The Battle of Dandanaqan () was fought in 1040 between the Seljuq Turkmens and the

Ghaznavid Empire The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...

near the city of

Merv Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...

(now in

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

). The battle ended with a decisive Seljuq victory, which subsequently brought down the Ghaznavid domination in

Greater Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...

Background

Forced out of

Transoxiana Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...

in 1034 by the Karakhanids, the Seljuks settled in

Khwarazm Khwarazm (; ; , ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the east by the Kyzylkum Desert, on the south by th ...

under the advocacy of the Ghaznavid governor Harun. His murder in 1035, forced them to flee through the Kara Kum Desert towards Merv, but they switched instead to Nasa on the edges of

Khurasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...

. Hearing of this threat, Ghaznavid sultan Ma'sud I sent Iltughdi with a large army to Nasa. Initially successful having driven off the Seljuk forces, the Ghaznavid army began squabbling over the spoils. The Seljuk, led by Chaghri, returned and fell upon the disorganized Ghaznavids and defeated them. As a result, Ma'sud entitled the Seljuk to three cities in Khurasan: Dihistan, Nasa, and Farawa. After conducting raids as far as Balkh, all of Khurasan fell to the Seljuk Turks.

Battle

During the march of Mas'ud's army to

Sarakhs Sarakhs () is a city in the Central District (Sarakhs County), Central District of Sarakhs County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Sarakhs was once a stopping po ...

, the Seljuq raiders harassed the Ghaznavid army with

hit-and-run tactics Hit-and-run tactics are a Military tactics, tactical doctrine of using short surprise attacks, withdrawing before the enemy can respond in force, and constantly maneuvering to avoid full engagement with the enemy. The purpose is not to decisive ...

. Swift and mobile Turkmens were better able to fight battles in the steppes and deserts than was the conservative heavily-laden army of Ghaznavid Turks. Seljuq Turkmens also destroyed the Ghaznavids' supply lines and so cut them off the nearby water wells. This seriously reduced the discipline and the morale of the Ghaznavid army. On May 23, 1040, around 16,000 Seljuk soldiers engaged in battle against a starving and demoralised Ghaznavid army in Dandanaqan and defeated them near the city of

destroying a large part of the Ghaznavid forces.

Aftermath

The Seljuks occupied Nishapur, Herat, and besieged Balkh. By 1047, Tughril had coins minted in Nishapur calling him, and '. Mas'ud fled to India, was overthrown, and was finally murdered in prison.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dandanaqan, Battle of Battles involving the Ghaznavid Empire Battles involving the Seljuk Empire 1040 in Asia Conflicts in 1040 Military history of Turkmenistan 11th century in the Seljuk Empire Merv