Malik-Shah I
Malik-Shah I (Persian: ملک شاه), was the third sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072 to 1092, under whom the sultanate reached its zenith of power and influence.
| Malik-Shah I | |
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Investiture scene of Malik-Shah I, from the 14th-century book Jami' al-tawarikh | |
| Sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire | |
| Reign | 15 December 1072 – 19 November 1092 |
| Predecessor | Alp Arslan |
| Successor | Mahmud I |
| Born | 16 August 1055 Isfahan, Seljuk Empire |
| Died | 19 November 1092 (aged 37) Baghdad, Seljuk Empire |
| Burial | Isfahan |
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| House | Seljuk |
| Father | Alp Arslan |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
During his youth, he spent his time participating in the campaigns of his father Alp Arslan, along with the latter's vizier Nizam al-Mulk. During one of such campaigns in 1072, Alp Arslan was fatally wounded and died only a few days later. After that, Malik-Shah was crowned as the new sultan of the empire, but the succession was contested by his uncle Qavurt. Although Malik-Shah was the nominal head of the Seljuk state, Nizam al-Mulk held near absolute power during his reign. Malik-Shah spent the rest of his reign waging war against the Karakhanids on the eastern side, and establishing order in the Caucasus.
Malik-Shah's death to this day remains under dispute; according to some scholars, he was poisoned by Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadi, while others say that he was poisoned by the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk.