GHIYÂTH AL-DíN KAY KHUSRAW III B. QÏLÏCH ARSLAN

AH664?-682/ AD1265-1284

Placed on the throne as sultan by the chief minister Mu‘in al-Din Sulaymân, Qïlïch Arslan’s young son was a figurehead under the complete control of Sulaymân who acted as regent. Perhaps in consequence, the next ten years were a period of calm throughout the sultanate, but for the remainder of the Seljuq period the sultanate seems to have been swept by revolts and conflicts between opposing armies.

The Karamânids became restless again and the Mamlûk Baybars saw an opportunity to extend and protect his northern frontiers. In 675 he invaded Anatolia and defeated a combined Mongol Seljuq army at Albistan, Sulaymân and Kay Khusraw retreating to Tokat. Taking advantage of the absence of Seljuq authority, the Karamânids, together with the Menteshe and the Eshref, old enemies of the Seljuqs, seized Konya in Dhû’l-Hijja 675 / May 1277.

A dervish claiming to be a son of the deposed sultan, Kay Kâwûs II, was put up as sultan and crowned in Konya as Siyâwush b. Kay Kâwûs. Baybars had been acclaimed as sultan in Kayseri but he retired to Egypt after failing to win support from the Turkmen tribes and the impending approach of a large Mongol army headed by the Ilkhân, Abaqa. In retaliation, Abaqa plundered Kayseri and then retook Konya, Tokat, and Aksaray. When the Mongols withdrew, Siyâwush, who had escaped to the west, attempted an uprising but was captured and killed by the Seljuqs who used the opportunity to reinforce their authority over the Hamids of Burghlu and Denizli. In the summer of 679/1280 Mas‘ûd, a genuine son of Kay Kâwûs II, proclaimed himself the rightful sultan and sought support from Abaqa. He was, perhaps cynically, given the right to govern the Karamânid territory but Kay Khusraw was left as supreme sultan. However, Abaqa died soon after, and when Kay Khusraw joined in a revolt against his successor he was put to death in Dhû’l-Qa‘da 682/ March 1284. 

COINAGE: Only three doubtful half dirhams have been reported for Kay Khusraw but a sprinkling of copper coins, weighing about 2 grams, have survived. Gold dinars were struck at Konya up to 671 and then at Sivas until 676. However, the coinage was essentially one of silver dirhams, although not named as such. Both Konya and Sivas also minted small quantities of silver dinars, clearly named, and with a different obverse design. A fall in the standards of coin production is apparent at all mints with the majority of coins being oval rather than circular, sometimes with quite large cracks in the edge. (Broome).