1066 — Medieval Map
Rise, family, and legacy in Anatolia and its surroundings in 1066
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# The World, January 1, 1066 In the East, the Great Seljuk Empire stretches from Khorasan to Iraq under the rule of Sultan Alp Arslan, who has been on the throne since 1063, and his vizier, Nizam al-Mulk. The Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad remains the source of legitimacy under Seljuk protection. The Sultan captured Ani in 1064 and has been pushing the Caucasian and Armenian borders; Turkmen tribes raid Byzantine lands, though a settled order of conquest has yet to be established. The strength of the state relies on the Sultan's royal guard, the emirs who hold iqtas, branches of the dynasty (Kavurd in Kerman), and the participation of the Turkmen. The Byzantine Empire extends from Constantinople to the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Armenian border. Emperor Constantine X Doukas's court favors the civil bureaucracy; border forces have been neglected, reliance on mercenaries has increased, and the nomisma is losing value. Pecheneg and Oghuz raids pressure the Danube, while Normans challenge Byzantine control in southern Italy. The Emperor's health is failing; succession and the patience of the military aristocracy remain open questions. In southeastern Anatolia, local dynasties maintain a balance between the two great powers: the Marwanids in Diyarbekir, the Uqaylids in Mosul, and the Mirdasids in Aleppo. In the Caucasus, there is the Kingdom of Georgia and the Shaddadids of Ganja. In Egypt, the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir is shaken by the great famine that began in 1065 and by conflicts between Turkish, Berber, and Sudanese troop factions; the Syrian coast and Palestine are under Fatimid control. In the West, King Edward of England is gravely ill and childless. Harold, Earl of Wessex, William, Duke of Normandy, and outside the map, Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, all claim the throne. In southern Italy, Robert Guiscard holds Apulia and Calabria, while Bari remains in Byzantine hands; the Normans have been at war with the Muslim emirates of Sicily since 1061. In Iberia, Castile, León, and Galicia were divided among the sons of Ferdinand I in December 1065; the Andalusian taifas pay tribute (paria) to the northern kingdoms. North of the Black Sea, the Cumans have begun to replace the Pechenegs; Kievan Rus' is divided among competing principalities. ## Major playable roles - Alp Arslan, Great Seljuk Sultan: A vast empire, emirs with shifting loyalties, and the Byzantine frontier. - Romanos Diogenes, Doux of Serdica: An ambitious Byzantine commander; his relations with the court are strained. - Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex: The most powerful man in the realm of a dying king. - William, Duke of Normandy: A powerful feudal lord claiming the throne of England. - Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria: A rising Norman between the Byzantine Empire and Muslim Sicily. - Create your own character: Rise from nothing as a soldier, merchant, scribe, or frontier bey. ## Currency and travel In Seljuk lands, the gold dinar and silver dirham are in circulation; in Byzantium, the gold nomisma; in Fatimid lands, the dinar; and in Western Europe, the silver penny and denier. A caravan travels 25–35 km per day, a cavalry unit 40–60 km, and a large army with baggage 15–25 km. In winter, the Eastern Anatolian and Caucasian passes are harsh, and the Taurus and Pontic roads are difficult; sea travel in the Mediterranean decreases during the winter months. ## Resources (available upon request) TDV Encyclopedia of Islam: Alparslan, Seljuks, Nizam al-Mulk, Malik-Shah, al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, Banu Jahir, Marwanids, Uqaylids, Mirdasids, Fatimids, al-Mustansir-Billah, Hammadids, Zirids, Almoravids, Qarmatians, Pechenegs, Kipchaks, Battle of Manzikert, and related city entries. Encyclopaedia Iranica: Shaddadids, Army ii, Hormuz. Erdogan Mercil, Urfa article, Belleten 52/203 (1988). Psellos, Chronographia VII. Florin Curta, Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250. I. S. Robinson, Henry IV of Germany. English Heritage, The Events of 1066.