ALP 



fultaii of tht dynady of Stljiiks, in Jran or Put".;!, the fon of 

 l);ivid or Jaffar Peg, and prent grandfun of Siljuk, wlio 

 founded this dyr.iil'y, was born in t'-.t year of the Hcgira 

 421, A. D. 1030. He fuccetdcd his uncle Togrul Bet,', 

 A.I). 1063, and united in his perfon the two kingdoms of 

 Khorafan and Irak, with tlieir dependencies; fo that, .'.t 

 (he comirenccment of his reign, he was fole nionarcli of all 

 the roiiiitries lying between the rivers Jihun, or Amu, and 

 the Djilat or Tigris ; that is, of all Inn, or reilia, in the 

 i-oiiquell of which he bore a confiderablc fiiaro. Btlore he 

 embraced Mahomctanifm he was called HVacl, and after- 

 wards he afTumed the name of Mohammed, or Abu Slujah 

 Mohammed ; and his furname was Alp Arflan, which lig- 

 nifies in Turkifti, " the v?.l:ant lion." He was alfo dilUn- 

 gui(hed, on account of his power and merit, by the appella- 

 tion of^Azzaddin, or Adhadoddin, denoting, " the protec- 

 tor of the religion." He began his reign by fnbduing fe- 

 veral rebellions among his fubjcCis ; and he derived great 

 slTiftance from his vifir Nadham al Molk, or Nezam 

 el Mule, who was reputed to be the greatell man of his 

 time, and who admiaillered the affairs of the kingdom, in 

 the reign of this prince and his fucceffur, with the greateft 

 i:itegrity. Having fucceedcd in his enterprifes for the fecu- 

 rity of his own dominions, and in an aflembly of the ftates 

 declared his fon Malek Shah his heir and fuccelTor, caufing 

 him to fit on a throne of gold prepared for the purpofe, and 

 exad'ting from all the officers of the empire an oath of fide- 

 lity to him. Alp Arflan crofled the Euphrates at the head of 

 the Turki(h cavalry, and entered C-^farea, the metropolis of 

 Cappadocia, to which he had been attracted by the wealth 

 and fame of the temple of St. Bahl. After plundering this 

 city, he proceeded to the final conquc it of Armenia and 

 Georgia, A. D. 1065. In Armenia the title of a kingdom 

 and the fpirit of a nation were annihilated ; and the artilicial 

 fortifications were yielded by the mercenaries of Conllanti- 

 nople ; " by ftrangers without faith, veterans without pay 

 or arms, and recruit? without experience or difcipline." 

 But the woods and v.iliies of Mount Caucalus were more itre- 

 nuoufly defended by the native Georgians, or Iberians, who 

 ■were at length compelled to fubmit by the indefatigable ex- 

 ertions of the fultan and his fon Malek ; and who were pu- 

 liifhed for their obflinate refiilance, by being obliged to wear 

 at their ears iron horfe-lhoes as a badge of their (laveiy ; 

 manv of whom, in order to avoid this ignominy, affumed the 

 external profefiion of Mahomctanilm. 



In lo68 Alp Ardan direfted his arms againft the Con- 

 ftantinopolitan empire, which was then governed by Eu- 

 docia. His progrefs alarmed the emprefs, and induced her 

 to give her hand and her fceptre to Romanus Diogenes, a 

 brave foldier, who was accordingly invefted with the impe- 

 rial purple. Although in the palace Diogenes was no more 

 than the hufhand of Eiidocia, yet in the camp he was 

 the emperor of the Romans, and he fuftained that character 

 with feeble refources and invincible courage. By his tpirit 

 and faccefs the foldiers were taught to acl, the fubjecls to 

 hope, and the enemies to fear. In three laborious campaigns 

 the Turks were driven beyond the Euphrates ; and in the 

 fourth and lall Romanus undertook the deliverance of Ar- 

 menia. With an army of 100,000 men he marched to the 

 f»ege of Malazkerd, an important fortrefs in the midway be- 

 tween the modern cities of Arzeroum and Van. Alp Arilan 

 flew to the fcenc of aclien at the head of 40,000 horfe, ac- 

 ■cprding to the ftatement of Elniaciu, but reduced by Abul- 

 pharagius to 15,00c, and by d'Herbelot to 12, coo. The 

 Greeks, though much fuperior in number, were diftrefled 

 and difmayed by his rapid and (kilful evolutions ; neverthelefs, 

 ibcir principal general Bafilacius was defeated, Malazkerd was 



ALP 



reduced, and their forces were feparated ; in this moment of 

 advantage he prnpofed peace to the cmpovor. The anfwte 

 of Romanus was dittatcd in the tone of infult and defiancer 

 '" If the barbarian wifhes for peace, let him evacuate th. 

