DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OF THE TURKIYE SELJUKS AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE UNDER THE THIRD CRUSADE

Abstract

The Third Crusade was initiated as a response to the victory of Ayyubid Sultan Salah al-Din at the Battle of Hattin (July 4) and his conquest of Jerusalem (October 2) in 1187 and continued between the years 1189-1192 according to medieval sources. This was the third expedition which passed through the Anatolian Peninsula. In their passage through Anatolian peninsula, the crusaders were under the command of Friedrich Barbarossa. He tried to secure the passage and provisioning of the Crusader Army by establishing diplomatic contacts with the rulers of the countries lied on the route of the expedition. One of the leaders with whom he had diplomatic contact was Kilidj Arslan II, the sultan of the State of Turkiye Seljuks. However, the Seljuk territories had been divided among the sons of the Sultan, who were in his late years. This caused a weakness in his authority as several Seljuk notables, particularly Malik Kutb al-Din Malik-Shah, opposed the Sultan's cautious foreign policy and his decision to give safe passage to the crusaders and this eventually resulted in the armed conflict of the Seljuks and the Crusaders. And as a result, the capital Konia was invaded by the Crusader army. This paper examines the diplomatic contacts between the Seljuks and the Crusaders conducted by the ambassadors such as Godefroi von Wiesenbach and Tokili by using the medieval sources. Although the main focus is the negotiations between the Seljuks and the Crusaders on the issues of safe passage and providing provisions for the Crusading Army, the military and political decisions and interventions by the Seljukid notables affecting the process are also examined as the extant sources permit.