Ahmad Sanjar

Ahmad Sanjar (Persian: احمد سنجر; full name: Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah) (6 November 1086 – 8 May 1157) was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until 1118, when he became the Sultan of the Seljuq Empire, which he ruled until his death in 1157. His rule from the first moment was characterized by climactic battles in a struggle for survival on all frontiers, and throughout his long reign (1118-1157) which lasted for 41 years, he nearly kept the borders of the Seljuks intact, but suffered setbacks at Qatwan and Muharram later during his rule when his composure and astute thinking began to recede, further exacerbated by his capture by Oghuz Turkmen in 1153. After his death, the Seljuk Empire was significantly weakened and lasted less than half a century.

Early years