page_title: Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
section_title: Seljuk civil war of 1092–1105: further Ismaili expansion and schism
hierarchical_section_title: Nizari–Seljuk conflicts / Seljuk civil war of 1092–1105: further Ismaili expansion and schism
caption_attribution_description: فارسی: نهبندان،شهر دیرینه های پایدار،شهر خورشید و آفتاب
context_page_description: By the late 11th century, the Shi'a sect of Isma'ilism, propagated by the Fatimid Caliphate, had found many adherents in Persia, although the region was ruled by the staunchly Sunni Great Seljuk Empire. The bulk of the Persian Isma'ilis broke away from the declining Fatimids in 1095, forming the Nizari sect, under Hassan-i Sabbah. Based at Alamut Castle, Hassan revolted against the Seljuk order, and his followers captured many similar strongholds inside Seljuk territories. Socio-economic factors and the religious background of the population, as well as the politically decentralized nature of the Seljuk government, all facilitated the rapid spread of the revolt, while the Ismailis' effective use of strongholds, the selective removal of key enemies through assassination, and maintaining crucial alliances thwarted continuous Seljuk military efforts against their weaker opponent.
  The movement of the Nizaris soon lost its initial vigor and their territories were confined to isolated strongholds within the Seljuk Empire. However, the Seljuks failed to exterminate the Nizaris after prolonged wars, and tacitly accepted their existence.
context_section_description: A decade-long civil war began involving the Seljuk claimants and the semi-independents Seljuk emirs who constantly shifted their allegiances. Barkiyaruq had been proclaimed as the ruler, supported by the relatives of Nizam al-Mulk and the Abbasid caliph al-Mustazhir. His rivals included his half-brother Muhammad Tapar and Tutush. The latter held Syria and was killed in 1095 in battle. Fighting with Muhammad Tapar, who was backed by Sanjar, was indecisive. During the chaos of the Seljuk civil war, the Ismailis consolidated and expanded their positions into many places such as Fars, Arrajan, Kirman, and Iraq, often with temporary help from Seljuk emirs.
  Hassan-i Sabbah made Alamut as impregnable as possible. Assisted by the local allies, new fortresses were seized in Rudbar. In 1093, the Ismailis took the Anjirud village and repelled an invading force there. In the same year, a 10,000-strong army consisting mostly of Sunnis of Rayy and commanded by the Hanafi scholar Za'farani was also defeated in Taliqan. Soon another raid by the Seljuk emir Anushtagin is also repelled. As a result of these victories, the local chiefs of Daylam gradually shifted their allegiance to the Alamut state. Among these was a certain Rasamuj who held the important Lamasar castle near Alamut. He later tried to defect to Anushtagin. In November 1096 (or 1102, per Juwayni) an Ismaili force under Kiya Buzurg-Ummid, Kiya Abu Ja'far, Kiya Abu Ali, and Kiya Garshasb attacked the castle and captured it. Buzurg-Ummid was appointed by Hassan as Lamasar's commandant and expanded it into the largest Ismaili fortress.
  In 1094, the Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir died and his vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah quickly placed the young al-Musta'li on the Fatimid throne, who was subsequently recognized as the Imam by the Ismailis under the Fatimid influence (i.e. those of Egypt, much of Syria, Yemen, and western India). However, al-Mustansir had originally designated Nizar as his heir. As a result, the Ismailis of the Seljuk territories (i.e. Persia, Iraq, and parts of Syria), now under the authority of Hassan-i Sabbah, severed the already weakened ties with the Fatimid organization in Cairo and effectively established an independent da'wa organization of their own on behalf of the then-inaccessible Nizari Imams. In 1095, Nizar's revolt was crushed in Egypt and he was imprisoned in Cairo. Further revolts by his offsprings were also unsuccessful. Apparently, Nizar himself had not designated any successor. Hassan was recognized as the hujja (full-representative) of the then-inaccessible Imam. Rare Nizari coins from Alamut belonging to Hassan and his two successors bear the name of an anonymous descendant of the Nizar.
  In 1095, the Seljuk vizier al-Balasani who was a Twelver Shia, entrusted the Iraqi citadel of Takrit to the officer Kayqubad Daylami, an Ismaili. The citadel, one of the few open Nizari strongholds, remained in their hands for 12 years (al-Balasani was later lynched by the Seljuks). Many new scattered strongholds were also seized, including Ustunawand in Damavand and Mihrin (Mihrnigar), Mansurkuh, and the strategic Girdkuh in Qumis. Gerdkuh was acquired and refortified by the Seljuk ra'is Muzaffar, a secret Isma'ili convert and lieutenant of emir Habashi, who in turn had acquired the fort in 1096 from Sultan Barkiyaruq. Barkiyaruq, who never enjoyed a reputation of being the Sunnis defender, accepted Ismailis in his forces at times of dire necessity. In 1100, near Girdkuh, 5,000 Ismailis from Quhistan and elsewhere under ra'is Muzaffar fought alongside Habashi and Barkiyaruq against Sanjar; Habashi was killed, however. Muzaffar later managed to transfer Habashi's treasure to Girdkuh and, after completing the fortifications, transferred the fortress into the Nizari possession in the same year and publicly declared himself an Ismaili. Abu Hamza, another Ismaili da'i from Arrajan who was a shoemaker studied in Fatimid Egypt, returned to his hometown and seized at least two nearby castles.
  The Nizari were very successful during the reign of Barkiyaruq, especiall
caption: The picturesque ruins of Shahdiz fortress. The capture of the stronghold, which overlooked the Seljuk capital, was a major strategic success of the early Ismailis.
exif: {}