In the midafternoon, both sides had taken their order for battle. The emperor was in the centre. He had arranged his left wing with the Anatolian troops under the command of Aleates from Cappadocia and his right wing with the Roumelian troops under the command of Nikephoros Bryennios. He had left Caeser Ioannes's son, Andronikos behind them with the reserve forces. Alp Arslan divided his army into four sections. Two of these sections which were the most crowded ones were arranged on the hills next to the battlefield in order to lie in wait. The third section that was commissioned with the charge of waylaying the back of the enemy had taken position in the proper regions and he took position opposite to Diogenes. Firstly, the central forces of the Turks attacked under the protection of the archers. Diogenes who desired to overwhelm this trivial force immediately made a counterattack with his entire army and he followed the Turks that had started to retreat. This fake retreat (Turan tactic) that was applied by Alp Arslan in a skilful manner was successful and the emperor who had gone far away of his headquarters had arrived to the places of ambuscade towards the evening. When the Turkish army was ordered for general attack, the emperor perceived his fault, and he tried to retreat. However, the Byzantine army was surrounded by the cavalrymen that came from the front, the sides and the direction of the enemy headquarters and it was encircled. Andronikos who was the commander of the reserve forces had pretended to his retinue that the useless efforts of the emperor to retreat were an indicator of the defeat and he tried to run away. This situation caused the withdrawal of the Armenian detachments. When the night fell, the Byzantine army was nearly annihilated within the circle that was gradually narrowed. Diogenes who was taken prisoner as an injured person was taken to the presence of the sultan together with his staff officers.

The reasons of the defeat of Byzantine due to only tactics did not doubtlessly result only from the participation of Uz and Pecenek people on the side of sultan (Attaleiates, Mateos), or the flight of the Armenians (Syrian Christian Mikhael), or the withdrawal of Andronikos (Bryennios, Zonaras) from the battlefield who did not like the emperor. The impotence of Diogenes in the administration of the battle (Psellos) could be considered as one of the factors. However, it would be much appropriate to base on the actual reason that Alp Arslan had applied the tactic of fake retreat with a diligent manner. Similarly, his war techniques were dependent on the steppe war methods based on the distant battles and the high spiritual motivation of the Turkish army.

Alp Arslan had had long conversations with Diogenes. As it has been stated in our resources, sultan had criticised the rejection of the negotiations of peace by the emperor and he had told the military faults of the Byzantine army and he had asked him what kind of a treatment he expected. He had received the answer that Diogenes would either be killed or chained and entangled within the streets of Islam countries or less likely that he would be forgiven and sent to his country in the capacity of a regent. Upon this answer, sultan told him that friendly relations would be established with him, he had calmed him down and he had made him sit next to him on the throne. Therefore, the Turkish sultan set an example for the feelings of mercy, moderation and humanity. Alp Arslan had made an agreement with Diogenes upon alliance and he entertained him as guest like a ruler in a private tent for a period of nearly a week. Then, he extradited him to his country together with his retinue and the other prisoner aristocrats under the protection of a detachment of Turkish cavalrymen (3rd September 1071).

The text of the aforesaid agreement could not be obtained until nowadays. According to some articles of the same agreement that are encountered within the resources, the emperor would pay one and a half million of gold as ransom, and furthermore, he would pay 360.000 golden coins per year. Accordingly, all of the Muslim prisoners within the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire would be set free, and the Byzantine Empire would send military forces to sultan in case of necessities. As for the lands, sultan wanted the abandonment of Manzikert, Urfa, Menbic and the environs of Antioch to the Seljuk State. Diogenes had accepted this proposal providing that the transfer of the lands could only be possible in case that his crown would be protected and maintained. Before the movement of Alp Arslan towards the west upon Karahanli State, Diogenes had entered into the Byzantine lands. When he arrived, he learned that Konstantinos Dukas' son, Mikhael had been declared as the emperor in Istanbul. As it is well known, Diogenes who was deprived of his imperial authorities was defeated in Sivas and Adana by the armies of Mikhael. Then, he was arrested and his eyes were burnt out. He died in misery in the monastery that he was locked in; therefore, the execution of the agreement was difficult.

The murder of his ally led Alp Arslan to execute the provisions of the agreement through taking up arms and he was right when he gave orders to Kutalmis-ogullari principality and Turkmen beys for the invasion of Anatolia. The allegation of Bryennios, the contemporary Byzantine historian stating that the Turks had violated the agreement is not right. As it had been stated by the contemporary historians of that period such as Aristages, Mateos, Zonaras, etc., the only responsible authority for the re-emergence of the war was the Byzantine Empire who wanted to forget Diogenes and everything related with him and neglected the realities. Under the conditions as we have stated from the beginning, a ruler like Alp Arslan could not be expected to renounce from his claims for land after such a great pitched battle. It was obligatory to resort to military forces in order to execute the agreement by right of conquest.

This situation should be considered as the most natural right and movement of the victorious side. On this occasion, it should be stated that there were some rumours alleging that Alp Arslan had left the raiders in disorder and he did not paid attention to the Byzantine. Upon these events, it was alleged that the thought of the presence of a Byzantine Empire in the east as a political institution besides the caliphate was supported in the mentality of the Eastern World. It was even asserted that pursuant to the conquest of Anatolia, Sultan Melikshah was ready to abandon the entire Anatolia in order to establish friendly relations with Emperor Aleksios, etc. All these allegations asserted by some Western researchers should not be given importance considering the real religious and military characteristics of the Great Seljuk Empire and the significance of Anatolia in respect of the state policies.

Upon the annihilation of the last and powerful army that had been arranged by the Byzantine against Turks in the savanna of Manzikert, the Byzantine barrier of defence was destroyed. Therefore, Sultan Alp Arslan determined the destiny of Anatolia that would become a Turkish homeland upon this victory that had great effect in the Islam and the Western World.The victory of this war that was famous with the name of Manzikert War had created great delight and enthusiasm in the Islam World and Baghdad was decorated and big ceremonies and festivals were organised. Through this victory, the doors of Anatolia that had been the target of the holy wars of Muslims for centuries were opened to the Turks. Manzikert victory that was one of the great incidents of the Turkish-Islam and world history granted Alp Arslan an unforgettable and distinguished place in history.

Afterwards, the dethronement of Romanos from the throne of the Byzantine and his death led the Turks to get much more benefit from the results of the Manzikert war. Sultan Alp Arslan gave orders to his princes and emirs and Turkmen Beys for the conquest of the entire Anatolia (1072). Sultan Alp Arslan had tried to expand its lands in the east as much as in the west. As a matter of fact, he organised a military expedition over Karahanli State with which he sometimes was in conflict. He passed the river of Ceyhun with a large army that was composed of 200 thousands of people. A commander of a regional castle named as Yusuf el-Harezmi stabbed the sultan and caused to his death (24th November 1072). Alp Arslan who was one of the greatest sultans of the Turkish-Islam history was distinguished with his discipline, bravery and justice.

The End

Back to Menu