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Mahmud II

Type Figure Region Iraq Time c. 1104–1131 Also known as Sultan Mahmud II

Mahmud II (c. 1104–1131) was Sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire (1118–1131), son of Sultan Muhammad I Tapar.

Timeline

  1. 1118–1122Baghdad · MesopotamiaAfter his father Muhammad I died in 1118, Mahmud II succeeded to the sultanate with the support of the ministers. That same year his uncle Sanjar also claimed sultanate authority, and the two immediately entered a standoff over the succession. Though Mahmud controlled Iraq and western Persia, he could not match Sanjar in military strength.
  2. 1122–1131Baghdad · MesopotamiaAfter several years of military and diplomatic maneuvering, Mahmud II recognized his uncle Sanjar as supreme suzerain of the Great Seljuk Empire, while he himself governed the empire's west. His reign saw complex relations with the caliph and regional governors, frequent court struggles, and a steady weakening of sultanate central power. He died in 1131, after which his sons fought over the succession and the Sultanate of Iraq fell into a new round of civil strife.

Sources