Pursuant to the eradication of various troubles,
Melikshah who had moved the centre of empire to Isfahan started his activities for an
extensive conquest. Upon the death of Romanos who was sent to his country after Manzikert
War, the order of Alp Arslan for the conquest of Anatolia was being executed. Kutalmis'
sons, Suleymanshah, Mansur, Alp-Ilig, and Dolag were in operation towards the central
regions of Anatolia together with their attendant forces and the Turkmen chiefs such as
Artuk bey and Tutak, etc. were also in the pursuit of these activities. This activity was not a temporary invasion
any more. It had turned into a permanent invasion and conquest with a peculiarity of
establishment of a homeland. Turkish forces provided the proper precautions for defence in
every place that they conquered, they expanded their invasions and they advanced from
various regions towards the west.
The Byzantine Emperor, Mikhael VII had maintained his throne by means of Ioannes Dukas who
was his experienced minister and his uncle at the same time. He had put the relations with
the famous Komnenos family in order. Moreover, he had had his aunt's daughter marry with
Izak (Isaakios) Komnenos and thus, he established a strong relation. In order to reinforce
the defence of the country, new forces under the title of "Immortals" (Immortel)
were established that were to be used against the Turks.
The Emperor commissioned
Izak Komnenos that he had appointed as the commander of the eastern armies with the charge
to repulse the Turks. His brother, Aleksios who would become the emperor later was on the
side of Izak. The Byzantine army was reinforced with the participation of Urselius, one of
the Frank warriors together with its retinue composed of nearly four hundreds of paid
Frank soldiers who were undisciplined adventurers. Then, this Byzantine army advanced
towards the Central Anatolia. When they arrived in Cappadocia (Kayseri), Urselius opposed
to the chief commander, Izak who wanted to punish a Frank soldier and he set off towards
Sivas together with all his forces. He destroyed a small Turkmen detachment that he had
encountered, and he advanced on his way. Izak who did not obstruct his departure from the
headquarters at night wanted to send his brother, Aleksios Komnenos in order to catch the
renegade the following day.
At the same time, it was
heard that a Turkish army was approaching towards them. Since Turks had paid great
attention to the geographic discovery in the wars from of old, it was probable that the
forces that fought with Urselius as we have just stated must have been the watchmen and
vanguards of the main army. As a matter of fact, there was a war that took place with the
main groups in Kayseri. In this severe war, the Byzantine army was defeated against the
Turkish army that was "superior in respect of both the bravery and number". The
chief commander Izak was taken as prisoner and his headquarters was besieged. Aleksios
Komnenos who was just hidden among the shrubberies could survive and then arrive to
Anatolia alone and on foot. But there, he learned that Turks had taken his brother as
prisoner and he leaned the amount of the ransom. He immediately went to Istanbul, and
provided the requisite money. On his return, he dropped by in Ankara. He met his brothers
in the castle: Izak had provided some money for his ransom in Cappadocia and he had left
hostages instead of him for the rest of his ransom money. Then, he had been set free and
he came to this region. The two brothers with nearly seventy cavalrymen in their command
set off towards Istanbul. They encountered a Turkish troop composed of two hundreds of
people near Izmit. Komnenos and his retinue were able to escape from this place at the
cost of the sacrifice of the privates within their retinues and they arrived in Istanbul.
Izak, the chief commander of the eastern armies and his brother Aleksios were welcomed
with claps and cheers while they entered the capital city of the Byzantine!
In the earlier of 1072-1073,
in other words when the Seljuk Emperor, Sultan Melikshah was still occupied with his
uncle, Kavurd, it was an interesting situation to encounter the activities of Turkmen
tribes in Ankara and even within the surroundings of Izmit. As it has been stated above,
Anatolian people were neglected due to the civil wars and conflicts in the Byzantine. In
addition to this, we should consider the treachery of Armenians in the east and the
Pavlikyan people who were heretic Christians and the tyranny of big feudal families within
the empire and the heavy taxes collected forcibly from the villagers that had been worn
out due to the wars for a long time. Therefore, it is not so hard to anticipate that the
people who had been in the status of prisoners considered the Turks as the kinds of
saviours who did not cause to any harm to the people, despoil of the people in the regions
that were invaded and who were mostly in the pursuit of strategic places and rich farms
and large estates. The researchers had alleged that all of the Anatolian people had been
afraid of the Turkish raids that continued without a break and they left their arable
fields and pastures and took shelter in the cities and castles. These allegations seem to
be deviated from the reality and exaggerated. Turkish cavalrymen were wandering around in
the form of detachments and the people could be occupied in their works unless they were
disturbed personally by their chiefs. For example, a native villager who had been working
in his field had given information to the Turkmens about the castle in which the Komnenos
brothers dwelled around Izmit.
The foces of Urselius gradually
developed in Sivas. They were destroying the regions of Galatia (Ankara) and Cappadocia,
and they were forcibly invading and despoiling the villages and towns. This situaiton
troubled the eunuch Nikephoris rather than the emperor who was not interested in such
events. Nikephoris was a wise and an orator man who had worked for the palace affairs and
he was an exceptional cunning trickster. Nikephoris had forced Ioannes Dukas who was the
former minister to isolate himself in Anatolia and he came to power as a minister. The
Greek resources have stated that this man was addicted to money and he had made a great
profiteering through his personal management of the financial affairs. Nikephoris
persuaded the emperor in order to appoint Ioannes Dukas who was dismissed from his post as
the commander of the forces that would be sent against Urelius. Thus, he wanted to be
proud of the defence of the Byzantine lands and also to eradicate the prestige of Ioannes
that would be worn out in the course of this operation.
Actually, the Byzantine army was
defeated in the war took place near the bridge of Zompi over the river of Sakarya (around
Sivrihisar) and Ioannes was taken as prisoner by Urselius. Then, the neighbouring environs
were captured by Urselius (1073). Frank chief who got passionate with these successes
hoped to establish dominion on the empire de facto. He decided to get use of Ioannes Dukas
that he was captured against the emperor and he declared him the emperor despite his
opposition and then, advanced towards Istanbul. He set fire to Chrysopolis (Scutari).
Mikhael VII who watched this fire from the opposite coast got afraid of him and tried to
find a solution in order to make an agreement with Urselius. Nikephoris who had to get
afraid of him much more than the emperor found it suitable to apply directly to Turks.
These renegades could only be annihilated by the Seljuk Turkish forces who were gradually
invading Anatolia with a great determination rather than the emperial armies whose moral
values were degenerated.
to be continued
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