Oguz people who had to emigrate from Turkestan to the
western regions as a result of the pressures of Kara-Hitay and Karluk people lived in the
plateaux of Toharistan and they led a half-independent life although they were within the
region of population pertaining to Seljuk State. They gave 24 thousand units of sheep to
the cuisine of Sultan Sencer. The first conflict between the Seljuk State and Oguz people
resulted from the collection of this tax, and Oguz people had killed the tax collector
that raised difficulties against them. Kumac who was the governor of Belh in that period
had exaggerated this event and advanced onto Oguz people with an army of 10 thousands of
people. He rejected their proposal stating that they would pay 200 drachmas per tent to
the treasury of Sultan Sencer and stay in the regions that they reside. Upon this rejection, Oguz people won the war
that took place between the two sides, and they killed Emir Kumac and his son, Ala ed-Din
Ebu Bekr in the war. Upon this news, Sultan Sencer organised a military expedition onto
Oguz people upon the encouragement of the other commanders. Oguz people offered money,
slaves and various presents in order to deter the sultan from this expedition. Sencer
continued this movement upon the insistence of particularly Kumac's grandson, Mu'eyyed
Ay-Aba and the other emirs. The war took place within the borders of the province of Belh.
In this war, Oguz people repulsed the attack of Seljuk army and they squeezed them within
a narrow strait and they defeated the Seljuks with in a crushing manner. Sultan Sencer was
taken prisoner by Oguz people (March-April 1153). In the course of the captivity of Sultan
Sencer, Oguz people invaded all the cities of Khorasan and particularly Merv and then,
they retreated to the region of Belh and Merv.
Meanwhile, Seljuk vizier,
Tahr b. Fahr el-Mulk had escaped from Oguz people and upon his efforts, Sencer's nephew,
Suleyman-shah b. Muhammed was declared as sultan in Nisabur. However, Suleyman-shah who
could not gather all the statesmen around him advanced towards the city of Merv, but he
was defeated by Oguz people. Pursuant to the death of vizier Tahir, he left Khorasan and
went to Harezm (1154). Afterwards, we have observed that some of Seljuk emirs and
commanders had recognised the sultanate of Mahmud who was the son of Sultan Sencer's
sister and Arslan Han from Karahanli State. Muhammed b. Mahmud who was the sultan of Iraq
Seljuks State and Harezmshah Atsiz had also recognised his sultanate. However, the actual
force in Khorasan was under the dominion of Seljuk emirs, and each emir had established
dominion in a specific region. Mahmud fought with Oguz people for a period, but he could
not get any success in order to subdue them under his domination. He applied to Harezmshah
Atsiz for the struggles with Oguz people. While Mahmud and Atsiz were trying to establish
an alliance, Sencer was saved from captivity.
Then, Mu'eyyed Ay-Aba
succeeded in persuading a group of Oguz people and saving Sencer (October-November 1156).
Sultan Sencer firstly came to Tirmiz and then to the city of Merv. However, he had grown
old and he was in a depression in psychological respect due to the captivity that he had
suffered. Sultan Sencer could not do anything in order to reinvigorate the state. He died
at the age of 71 on the date of 26th April 1157 and he as buried in his magnificent
mausoleum that he had had it built in Merv in his lifetime. Upon his death, the Great
Seljuk State disappeared from the stage of history leaving its glorious history behind.
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