other · Caucasus
Eldiguzids
Origins
Shams al-Din Eldiguz, a former Kipchak slave, rose in the service of the Seljuks and around 1136 was made governor of Arran and atabeg, or guardian, of the prince Arslan Shah. After placing Arslan Shah on the throne of the Seljuk Sultanate of Iraq in 1160, he became the real power behind it.
Rule and society
The atabegs ruled Azerbaijan, Arran and much of western Iran from Nakhchivan, Tabriz and Hamadan, making and unmaking sultans. Jahan Pahlavan and Qizil Arslan continued their father's dominance. Their court patronised Persian poetry, including Nizami Ganjavi, and the architect Ajami Nakhchivani built the Momine Khatun mausoleum in Nakhchivan in 1186.
Decline and legacy
The Kingdom of Georgia defeated the atabeg Abu Bakr at Shamkor in 1195, and Mongol raids further weakened Uzbek, the last ruler. In 1225 Jalal al-Din of the Khwarazmian Empire took Tabriz, ending the dynasty.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (5)
- Eldiguzids was a vassal of Seljuk Empire1136 CE – 1194 CE
- Eldiguzids was a vassal of Seljuk Sultanate of Iraq1136 CE – 1194 CE
- Seljuk Sultanate of Iraq was a protectorate of Eldiguzids1160 CE – 1186 CE
- Kingdom of Syunik was conquered by Eldiguzids1170 CE
- Eldiguzids was conquered by Khwarazmian Empire1225 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Eldiguzids. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eldiguzids
- MLA
- “Eldiguzids.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eldiguzids. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Eldiguzids.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eldiguzids.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Eldiguzids’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eldiguzids (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