Saltuk II (İzzettin Saltuk) was a bey of Saltukids in the 12th century.
Background
After
Alp Arslan of
Seljuk Empire defeated the
Byzantine Empire army in the battle of Manzikert in 1071, a series of
Oghuz Turk Anatolian beylik (kingdoms) were formed in
Anatolia before Anatolia was united by the Sultanate of Rum. Saltukids was one of them. Its capital was
Erzurum. Saltuk II was the fourth Sultan of this Saltukids.
Plot
Saltuk became the bey after the death of his uncle Ziyaeddin in 1132. He formed family relations with the other Turkmen beyliks around Erzurum. However, when Fakr al-Din Shaddad, a
Shaddadid emir of
Ani asked for Saltuk's daughter's hand Saltuk refused him. This caused a deep hatred in Şeddat towards Saltuk. In 1154 he planned a plot and formed a secret alliance with the Demetrius I of Georgia. While a Georgian army waited in ambush, he invited Saltuk to Ani with the pretext of selling the fort to Saltukids. Saltuk was taken prisoner by the Georgians. After ransom was paid by Saltuk's sons in law and Saltuk swore not to fight against the Georgians he returned home.
[Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: Türkiye tarihi Cilt I, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991, p 149-150]
Ani campaign
Towards the end of Saltuk's reign in 1161, George III of Georgia captured Ani. Turkmen beys formed a coalition to recapture Ani. Saltuk was a part of this coalition. But during the siege, Georgian army arrived to defend the fort and Saltuk remembering his oath, left the battle field. The campaign was a failure. However, two years later, Georgians were defeated by a coalition of Muslim leaders and Saltuk was able to expand his territory.
Death
Saltuk died in 1168. He was succeeded by his son Nasiruddin Muhammed. Next ruler after Nasiruddin was
Mama Hatun (a female ruler, a rare example in an Islamic land) who was Saltuk’s daughter. His other daughter, Shahbanu, married Sökmen II, ruler of
Ahlatshahs.
