Arslan-Shah

Rukn al-Din Abu al-Muzaffar Arslan Shah Ibn Tughril II (1133–1176) was a Seljuk sultan who appointed as ruler of Iraq and Persia. His reign lasted fifteen years and seven months. His reign was distinguished by the influence and dominance of the prince and founder of the Atabeg of Azerbaijan, “Shams al-Din Eldiguz,” after the death of Arslan's father. Shah, his mother, Momina Hatun, married Eldiguz, and his uncle, Sultan Masoud, took care of him. After the death of Sultan Muhammad, civil wars broke out in the Seljuk Sultanate in Iraq. In turn, Shams al-Din Eldiguz installed Arslan Shah on the throne of the Iraqi Sultanate. In November 1160, Eldiguz entered the city of Hamadan with Arslan Shah at the head of an army of 20,000. They were welcomed by all the nobles and princes of the state, and Hamadan was declared the ruling sultan of Iraq. Shams al-Din Eldiguz earned the title of “The Great Atabeg” and effectively took control of the Seljuk Sultanate in Iraq. The eldest son, Mehmet Jahan Pahlawan, became the Sultan's chamberlain, and the youngest son, Gisel Arslan, was appointed commander-in-chief of the army.

Arslan Shah and the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustanjid Billah However, the situation was not good between the Abbasid Caliph and Arslan Shah, so Eldiguz sent a representative to Baghdad and asked the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustanjed to deliver the sermon in the name of Arslan Shah in Iraq, but he left Baghdad with a black face, and the Caliph united with other rulers against Arslan Shah and his Atabegs.

Arslan Shah and the Ismailis In the absence of Prince Arslan Shah and Eldiguz, the Ismailis rebuilt their fortresses in Qazvin when Atabeg Eldiguz and Sultan Arslan marched to suppress the Georgians. The Ismailis faced resistance from the people of Qazvin. After Arslan Shah returned from the war with the Georgians, people went to him and complained. Arslan Shah attacked fortresses to repel the Ismaili strife. During the four months of attacking the Ismailis, he dealt them heavy blows and was able to conquer and destroy the Ismaili fortresses.

Kerman From 1167 to 1168, the ruler of Kerman, Tughrul Shah, died, and a power struggle began between his sons. The middle son fled to Hamadan and came to serve Sultan Arslan Shah and Shams al-Din Eldiguz. In 1168, Shams al-Din's forces entered Kerman. Arslan Shah II was appointed governor of Kerman, subordinate to Shah Atabeg.

Death When the news of Shams al-Din Eldiguz's death reached Jahan Pahlawan, he immediately departed from Hamadan to Nakhchivan, and seized the state treasury and the throne's possessions. He also gathered all the forces together and began to wait for the Sultan's attitude towards him. After Eldiguz died in 1175, the princes, dissatisfied with his policy, took advantage of Jahan's departure from Hamadan to incite Sultan Arslan Shah to attack Azerbaijan with a large army. But Sultan Arslan Shah invited Jahan to the capital, reconciled with him, and died shortly after handing over the administration of the state to him. According to the sources, Arslan Shah was poisoned on the orders of Jahan, and he installed Tughrul III, the 7-year-old son of Arslan Shah, on the Sultan's throne in 1177, and became his atabeg.

Family One of his wives was Kerman Khatun. She was the daughter of Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtafi. She was a widow of his cousin, Sultan Muhammad II. They married in September 1160. Another wife was Mahd Rafi Khatun, also known as Kirmani Khatun. She was the daughter of Kirman Shah, son of Arslan Shah I. Another wife was Sitti Fatima. She was the sister of Amir Sayyid Fakhr-ud-Din Ala-ud-Dawlah. They married on 17 December 1175, fourteen days before his death. He had one son, Toghrul III.