d. 1116 · Great Seljuk emir and commander of the sultan's army
Bursuq ibn Bursuq
An emir of the Great Seljuk sultan Muhammad Tapar; in 1115 he led the sultan's army sent to Syria and was defeated at Tell Danith by the forces of Antioch.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Bursuq ibn Bursuq was a Seljuk emir based at Hamadan, whose father had also held important posts in Seljuk service. Sultan Muhammad Tapar gave him command to unite the emirs of Iraq and the Jazira against the Frankish states in Syria.
Role in the Crusades
In 1115 the army under Bursuq entered Syria; but the rulers of Aleppo and Damascus, fearing the sultan's growing power in the region, allied with Antioch and Jerusalem. Bursuq took Kafartab, but on 14 September 1115 he was defeated at Tell Danith by a surprise attack by Roger of Salerno.
Historical significance and source problems
After this defeat the Great Seljuk sultans sent no large army to Syria; the struggle against the Franks passed to local emirs. Bursuq died the following year. The events are described by Ibn al-Qalanisi, Ibn al-Athir and Walter the Chancellor.
Biographical information is linked to the sources shown on the page and to the connected event records. Disputed dates are given as approximate, gaps are not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual depictions are not treated as contemporary portraits.