The sultan of Rum from 1092 until his premature death in 1107, Kilij Arslan I was the first Muslim monarch to face a crusade, easily defeating the disorganized peasant army led by Peter the Hermit in October 1096. Unfortunately for him, the scale of his victory made him think the sultanate's western frontier was secure, and so he embarked on a campaign against the Danishmends of eastern Anatolia. He was, as a result, caught by surprise when the First Crusade laid siege to Nicaea, which surrendered after a month.
So what if Kilij Arslan either decided to wait until the western threat was well and truly over before attacking the Danishmends, or got word that this new crusader army was far more formidable than the one he bested a few months earlier? Would his army be in better shape to repeal the Crusaders and their Byzantine allies early on, and thus prevent Nicaea's fall?
A direct consequence of this POD is that the Seljuks won't be forced to move their capital to Iconium/Konya, which means their center of gravity is much further west than IOTL. How could the sultanate's culture and politics be affected by this in the future? Kilij Arslan was a capable leader, and his early death at the age of 27 will almost certainly be butterflied. Could he cross the Dardanelles and invade Thrace, or would it be better to capture the few territories the ERE (Sinope, Trebizond and probably some other places) had left in Anatolia first?
Last but definitely not least, how will the Byzantines be affected by all this? The recovery of western Anatolia was a big part of the Komnenian restoration.
@Talus I of Dixie @Tabs
So what if Kilij Arslan either decided to wait until the western threat was well and truly over before attacking the Danishmends, or got word that this new crusader army was far more formidable than the one he bested a few months earlier? Would his army be in better shape to repeal the Crusaders and their Byzantine allies early on, and thus prevent Nicaea's fall?
A direct consequence of this POD is that the Seljuks won't be forced to move their capital to Iconium/Konya, which means their center of gravity is much further west than IOTL. How could the sultanate's culture and politics be affected by this in the future? Kilij Arslan was a capable leader, and his early death at the age of 27 will almost certainly be butterflied. Could he cross the Dardanelles and invade Thrace, or would it be better to capture the few territories the ERE (Sinope, Trebizond and probably some other places) had left in Anatolia first?
Last but definitely not least, how will the Byzantines be affected by all this? The recovery of western Anatolia was a big part of the Komnenian restoration.
@Talus I of Dixie @Tabs