127 / 166
Tyrants of the Tigris & euphrates
278
Great Seljuqs
Gold Dinar (3.81g), AH 486
Malikshah I, Great Seljuq Sultan, AH 465-485/AD 1072-1092
Jafar S.MS.486A; A 1674. Nearly Mint State.
Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) mint, naming Malikshah with title Jalal al-Dawla, also citing the ‘Abbasid
caliph al-Muqtadi and caliphal heir-apparent, Dhakr al-Din Abu’l-’Abbas. Rare.
Malikshah I the Great (AH 465-485/ AD 1072-1092) was son of Alp Arslan, after his father’s death, he
came to power and with the help of the vizier Nizam. His reign is considered by many to be the zenith of
the Seljuq Empire. He subdued a number of rebels and pretenders, spending most of his reign personally
leading his troops in battle. He gave his vizier Nizam (Nizam al-Mulk) nearly absolute authority in the
governance of the empire, which Nizam sought to model on the Sasanian Empire of old. Nizam was
assassinated near Shina on the road to Damascus by a man disquised as a Sufi mystic. One theory is that
this man was in fact sent by the Isma’silite sect of the “Hashashins”, so-called because their leader is
said to have used the drug hashish to brainwash his followers, who were then sent out to murder political
rivals. This is the origin of the word “assassin” in the English language. Following Malikshah’s death,
the power of the Seljuqs waned and the empire was divided among various Seljuk lineages. The Great
Seljuq ruled in the east with junior branches of the family in Iraq, Syria, Kirman and Rum (“Rome”,
i.e. Anatolia).
279
Great Seljuqs
Gold Dinar (2.98g), AH 487
Bukariyuq, Great Seljuq Sultan, AH 486-498/AD 1093-1105
Jafar S.MS.487A; A 1682.1. Choice Very Fine.
Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) mint, citing Bukariyuq as
Rukn al-Din
and
Mu’izz al-Dawla al-Qahira,
also naming the ‘Abbasid caliph al-Mustazhir.