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Khwarazm Shah Expansion
In the 1140s, Khwarazm Shah Il-Arslan continued expanding in Khorasan and eastern Iran, controlling key points such as Merv and Nishapur and maneuver…
Timeline
- 1141–1142Samarkand · TransoxianaIl-Arslan had supported Seljuk Sultan Sanjar against the Western Liao; after the disastrous Battle of Qatwan he was forced to submit and pay tribute to the Western Liao, and Khwarazm's independent expansion in Central Asia was temporarily constrained by overlordship.
- 1143–1147Khorasan · KhorasanTaking advantage of the Great Seljuk Empire's weakness, Il-Arslan gradually annexed key Khorasan cities such as Merv and Nishapur, striking at local emirs and Ghuzz tribes and pushing Khwarazmian power eastward to the northern edge of the Iranian Plateau.
- 1148–1150Eastern Iran · IranKhwarazm contended continuously with local Seljuk remnants in Khorasan and Ghuzz nomadic groups, consolidating newly acquired territories through military campaigns and diplomatic marriages, creating the conditions for the next generation's shah Tekish to achieve full independence.
Sources
- Khwarazm-Shah dynasty — C. Edmund Bosworth https://www.britannica.com/topic/Khwarazm-Shah-dynasty
- The Ghaznavids and the Seljuks — C. Edmund Bosworth (1968)