Reflections on the Early Sovereignty Relations of the Seljuqs of Rum in the Light of New Coins

Abstract

Princes Tuğrul and Çağrı and their uncle, Musa Yabgu, the founders of the Seljuqs of Rum, divided among themselves the lands already conquered and those whose conquest was proposed at the council held following the Battle of Dandanakan. This historical sources that furnish information about the founding of the Seljuq polity are far from reliable and are lacking in detail in regard to the issue of sovereignty among the members of the dynasty. But certain coins that have come to light in recent years should illuminate a number of aspects of these relations in a comparatively more secure manner. In particular, the coins minted by such dynasty members as Prince Çağrı, Musa Yabgu, İbrahim Yınal, Resul Tegin, Prince Kavurd, and Alp-Arslan point to a pluralistic and hierarchical relation of sovereignty based on personal conquest and in accordance with which structure the various titles and by-names employed by the dynasty members were bestowed in conformance-if we regard as an exception the sphere of sovereignty staked out by Musa Yabgu-to the decisions taken at the council for a period of some fifteen to twenty years after the battle of Dandanakan.