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Emir Gazi or known as Emir Melikgazi was the third ruler of Danishmendids and the elder son of Gazi Gümüshtigin.

Life

After Gazi Gümüshtigin's death, the country was divided into two. Emir Gazi ruled Sivas and surrounding, while his brother Sungur took Malatya. Sungur, later joined Sultanate of Rum which was under control of Kilij Arslan I. Emir Gazi was the father-in-law of Mesud I, son of Kilij Arslan I. After Kilij's death, in 1107, he supported Mesud, which resulted with him taking the throne in 1116. After this Emir Gazi expanded his powers.

He supported Mesud against Mesud's brother Melik Arab. In 1127, Melik Arab ambushed Emir Gazi's son Melik Mehmed Gazi and took him as prisoner. Later Melik Arab marched on Emir Gazi which was resulted in heavy losses. Later he took refuge to Byzantines.

In 1130, he allied with Leo I, Prince of Armenia against the crusader Bohemond II of Antioch, who was killed in the subsequent battle; Bohemond's head was embalmed and sent to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad. Emir Gazi may have been able to conquer more territory in the Principality of Antioch if not for the intervention of Byzantine emperor John II Komnenos, who wished to exert his own influence in Antioch.

In 1131, he besieged the castle of Kaysun (today near the village of Çakırhüyük) in the County of Edessa, but retreated upon the arrival of Count Joscelin, whom Melikgazi believed had already died.

As of 1134, Emir Gazi, Melik (the King) bestowed in recognition of their military successes by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mustarshid.

Emir Gazi died at Pazarören, Sivas in 1134, and the Danishmend state began to collapse under pressure from the Byzantines and the Sultanate of Rum.

References

1. "MELİK GAZİ - TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi".
2. Claude Cahen cited in Donald Sidney Richards (2006). The Chronicle of Ali ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period. Ashgate Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-0-7546-4077-6.

• Muslims of the First Crusade
• 1134 deaths
• 12th-century Danishmendid rulers