THE BATTLE OF THE DERBENTS İN ELBİSTAN AND İTS SURROUNDİNGS
Abstract
mostbetOne of the important wars in the history of Anatolia is the Battle of the Derbents battle. This war is one of the important turning points of Islamization and Turkification of Anatolia. These wars, called the Derbents battle, are wars that erupt over the Akça derbend pass between Elbistan and Nurhak. This passage was located on the Aleppo-Elbistan-Kayseri trader oute in the Middle Ages. This path is important in terms of being on the transition route in the armies coming from the South to Anatolia as much as the period of international trade.
Damascus and Aleppo regions are under Ayyubid state’s control. As a result, the Ayyubid sand Seljuks of Turkey were neighbors. Thus the struggle between the two sides began in South east Anatolia. During the reign of I. Alâeddin Keykubad, more importance was attached to the unity and co-existence of Anatolia. As a result of conquests made in this period, East and Southeast Anatolia entered Seljuk domination. The Seljuks and Ayyub sallied against the Harizmshahs who came to Anatolia with the pressure of the Mongols and met at Yassi Çemen near Erzincan. The Seljuks of Turkey destroyed the Harizmshahs in 1230.
- Alaeddin Keykubad convinced the Harezm Bey, who had remained strayed after this victory, to join the Seljuks with some promises. But there was a dispute between the Seljuks and the Ayyubis on Easternand Southeast Anatolia. When there gion was dominated by the Seljuk Sultan, Ayyubid sacted against the Seljuks and the alliance between them broked own and the war started.
In this study, the Derbents battle which is a struggle for dominance in the Maras region, was taken up to draw attention to the strategic importance of there gion and the issue of a lesser mark in the history of Maras.