--------------------------------------------------------------------- God Wills It Seldjuk Handbook --------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS PAGE NO. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction 1 - The Seldjuk Empire 2 - The breakdown of authority 3 2. Current Situation - The new threat from Egypt 4 - The new threat from Byzantium 4 3. The Seldjuk Game - The Characters 5 - Playing the Game 6 - Income and expenditure 7 4. Warfare - The Seldjuk way of fighting 7 - The Byzantines 8 - The Fatimids 8 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------- This briefing is designed to be read in conjunction with the general handbook and with your personal briefing which you will receive on the day of the game. As I said in the Game Handbook, God Wills It is really three games in one. Whether each game ever interacts with the others is dependent upon the way that play develops and not upon the game design. Each 'side' starts with its own self contained game, and must continue playing that to gain their objectives. How much that interacts with any other team will depend upon you and upon the other players. This brief outlines the game for the Turks; this may or may not change as the game progresses. Yours is a game about a struggle for power and a struggle against the evils of the heretic Shi'ite dynasty in Egypt, the Fatimids, deadliest of your enemies. It is also to a lesser extent about your relationships with the Rhum , the Greeks of the Byzantine empire. Remember that you as Seldjuks are not a united team; in fact you are (as your personal briefs will make clear) a collection of individuals struggling for individual power in the loose confederation of the Seldjuks, so read this paper and your individual briefs very carefully. This brief gives you what you share as common knowledge; the history of the Seldjuks, their enmity with the Greeks and the Fatimids, the breakdown of the power of the Sultanate, etc. It gives you the current situation in Asia Minor and Greater Syria, and it tells you about the different characters that impact on the game. The brief also tells you a bit about how the Turks fight, and something of what they know of the Greeks and the Fatimids. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Background --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Seldjuk Empire During the early part of the 11th century CE (I am using Christian Era dating throughout all the briefs in this game for the sake of convenience) Turkish soldiers of fortune began to penetrate the whole of the Moslem world in the East (much as the Normans were doing in Europe at the same time). Soon Turkish regiments were being maintained by the Caliph at Baghdad and by other lesser Moslem rulers. Amongst these were a group calling themselves the Seldjuk Turks who rapidly rose to great power. In 1050, Tughril Bey, the senior Prince of the house, entered Isfahan and made it the capital of a state that comprised Persia and Khorassan. His brothers and cousins established themselves on his Northern borders, forming a loose confederation that acknowledged his overlordship. In 1055 Tughril entered Baghdad at the invitation of the Abbasid Caliph (who was terrified of the growing power of the Fatimids) as the champion of orthodox (Sunni) Islam, and was made Grand Sultan, King of the East and the West, with supreme temporal power over all the lands that owed spiritual allegiance to the Caliph. Tughril Bey died in 1063, succeeded by his nephew Alp Arslan. Afraid of an alliance between the Byzantines and the Fatimids, he looked to reduce the power of the Greeks. He took control of Armenia in the late 1060's, and in 1071 he shattered the Imperial Byzantine army at Manzikert., taking the Emperor Romanus prisoner. Having broken the Greek power Alp Arslan was free to concentrate upon the Fatimids, especially as the Rhum immediately turned to what was to become twenty years of rebellion, intrigue, civil war, and wars in the West of their empire. Alp Arslan was not to see the benefits of his victory himself, dying in 1072. But his son, Malik Shah, ruled over an Empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the boundaries of China. He gave to his cousin, Suleiman ibn-Kutulmish, the task of consolidating in Asia Minor, and of conquering Syria for the true faith. Suleiman did not have an easy time of it; there were lesser Seldjuk princes whose main aim was to capture some town or fortress for themselves which they could then rule over virtually as independent monarchs. But Suleiman persevered and even got himself and his troops involved in the various Greek civil wars, as mercenaries really. It was in this way that he established himself in Nicaea. Situated within 100 miles of Constantinople itself, Nicaea became the capital of Suleiman's Seldjuk Sultanate of Rum. But the central government of the Sultan Suleiman was very weak, with no really organised administration. South of Anatolia, in the Syrian lands which the Turks had taken from the weakened Greeks, and where the Fatimids were trying to build their Empire, some of the Seldjuk princes acknowledged Suleiman, but others said they owed