 ground \\liich he occupies for the encampment of the Ro- 

 mans, and fiinender his city and palace oi Rei as a pledge 

 of his fincerity." Arp Arflan fmiled at the vanity of the de- 

 mand, but he wept in anticipating the death of fo many 

 faithful Mofleins ; and, after a devout prayer, proclaimed a 

 free permifTion to all who were defirous of retiring Irom the 

 field. Vi'ith his own hands he tied up his horfe's tail, ex- 

 changed his bow and arrow for a mace and fcymitar, clothed 

 himfelf in a white garment, perfumed his body with mufic, 

 and declared that if he was vanquifhed, that fpot (hould be 

 the place of his burial. In the decifive and bloody battle that 

 enfued, the Greeks were totally routed, great numbers of 

 them were killed ; and Romanus, after valiantly maintaining 

 his ftation, when he had been delerted by the body of his 

 army, was at length recognized by a fiave, taken prifoner, 

 and prefented to Alp Arflan. The fucceubr of Conifantiiie, 

 in a plebeian habit, was led into the Turkilh divan, and 

 commanded to kifs the ground before the lord ot Afia. He 

 reli'.ftantly obeyed ; Alp Arilan, ilarting from his throne, 

 is faid to have planted his loot on the ucck of the Roman 

 emperor. This facl, however, is doubtful. He inllantly 

 raifed f he royal captive from the ground ; and then clafping 

 his hand with tender fympathv, aflured him that his life and 

 dignity Ihould be inviolate in the hands of a prince who had 

 learned to rcfpeft the majefty of ills equals, and the viciill- 

 tudes of fijitune. Romanus was treated with attention and 

 refpect ; and in the familiar intercourfe of eight days, not a 

 word nor a look of iniult efcaped tiom the conqueror. Du- 

 ring the negotiation he was aikedby Alp Arflan what treat- 

 ment he expected to receive ? To which queftion Romanus, 

 Avitli calm indifference, replied : " If you are cruel, you will 

 take my life ; if you liften to pride, you will drag me at y-our 

 chariot wheels ; if you confult your interell, you will accept 

 a ranfom, and reitore me to my country." But what," 

 continued the fultan, " would have been your own beha- 

 viour had fortune fmiled upon your arms ?" " Had 1 van- 

 quifhed," he fiercely faid, " I would have inflidted on thy 

 body man\' a flripe." The Turkilh conqueror fmiled at the 

 infolence of his captive ;■ obl'er\'ed, that the Chrillian law in- 

 culcated the love of enemies and forgivenefs iif injuries ; and 

 nobly declared that he would not imitate an example which 

 he condemned. After mature deliberation. Alp Arflan dic- 

 tated the terms of liberty and peace, a ranfom of a million, 

 an annual tribute of three thoufand pieces of gold, the mar- 

 riage of the royal children, and the deliverance of all the 

 Mcflems who were in the power of the Greeks. The treaty 

 was fuhfcribed by Romanus, and the fultan, after a coui- 

 teous embrace, difmiffcd him with rich prefents and a mili- 

 tary guard ; but his fubjefts having revolted, he was unable 

 to colleft and remit the iripulated price ot his nmfom. The 

 generofity, or perhaps the ambition of the fultan, difpofed 

 him to efpoufe the caufe of his ally ; but the accomplifhment 

 of iiis defign was prevented by the defeat, imprifonment, 

 and death of Romajius Diogenes. After this treaty, A. D. 

 107 I, Alp Arflan beheld the faireft part of Afia fubjcft to 

 his laws ; 1 200 princes, or the fons of princes, flood before 

 his throne ; and 200,oco foldiers marched under his ban- 

 ners. He difdained to purfue the fugitive Greeks ; but he 

 meditated the more glorious conqueft of Turkeltan, the ori- 

 ginal feat of the houfe of Seljuk. His progrefs on this ex- 

 pedition, A. D. 1072, was impeded by Jofeph Cothual, a 

 Karafinian, or Carizmian, the governor of Berzem, or Bar- 

 zam, who, after yigoroufly defending his fortrefs, was taken 



pri^ner ; 



