Seljuk Campaigns in the Aegean
Encyclopedia
The Seljuk campaigns in the Aegean refer to the ground and naval actions conducted by the Seljuk Turks, chiefly under the leadership of Tzachas of Smyrna against the Byzantine Empire
. A fierce opponent, Chaka Bey won the first Turkish naval victory against Byzantium and captured a few Aegean Islands, supplemented by the conquest of Smyrna
and Abydos. In the aftermath of the First Crusade
Alexios I launched a counter-attack which regained the territories lost. Alexios was also able to rapidly quell the threat of Abu'l Qasim
, the Seljuk governor of Nicaea, who attempted to create a fleet of his own at Abydos in ca. 1090.
Chaka Bey recovered from his first defeat and retook several islands, but was definitively defeated at Lesbos by Constantine Dalassenos
and John Doukas
in 1092. His capital, Smyrna, and most of the Aegean coastline were recovered by Doukas in 1097, ending the Turks' direct access to the Aegean.
Alexios I Komnenos' son, John II Komnenos
inherited a sizable amount of land in Western Asia Minor, although the port city of Antalya
was under Seljuk siege. Nonetheless, John's tireless campaigns drove the Turks deep into Anatolia and by 1143 the Seljuk Turks had lost all control of the coastal regions of Asia Minor. The Byzantines under Manuel I Komnenos
could muster some 200 ships. Not until the demise of the Comnenian dynasty
would the Turks capture a port and it was Umur of Aydin
in c. 14th century that constituted the first Turkish threat to Christian shipping in the Aegean since the 11th century.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. A fierce opponent, Chaka Bey won the first Turkish naval victory against Byzantium and captured a few Aegean Islands, supplemented by the conquest of Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
and Abydos. In the aftermath of the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
Alexios I launched a counter-attack which regained the territories lost. Alexios was also able to rapidly quell the threat of Abu'l Qasim
Abu'l Qasim
Abu'l Qasim was the Seljuk governor of Nicaea, the Seljuk capital, from 1084 to his death in 1092. He was appointed to the post by Suleiman ibn Qutulmish, and after the latter's death in 1086, declared himself sultan...
, the Seljuk governor of Nicaea, who attempted to create a fleet of his own at Abydos in ca. 1090.
Chaka Bey recovered from his first defeat and retook several islands, but was definitively defeated at Lesbos by Constantine Dalassenos
Constantine Dalassenos (thalassokrator)
Constantine Dalassenos was a prominent Byzantine military leader on land and sea during the early reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos . Information on his life is only known from the Alexiad of Anna Komnene.- Life :...
and John Doukas
John Doukas (megas doux)
John Doukas was a member of the Doukas family, a relative of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and a senior military figure of his reign. As governor of Dyrrhachium he secured the imperial possessions in the western Balkans against the Serbs...
in 1092. His capital, Smyrna, and most of the Aegean coastline were recovered by Doukas in 1097, ending the Turks' direct access to the Aegean.
Alexios I Komnenos' son, John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs , he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina...
inherited a sizable amount of land in Western Asia Minor, although the port city of Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
was under Seljuk siege. Nonetheless, John's tireless campaigns drove the Turks deep into Anatolia and by 1143 the Seljuk Turks had lost all control of the coastal regions of Asia Minor. The Byzantines under Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
could muster some 200 ships. Not until the demise of the Comnenian dynasty
Komnenos
Komnenós or Comnenus was the name of a ruling family of the Eastern Roman Empire , who halted the political decline of the Empire from c.1081 to c.1185.-Origins:...
would the Turks capture a port and it was Umur of Aydin
Umur the Lion
Umur Beg or Ghazi Umur , also known as Umur Pasha was the Emir of Aydin from 1334 to 1348. Umur was described in a chronicle Düstürnâme-i Enverî, which was written by Enverî during the reign of Mehmed II, as the "Lion of God" leading just and holy war of conquest against the "miscreants" and...
in c. 14th century that constituted the first Turkish threat to Christian shipping in the Aegean since the 11th century.