allegiance to nobody except Malik Shah. The breakdown of authority Despite this fairly chaotic situation, throughout the 1070's and 1080's the Seldjuk domination of Syria had continued to grow. In 1076 they took Jerusalem from the Fatimids, and in 1085 Antioch was betrayed by its Greek governor to Suleiman. In the following year Suleiman quarrelled with another Seldjuk prince, Tutush, who was trying to establish his own Sultanate in Syria, South of Suleiman's domains. In a battle outside Aleppo in 1086 Tutush was victorious and Suleiman was killed. Now the Seldjuk situation in Anatolia descended into chaos, encouraged by the new Greek Emperor, Alexius Comnenus. From 1086 to 1092 intrigue and civil war reigned as Malik Shah tried to get Suleiman's son Kilij Arslan, acknowledged as the new Sultan in Nicaea. In 1092 Kilij Arslan seemed to have asserted his own authority (under Malik Shah) with the murder of Chaka, his father in law and major threat to his power in Western Anatolia. But later the same year Malik Shah himself died and in the east of the Seldjuk Empire civil war broke out between his two sons, Barkiyaruq and Mohammed, over their inheritance. Suddenly what central authority there was in the Seldjuk realms had gone again. By 1095, although many of the princes are nominally under the overlordship of Kilij Arslan, in practice Anatolia and Syria are a series of petty kingdoms fighting against each other for power and prestige. To a Christian traveller of the time, Symeon of Jerusalem, it seemed that "every city has a different master". At the same time the Fatimids seem to have overcome their own internal difficulties and are probing into Syria again. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Current situation --------------------------------------------------------------------- The new threat from Egypt From 1029 to 1076 the Fatimids from Egypt had held Jerusalem and Southern Syria, in an informal alliance with the Byzantines that was aimed at keeping the Turkish expansion in check. But in the 1070's the Fatimids themselves had undergone an internal power struggle in Egypt which had weakened their power. The aged Fatimid Caliph, al-Mustansir, had become even more of a puppet than the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. He no longer even dared to leave his palace without the permission of his Armenian Vizier, Badr al-Jamali. The Caliph's son, Nizar, led a movement of Shi'ite fundamentalists against the power of the Vizier, aiming to restore the power of the Caliphate an inaugurate a new golden age for the Shi'ites. (As a matter of passing interest, Nizar's main ally was Hasan ibn-al Sabbah, Shi'ite fanatic, conqueror of Alamut, the first Old Man of the Mountains and founder of the sect of the Assassins). In 1094 however, Badr al-Jumali died and was succeeded as Vizier by his son, Shah an Shah al-Afdal. He crushed the associates of Nizar, who was himself buried alive. When the old Caliph died in 1095, Nizar's younger brother, al-Mustali, became Caliph at the age of eight. The power of al-Afdal is now unchallenged and the Fatimids are once again looking to regain their Syrian possessions. It is also strongly rumoured that al-Afdal has renewed the traditional alliance with Byzantium, under its strong new Emperor, Alexius Comnenus. The new threat from Byzantium Although the overwhelming military power of the Rhum was broken at Manzikert, and the Greek influence weakened by the civil wars, you are under no illusions that your main enemies in Anatolia are and always will be the Byzantines. What is worse, just at the time when Turkish unity has been shattered by recent events, so the Greeks appear to have found a strong new ruler, Alexius. He has gradually repaired the economic and military power of Constantinople, and although he has not yet dared military operations against the Seldjuks, he has used Greek wealth to ferment your own troubles. Now there are rumours and reports that he has appealed to the West for more mercenaries, and that he has allied himself with the Fatimid heretics to threaten Turkish possessions in Asia Minor and Syria. What is good about that is that he is willing to treat with any of you as independent lords who could help him. Although a threat, if handled correctly, he could be a very useful source of support and income. It is also well known that the Greek imperial armies, short of experienced soldiers, have no choice but to recruit mercenaries; many Turkish warriors have fought under the banners of the Christian Empire. This gives the Sultan a reasonably ready source of information and intelligence. Recently there have been rumours that the Emperor is looking for new mercenaries from the West, the Franj. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The Seldjuk game --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Characters (not necessarily all played) Sultan Kilij Arslan I Sultan of the Seldjuks of Rum. Capital at Nicaea. Has been struggling since 1092 to establish his authority over the Turkish possessions of Asia Minor and Syria. Although only 20 years old, he has already recovered a part of his paternal heritage through war, murder and subterfuge. He boasts that he has spent more time in his saddle than at his palace. Very conscious that he still has very powerful rivals amongst his own kinsmen. al-Husaq, Emir of the Danishmends Unlike most Turks, well read and literate, known as Danishmend the Wise. Rules a large part of North East Anatolia, centred on fortresses of Caesarea, Sebastea and Amasea. Nominal vassal of Kilij Arslan, but currently at war with him over city of Ancyra. Chaka, Emir of Smyrna. Brother in law of Kilij, who had his father murdered. Only Turk with a reasonable navy (about 35 warships). His emirate includes the islands of Rhodes, Chios, and Samos. His father lost Lesbos to Alexius' rebuilt naval power just before his murder in 1092. Duqaq, Emir of Damascus Son of Tutush, who killed Kilij Arslan's father. Younger brother and bitter rival of Ridwan of Aleppo. Survived murder attempt by his brother when their father died in 1095. Impulsive, easily influenced, inclined to sudden rages. Obsessed by the idea that his brother is still trying to assassinate him. Ridwan, Emir of Aleppo "By means of murder, impiety and witchcraft Ridwan aroused the distrust of nearly everyone, but it was within his own family that he provoked the most bitter odium".(Maalouf) Older son of Tutush, thought he should have had the whole Syrian inheritance. Bitter enemy of his younger brother, Duqaq of Damascus. Son in law of Yaghi-Siyan, Atabeg of Antioch. Yaghi-Siyan, Atabeg of Antioch. Governor of Antioch since Suleiman took it in 1085. Nominally a vassal of Kilij Arslan, but has been playing off all the other Turks against each other for the last ten years in order to maintain his independence in reality. Father in law of Ridwan of Aleppo. Shams al-Daula, son of Yaghi-Siyan Famous warrior and diplomat. Known by all to be unquestioningly loyal to his father. Kerbogha, Atabeg of Mosul Leading Turkish prince of Upper Mesopotamia, owing allegiance only to the Caliph and Sultan in Baghdad. Has foe some time been interested in expanding his influence into Syria. Ex slave and commander of one of the biggest forces of the Turks. Soqman of Diarbakir and Ilghazi of Jerusalem The twin sons of Ortoq, the lieutenant of Tutush. Known as the Ortoqids. Rulers of Jerusalem and Southern Syria, and want to keep them for the Ortoqid family. Very wary of the Princes from the North but equally aware that they need their support in the face of a revived threat from the Fatimids in Egypt. Banu'Ammar, Emir of Tripoli Native Arab Prince who has established an independent power base in Tripoli. Fervent Shi'ite believer. Rival of the Ortoqids. Thoros, Prince of Edessa Armenian Christian ruler of Edessa. Old vassal of Rhum and of Malik Shah. Now trying to establish his independence from the Greeks and the Turks. The Assassins The Hashashin have been in existence in Alamut since about 1090. Their first assassination was in 1092, of Malik Shah's Vizier. Now a secret sect feared by most Sunni rulers. Rumours abound of their close connections with the Greeks and the Fatimids. There are also rumours that Ridwan of Aleppo has come under their influence. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Playing the Game --------------------------------------------------------------------- Basically the objective of every player on the Seldjuk 'team' is the same; to increase one's own power and influence, as well as the general dominance of the Turkish hegemony. Some players will have more specific objectives in their personal briefs, but for the purposes of this paper, assume that you are all working to the same brief. It is generally known that all of you can raise roughly equal forces, with the exceptions of Kilij Arslan and Kerbogha, who can put more men into the field, and the forces of Antioch and Tripoli, which are smaller, but where the city's defences are very powerful. The maps with your personal briefs will show you the relative areas of influence of each character, and the areas of disputed territory. Movement between areas is as outlined in the Game Handbook, but you can assume that messengers and messages can travel at twice the speed of forces. (The Moslems of the day had developed a fairly sophisticated system of messages by homing pigeon). --------------------------------------------------------------------- Income and expenditure --------------------------------------------------------------------- Your personal briefs will also tell you your annual income from your lands. This is calculated as the disposable money left to you after the expenses of your family, court and administration. You can spend it in two ways: 1. You can spend it on the maintenance and recruitment of regular troops for your askar (household troops and bodyguard combined). These will inevitably be horse archers, very tough and well trained. Each horseman costs 1 mark a month to maintain. You will also have a force of infantry, each of which costs 0.25 marks a month to maintain. If forces are not maintained properly, their combat value will be affected, and eventually men will start to desert! Each of your briefs will tell you about your current askar, and also how many other mercenary Turcomen (freelance soldiers) are available in your area for recruitment. 