Alp Arslan The Wolf

Khagan Alp Arslan The Wolf (Turkish: Bozkurt Alparslan Kapaghanoglu Han) was a notable Turkish Khagan and ruler of the Oghuz branch of the Turkic peoples. He was elected by a Kurultay (an assembly of clans) following his brothers death in 802. He is largely credited with preserving and expanding the presence of a distinctly Oghuz Turkic identity in central Asia at a time when it was regarded as under threat from Kipchak, Pecheneg and Islamic influenced identities.

Most information about him is retained through an oral tradition, he is largely considered to be semi mythical or an amalgamation of various figures over the period of his rule. However, there are contemporary Abbasid and Chinese Liao Dynasty sources that write about Alp Arslan, especially his conflict with the Liao vassal of Transoxiania (often referred to as the Bajanid Sultanate).

Largely he was considered a shrewd and competent commander and warrior, who despite being maimed in a sparring accident would continue to lead his people in raids long into his late years. Contemporary sources, primarily his Islamic court physician Aurang a missionary from the Taid Sultanate noted that after a particularly bloody raid he fell into a depression. Despite this he would continue to put on lavish wargames and parade the plundered wealth of his enemies in his capital of Ak-Dzulpas.

The circumstances around his death are often shrouded in mystery, but most sources agree that he succumbed to a bout of syphilis while besieging the Bajanid city of Kazakh. He was succeeded by his half-brother Togtekin after a quick kurultay during the siege.

Early Life
Not much is known about Alp Arslan's early life, other than what he told his court physician Aurang. From his writings, Alp Arslan was probably originally only called Arslan, the Oghuz Turkic word for Lion. He would gain the title "Alp", the Oghuz Turkic for brave, from his training as a warrior which he excelled at in contrast to his brothers Togtekin and Tugrul. As a boy, like anyone of his background he would have been expected to be able to ride a horse before he was able to walk, by all accounts he was an able rider from a young age. At the age of 10 he would join with warriors in raids of other smaller Turkic tribes that populated the region surrounding the Aral Sea at the time. Many of these tribes would later be subsumed into his own clan upon his rise to power.

This prowess for combat and his ability as a hunter set him apart from his brothers who were more erudite and considered largely incompetent respectively. It was during these hunting expeditions and early raids that he would gain a reputation for shrewdness that would mark his slow and steady rise to power. As was the custom among his people he was sent to live among the tribe of his betrothed, Sirma, who was from the Kimak clan. Another Turkic tribe that resided in the steppe. During his time working for his betrothed's family he would learn the languages of the other Turkic peoples that would come to trade with her clan as well as some Greek and Arabic from preachers who would pass through the steppe on their way east.

Upon coming of age, he would accompany his Father during his reign. He was largely considered the obvious choice for successor despite some claims that other clans should have primacy over the clan of Arslan.

Kurultay
Not much is known of what Alp Arslan did during his brothers reign, though he was largely the preferred candidate his brother, Dogan became the Khagan. His was a reign that saw limited expansion and even significant losses at the hands of the Bajanid Sultanate.

After his brothers sudden death in 802 during a military campaign against the Bajanid Sultanate all of the troops of the clans under the Oghuz banner had to return to primary encampment for a Kurultay to decide who would become the next Khagan. During the Kurultay, Tugrul and Togtekin both put their names forward before the clans. Many were confused as to why Alp Arslan had not put his name forward. After the Kurultay refused to vote for either candidate, Alp Arslan stepped forward to present himself. According to Aurang the reasoning for this was so that his brothers could see their unfitness for leadership demonstrated to them.

Upon his stepping forward the many clans began to chant as Alp Arslan rode before them on his horse and was designated the Great Khagan of the Oghuz Turks. Though his relationship with his brothers was irreparably damaged, especially with Tugrul, Alp Arslan almost immediately took to the mantle of leadership and sought to right some of the mistakes his father had made.

Early Wars and Raids
One of his first acts as Khagan was to expand his territory, despite being the larger of the two primary clans within the Khaganate the Arslan clan had half the land of their cousins and allies the Tigin clan. He chose to act fast on the weakness of the neighbouring Pecheneg people and seized a significant amount of grazing land on the coast of the Aral Sea. Unsatisfied with the lack of wealth and riches plundered from the Pechenegs he turned his gaze to the Bajanid Sultanate that his father warred with on a regular basis following the loss of significant grazing land to them.

