d. 1104 · Danishmendid ruler
Danishmend Gazi
Other names · Gümüştegin Gazi
Danishmend Gazi (d. 1104) — Danishmendid ruler. This dossier combines the biographical record with dated events and the listed primary and secondary sources.
No verified depiction added
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
The early history of the Danishmendid polity is known through evidence that is often late and mixed with legendary material. Gumushtigin exercised power around Sivas, Tokat and Niksar and exerted sustained pressure on Melitene. His position must be understood within competition among Turkish principalities as well as resistance to the incoming crusading armies.
Career during the Crusading era
In 1100 he captured Bohemond I while the prince was advancing to relieve Melitene and held him at Niksar. Gumushtigin cooperated with Kilij Arslan and other Turkish rulers against the expeditions of 1101. His decision to release Bohemond for ransom in 1103 caused tension with the Seljuk sultan, who also claimed a share in the prisoner's value.
Documented activity: a chronological record
On 1100 – 1103, Danishmend Gazi appears in the atlas record “Captivity of Bohemond I” at Melitene – Niksar. The event is documented through Albertus Aquensis, Urfalı Mateos, İbnü’l-Esîr. On 2–5 August 1101, Danishmend Gazi appears in the atlas record “Crusade of 1101: Merzifon” at Merzifon. The event is documented through Albertus Aquensis, Urfalı Mateos, TDV İA, ‘Haçlılar’.
Allies, opponents and geographical range
Danishmend Gazi appears in the same records as Bohemond I, Kilij Arslan I, Raymond de Saint-Gilles. Co-occurrence does not always indicate alliance: the connection may involve command, dynastic rivalry, captivity, negotiation or direct conflict.
The principal geographical range represented in the atlas is Melitene – Niksar; Merzifon. These places record not only presence but also the supply lines, diplomatic contacts and limits of authority relevant to the biography.
Results of recorded decisions
The “Captivity of Bohemond I” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
The “Crusade of 1101: Merzifon” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
Sources and historiography
Arabic chronicles, biographical dictionaries and inscriptions illuminate legitimacy and political networks within the Islamic world. Latin, Armenian, Syriac and Byzantine accounts record the same person as opponent or ally. Victory titles, jihad rhetoric and royal praise must be distinguished from the recoverable sequence of events.
Names and titles vary between languages; Gümüştegin Gazi should be searched together in catalogues and texts. Approximate dates remain marked as such, and later literary or visual fame is separated from contemporary testimony.
Biographical statements are tied to the sources listed on this page and to the connected event dossiers. Approximate or disputed dates remain marked; missing information is not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual representations are not treated as contemporary portraits.