2. You can spend it on good works and cultural pursuits. Universities, colleges and schools can be founded, mosques can be built, and hospitals for the poor. All works like this are counted to your credit in the next world, as the Prophet promised. They also contribute positively to your standing with your subjects and help their loyalty! Loyal subjects are more likely to turn out for you if you call out the levy. Personal briefs will be supplied on the day of the game. There are very few rules for how the Seldjuks should play their game; it's up to you within the context of this brief and the General Game Handbook, and in consultation with your umpires. 4. Warfare The Seldjuk way of fighting "God on high prefers the bow to all other weapons. As the Prophet said 'If you keep a bow in your house, God will keep you and your house from poverty'. Any man who has experience of weapons will tell you that the mighty bow is superior to them all". ibn-Hodeil (c.1050 CE) "Care for your lances and your bows for it is they that have brought victories to the Prophet and by them will victories increase". (Ibid.) "they completely surround the enemy and shoot at him with arrows; they also defend themselves with arrows at a distance. In hot pursuit the Turk makes prisoners by using his bow; in flight he overwhelms his pursuer with the same weapon and when he shoots, the arrow in its course strikes either rider or horse, fired with such tremendous force that it passes clean through the body. So skilled are the Turkish archers". The Alexiad The core of any Turkish army is its mounted archers, the regular troops who make up the Emir's askar. In time of war the richer emirs will also recruit mercenaries to help their cause, all of who fight in the same way as the askaris i.e. as mounted archers. Infantry have a limited purpose but are present to a greater or lesser extent in all Turkish armies. Command is always with the Lord; a Great Sultan's army will consist of his own askar and mercenaries, and the forces of the various Emirs who are his vassals or allies. In addition to the askar each lord can call out his feudal levies for the duration of a campaign. How many of them actually turn up will depend upon the reputation of the lord and the cause for which they have been called to fight. Levies do not cost anything to support for the first two months; after that they cost the same as infantry. Tactics are to win by out numbering and overwhelming if possible, by ambush and surprise, or by standing off and peppering the enemy with arrows until he is so worn down that it is safe to charge in to close quarters. The Byzantines The Rhum have rebuilt their army under the new Emperor Alexius, but they still tend to use money before force! However, they should never be taken lightly in combat, but rather beaten by treachery and guile as much as by open battle. The traditional strategy of the Emperors has been defensive, preferring to use money and allied troops for offensive operations outside the boundaries of the Empire. The Imperial forces have traditionally been organised in such a way that frontier forces are expected to try to hold off initial attacks until the light cavalry can come up. The job of the light cavalry is to harass and hinder the invaders until the strategus (commanding general) can bring up the main body of heavy troops, either regular or from the provincial thema. Tactically the Greeks have always tried to take a large and well trained body of infantry into the field; to keep large reserves and flank-guards; to fight with the rear (and if possible the wings also) covered by natural obstacles, such as rivers, marshes, or cliffs, so as to foil the usual Turkish device of circular attacks on the wings or the camp-guard. Their forces are made up of mixed infantry, heavy horse and light horse, including Turcomen mounted archers. The great weakness of the Greeks is still trained manpower to control their great Empire, and the recent Emperors have come more and more to rely on mercenaries. The style of fighting of a Greek army these days depends on the mercenaries that the Emperor has recruited! The Fatimids Unlike the Seldjuk Turks, the Fatimids have a largely mercenary army, recruited from Arabs, Berbers, Sudanese, and with a high proportion of infantry. The elite of the army is the Caliph's bodyguard, comprising the Mameluk mounted regiments, and the Sudanese guard of archers and foot soldiers. Beyond this elite they can field very large numbers of allied foot soldiers and light cavalry, mostly Arab and Berber. Unlike the Seldjuks the Fatimid armies do not have any horse archers, the cavalry fighting with light lance and scimitar. In recent years the Fatimids have not been the fighting force that they once were, but under al-Afdal it looks as if that may have changed. --------------------------------------------------------------------- This game briefing/handbook is available for information to users of the internet, on the understanding it is (c) Terry Martin, and if used is credited appropriately. Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------