In what was known as the Great Looting, Alp Arslan led a band of less than 2000 Turkic warriors and sacked all 9 major settlements in the region neighbouring his clans land. During the Great Looting his niece Nur, herself a notable folk figure in Turkic folklore would distinguish herself as a commander and warrior. By far her uncles favourite family member, it was rumoured that he considered designating her as his successor, but the traditions of his people demanded that he pick a man.

Upon his return to his clans lands, he was surprised to find an Islamic preacher from the Abbasids. Not one to tolerate the bizarre beliefs of his Islamic neighbours, Alp Arslan ordered the preacher imprisoned and eventually ransomed him to the Caliph for a large fee. This act soured his relationship with the Islamic world and closed off most cultural contact with a few notable exceptions.

Razing of Turgay and Yangikent
Following a stable period of peace, Alp Arslan once again yearned for the battlefield. Raising the horsetail banners he led his swift army into the territory of the Bajanids. Quickly seizing and sacking the city of Turgay. The sacking was so complete that virtually no trace of the city remained after the conquest. The brutality of it cemented Alp Arslan's reputation for cruelty that would mark a lot of his later reign.

One such incident occurred with the birth of his bastard daughter, who was the child of his sister in law, the wife of Tugrul. This incident would forever mark the two brothers as rivals, they would never reconcile, though they would begrudgingly work together as Tugrul remained the designated heir.

Following the Bajanids defeat at the hands of the expanding Liao Dynasty, Alp Arslan sought to take advantage of their weakness and seize the lands around Yangikent, a routine raiding target for the Oghuz Turks and an area that prevented them from making their clan territory contiguous. This put the Oghuz in direct conflict with the Liao Dynasty who sent a significant number of troops from China to assist their tributaries. However, this did not prevent the total razing of Yangikent and the loss of the surrounding territory to Alp Arslan and his clan. It was at this point that Alp Arslan moved his capital to Ak-Dzulpas.

Conquest of Ishim
Immediately following his conquest of Yangikent, Alp Arslan joined with the vassal Tigin clan and invaded the lands of Ishim, ruled at the time by the Karluks. The Karluks were a neighbouring Turkic group who had raided the lands of the Tigin before. Due to the large distances involved in the steppe, the war took longer than many would have expected, but resulted in the complete conquest of around half of the Karluk territory almost doubling the area of the Oghuz Khaganate.

This resulted in the granting of land to a distant clanmate of Alp Arslan, the capable commander Tugrul who was allowed to take as many men as he could convince from the main clan and forge a realm of his own under the protection and guidance of the Khagan. While the granting of the land to Tugrul who was a blood brother of Alp Arslan irritated the Tigin. They were placated by their traditionally high rank and respect that they had within the Khagan's council and court. As well as many marriages between the clans to cement their relationship.

It was after this conquest that his nickname "The Wolf" came into common usage in foreign sources. Contemporary sources also claim that the sickly nature of his daughter and the death of his warhorse Evren, as well as the death that he routinely saw on the battlefield sent Alp Arslan into a depression and cynicism that plagued him until his death. Even the Great Wargames of 821 did little to raise his spirits as he was unable to compete due to his older age.

Later Life and Death
Following the Great Wargames of 821, keen to prove himself still capable, Alp Arslan insisted one of his warriors spar with him. The result was a grievous injury that required the removal of his leg. While this reduced his ability to fight in personal combat, he was still an able commander and would prove so in the raids that took place in his later life.

Following the construction of a statue of himself, his favourite son Togtekin died of cancer. This intensified his depression as it is often said that he contemplated suicide on multiple occasions. This however would not be how he died. He died following a short bout of syphilis while campaigning in Kazakh. Prior to his death, there were rumours that he stole the skull of his brother and rival Tugrul.

Legacy
Alp Arslan the Wolf remained an important folk figure in western Turkic folklore. Stories about him were primarily preserved by an oral tradition of storytelling. His allowance of women to take command roles set him apart from many of his contemporaries and is often credited with granting his forces the most competent set of commanders available allowing him to achieve his many victories over numerically superior foes. In Bajanid Bedouin culture he often took a role analogous to the devil in their contemporary storytelling.