Historical Reference

Izz-al-din and Rukn-al-din under the Mongols

This the tale of two brothers, rivals for control of the Seljuks of Rum. Izz-al-din and Rukn-al-din

Izz-al-din was Izz-al-din Kay-Kawus II and Rukn-al-din was Rukn-al-din Kilij-Arslan IV. These brothers would normally have fought this out if they were independent but they were vassals of the Miongol and had to deal with Mangu and Kulagu as well as each other. Baiju (also Baichu, and Bayju Noyan) was the key Mongol general in the conquest of the Seljuk of Rum.

From The Mongols of Persia. By Henry H. Howorth

We have seen how the Seljuk kingdom of Rum was partitioned between Izz-al-din and his brothers. In 1254 the former was summoned to Mangu's presence. Afraid that his brother, Rukn-al-din, would take advantage of his absence, he determined to send another brother, Alai ud din Kai Kubad, who set out, bearing many presents, by way of the Black Sea and the steppe of Kipchak, accompanied by Self ud din Tarentai, one of his principal generals, and Shuja lid -din, the governor of the maritime districts. Izz-al-din excused himself on account of his fear that the Armenians and Creeks would attack his country if he were absent Meanwhile the partisans of Rukn-al-din forged a letter from Izz-al-din to Tarentai and his colleague, ordering them to hand over Alai ud din and the presents he had with him to the chancellor, Shems ud din, and the Amir Seif ud din Jalish, who bore the letter, and who would accompany the young prince to the Imperial Court. The two messengers overtook the travelers at the Court of Batu, whom they informed that Tarentai having been struck by lightning, could not present himself before the Grand Khan, while Shuja ud din was a doctor, skilled in necromancy, and meant to poison Mangu, and that consequently the Sultan had recalled then.. Batu ordered the baggage of the two suspected officials to be searched. Some medicinal roots, inter alia, scamony, were found, and Shuja ud din was ordered to taste them, which he did, except the scamony, which aroused Batu's suspicion. This was allayed, however, by his doctors. He decided that all four should go on to the Court, the newly arrived messengers escorting Alai ud din, and those originally appointed bearing the presents. They set out separately. Alai ud din died en route. His mother was the daughter of the beautiful Queen Rusudan. When the rival officers arrived at Mangu's Court they pleaded the cause of their respective patrons. It was decided that Izz-al-din should retain that pan of Rum west of the river of Sivas (Kizil Ermak), and Rukn-al-din should hold the country thence to Erzurum; the tribute they were to pay was also duly fixed. While the officials just named were absent, Rukn-al-din's supporters raised some troops, and tried to surprise Konya, or Iconium. They were beaten, and he was captured and Imprisoned in the fortress of Davalu. The following year, 1255, Baiju Noyan, annoyed at Izz-al-din's tribute not being regularly paid, sent him a message demanding the surrendering to him of some fresh winter quarters, as Hulagu had appropriated those he had formerly used in the plain of Moghan. The Sultan refused to do so, and treated Baiju cavalierly. The latter, with the Armenian king Haithon, marched upon Konya, and defeated the Sultan's army between that town and Ak Serai. Izz-al-din took refuse with his family in the citadel of Anthalia. Baiju thereupon took Rukn-al-din from prison, and seated him on the throne. Izz-al-din now fled to the Emperor Theodore Lascaris, who was living at Sardis, and who, afraid of attracting the revenge of the Mongols, advised him to return home. He accordingly did so, and sent in his submission to Hulagu, who maintained the division of the Seljuk kingdom fixed by his brother Mangu. Izz-al-din thereupon returned once more to Konya, while Rukn-al-din went with Baiju into winter quarters in Bithynia.
History of the Mongols From The 9th to the 19th Century. PART III. The Mongols of Persia. By Henry H. Howorth, M.P. Longmans, Green and Co and New York: 15 East 16th Street. 1888.

The very great Kings, Iz, and Rokn, and Alai

Sempad was accompanied on his way home by Rokn ud din, the Seljuk Prince of Rum. On the latter’s arrival at Kuyuk's Court, one of his officers, named Baha ud din, the interpreter, had accused the Vizier of Rum of having set up Iz ud din without the Khakan's consent, and abused him for his other recent acts. Kuyuk thereupon ordered the deposition of Iz ud din, and his replacement by Rokn ud din, and also that Beha ud din should have the post of Vizier. The latter, on his return, proceeded with 2,000 Mongols to proclaim Rokn ud din at Erzenjan, Sebaste, Caesarea (Kayseri),, Malatia, and in the fortresses of Saida and Amid.* The Vizier, Shems ud din, is, perhaps, the same person as the brother of Ghiyath ud din, who, we are told by Guiragos, had married a daughter of Leshkar, Sultan of Greece, who reigned at Ephesus (i.e., Lascaris, the Emperor of Nicaea), and who had usurped power at Iconium (Konya), thanks to the assistance of his father-in-law, while his young brother had done so at Halaia, a town of Western Karamania.

When Shems ud din heard of the decision of the Khakan, he sent Rashid ud din, the Prefect of Malatia with a quantity of treasure to the Khakan, to obtain a revocation of the order; but having heard of the rapid approach of Baha ud din, he deposited the treasure at Kamah, and fled to Aleppo. Shems ud din now tried to escape with his protégé, Iz ud din, from Iconium (Konya), so as to set him up in the maritime district; but he was seized and imprisoned, and presently Baha ud din sent a body of Mongols, who tortured him until he disclosed where his treasures were, and then put him to death. Abulfaraj tells us he was a learned man, and wrote some elegiac verses on his own fate, which were elegant and steeped in pathos. It was now arranged, by the influence of an ascetic named Jelal ud din Keratai, who had great influence at Iconium (Konya), and who had been instrumental in arresting Shems ud din, that the empire should be divided between the two brothers : the western parts, with Iconium (Konya), Akserai, Ancyra, Anatolia, &c., being assigned to Iz ud din; and the eastern districts, including Caesarea (Kayseri), Sivas, Malatia, Erzenjan, Erzurum, &c., being given to Rokn ud din ; while large private domains were made over to Alai ud din. The partisans of Rokn ud din wished to insist, however, on the Khakan's decision being carried out to the letter. An interview between the brothers to settle matters was arranged at Axara or Caesarea (Kayseri),, where Rokn ud din and his chief supporter, Baha ud din, were treacherously surprised by some partisans of Iz ud din, who carried them off to Iconium (Konya). He did not treat them badly, however, and eventually the empire was jointly ruled, and the coin was struck in the names of all three brothers, with the inscription: "The very great Kings, Iz, and Rokn, and Alai" Brosset says the names do, in fact, occur together in the year 647 Hej. (i.e., 1249).

History of the Mongols From The 9th to the 19th Century. Part III. The Mongols of Persia. By Henry H. Howorth, M.P. Longmans, Green, And Co and New York: 15 East 16th Street. 1888.

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