdeddin Zengi ve Nureddin Mahmud Zengi ile devam eden süreç, Belek, Aksungur el-Porsuki, İlgazi ve Dımaşk Atabeği Tuğtegin tarafından desteklendi. Tuğtegin’in, Suriye Selçuklu Meliki Tutuş’un yanında yer aldığı, çalışkanlığı ve başarısı ile meliki etkilediği, bu sebeple Tutuş tarafından oğlu Dukak’a atabeg tayin edildiği bilinmektedir. Tutuş’un 1095 Rey Savaşı’nda hayatını kaybetmesinden sonra Dukak’a olan bağlılığını devam ettiren Tuğtegin bu süreçte Dımaşk’ı Haçlı tehlikesine karşı koruması ve melikliği güçlendirme faaliyetleri ile dikkatleri üzerine çekmiştir. Dukak’ın 1104’te ölümünden sonra ise siyasi oluşumunu başlatarak Dımaşk Atabegliği veya Tuğteginliler Hanedanlığı’nı kurmuştur. Müstakil yönetimi boyunca halkına cömert ve adil davranan Tuğtegin, Haçlılarla mücadele etmiş, dönemin şartları gereği onlarla ittifak yapmaktan da çekinmemiştir. Bu makale Tuğtegin’in Haçlılarla ilişkilerini ele alarak, savaş, ittifak ve anlaşma üzerinden belirlediği politikalarla onlara bakışını değerlendirmeye çalışacaktır.
It is not known where and when Tughtigin, who took part in the struggle against the Crusaders, was born, but it is thought that he impressed the Seljuk Malik of Syria Tutush with his diligence and success while he was in the service of Tutush, and probably for this reason Tutush appointed him atabeg to his son Dukāk. Tughtigin, who took part in the Battle of Ray in 1095 on the side of Tutush, was captured in the battle and Tutush lost his life. However, through the prisoner exchange agreement with Barkyaruq, he was freed and returned from Isfahān to Damascus. He was welcomed with respect by the dignitaries, especially Dukāk, and regained his former reputation. After this, Tughtigin sided with Dukāk and tried to make him strong in Syria. When the Crusades started and the Crusaders headed toward Antioch, Tughtigin, who went with Dukāk to request the help of the ruler of the city, Yaghi Siyan, took part in the army of Kerboga, who came to expel the Crusaders from Antioch after the battle with the Crusaders in Albara (el-Bâre) in December 1097. After Antioch, Tughtigin did not intervene with Dukāk in the advance of the armies of the First Crusade toward Jerusalem. In 1101, 1102 and 1103, the atabeg was instrumental in the capture of Jableh, Rahbeh and Hims. With the death of Dukāk in 1104 and his successor Tutush soon after, he began his political formation and established the Atabegate of Damascus or the Tughtiginites.
After a severe illness, Tugtegin, who took over the government independently, captured Baalbek and Raphanea in April 1105. He then participated in the Fatimid campaign to expel the Crusaders from the region and regain possession of Palestine. On 27 August, 1105, the battle with the Crusaders under the command of King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in Ramla ended in defeat, despite all the efforts of the Muslims. After this, he prioritized the fight against the Crusaders.This struggle, which was sometimes a war alliance, was extremely important considering the political situation of the region. Because from the moment the Crusaders arrived in the region, they had determined policies to be permanent, continuous, and successful, and they had endeavored to expand. It is noteworthy that the Crusaders, who were intensely active in Anatolia, Syria, and Palestine, insisted on Mosul, Aleppo, and Damascus, which had a strategic position. For this reason, Tughtigin tried to ensure the security of Damascus against the Crusaders, and as a result, he captured and destroyed the Al’âl Castle built by the Crusaders to be used as a base for attacks against Muslims and to follow the activities of Damascus. To demonstrate this sensitivity toward Muslim cities exposed to the Crusader danger, Tughtigin supported the Amīr of Tripoli, Fakhr al-Mulk ibn Ammār, during the Crusader siege of Tripoli.
The atabeg, who organized expeditions to strategically important Tiberias in 1106 and 1108, signed a 10-year agreement with King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1108. With the comfort of this agreement, he participated in the expedition of Mosul Governor Mawdūd b. Altuntegin, who was assigned to fight the Crusaders by the Seljuk Sultan Muhammad Tapar, to Urfa (Edessa) in 1110. On 28 June 1113, he again acted with Mawdūd against the Crusaders in the Battle of Tiberias. However, he was accused of being personally responsible for Mawdūd’s assassination in Damascus on October 10 1113. Sultan Muhammad Tapar was also of the same opinion. Due to this and the influence of Ilghāzī, the ruler of Aleppo, Ilghāzī, collaborated with the Crusaders against the sultan, but later regretted it and continued his struggle against the Crusaders. His being forgiven by the sultan in 1116 strengthened his activities against the Crusaders, and he supported Aksunkur al-Bursukī, the ruler of Mosul, who endeavored to expel them from the region. Then he tried to prevent the Crusaders jointly with Ilghāzī.
When the city of Tyre, which had been under Fatimid rule for 10 years, was besieged by the Crusaders on 15 February 1124 with Venetian support, Tughtigin could not remain indifferent to the help requested from him and tried to protect the city. Tyre, which had been previously subjected to Crusader attacks and sieges before, could hardly withstand this siege. Tughtigin realized the impossibility of defending the city under difficult conditions and sent envoys to the Crusaders, informing them that Tyre would be surrendered on the condition that those who wanted to stay in the city would be allowed to leave and go to other places. Upon the acceptance of this offer by the Crusaders, the city gates were opened on July 7, 1124, the people were allowed to leave. In this way, Tyre was out of the hands of the Muslims.
After Tyre fell to the Crusaders, Tughtigin joined Aksunkur al-Bursukī’s army in 1125 and played a role in the capture of Kafartab in May 1125. However, he was heavily criticized for giving Banyas to the Batiniyya and was accused of giving them a foothold in Syria. The atabeg reacted to the fact that King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, who had been captured by the amīr of Belek, had been freed. After his arrival in Jerusalem, he began attacking around Damascus in January 1126. Crusader rulers usually took action against the Turkish-Islamic world to avenge their captivity and attacked important cities, especially Damascus and Aleppo. Tughtigin, who died in February 1128 in Damascus, was known as a wise, just, benevolent and generous amīr, and his merciful approach to his people and fair administration were praised. For this reason, his people were very saddened by his death, wept, and mourned for days. Tughtigin, who made great efforts to protect Damascus against the Crusaders, sometimes allied with the Crusaders, but he did so because he was afraid of losing Damascus or the Seljuks taking it from him. The alliance with the Crusaders was a situation that emerged according to the conditions of that period, and it is known that some other beys and amīrs also made such alliances. In addition, his sensitivity toward the possession and defense of Damascus was not only against.
