31 - Collapse

The Turkish History Podcast

Under the rule of Nizam ul-Mulk and Melik Shah, the Great Seljuk Empire reaches the zenith of its power. But as Al-Dawla Al-Nizamiyya unfolds, tensions roil under the surface. Tensions between the Seljuk and Abbasid dynasties, between the court and the tribes, between the court and the Emirs and between the state and its vassals. And when the partnership between Nizam ul-Mulk and Melik Shah breaks down and Al-Dawla Al-Nizamiyya finally ends, these tensions burst out to tear the Empire apart. The succession to Melik Shah results in a multi-sided civil war between his wife Terken Khatun, his brother Tutush and his son Berkyaruk as the Emirs carve up the Empire. The golden age of the Great Seljuk Empire ends - and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum breaks free to chart its own destiny.