c. 1026
Khorasan, Persia

November 24, 1072
Turkestan, Central Asia

Military leader and second Seljuk Turkish sultan of Persia and Iraq

"Never have I invaded any country or attacked any enemy without seeking God's help in the plan. Yesterday, however, ... I said to myself, 'Now I am master of the world and no-one can stand against me.' Now God has undone me through the least of his creatures."

—Alp Arslan; quoted in The Annals of the Saljuq Turks.

Alp Arslan (ruled 1063–72), second of the powerful Seljuk sultans (Turkish leaders), was indirectly responsible for beginning the Crusades, the two-centuries-long conflict between Christians and the followers of the Muslim religion. A military leader of great fame, he solidified Turkish holdings in Persia and Iraq, pushing their...