Seljuqs of Rum, 663-682 AH/1249-1259 AD. Kaykusraw III, AR dirham

In 682 (1283) Kaykhusraw’s cousin Ma’sud, the son of ‘Izz al-Din Kayka’us, returned to Anatolia, and proclaimed himself Sultan. He enlisted some support from Abaqa, who was willing to let him govern the Qaramanids’ territory, provided that Kaykhusraw III remained sultan.

Mas‘ud, still determined to win the throne, did not go to the lands allocated to him, and Kaykhusraw begged Abaqa to put a stop to his intrigues. Meanwhile a nephew of Mas‘ud, ‘Ala al-Din Kayqubad, also arrived in Anatolia, and won the support of the Turkmen. However, he was defeated by the troops of Kaykhusraw and Fakhr al-Din ‘Ali and he fled to Cilicia.

Unfortunately for Kaykhusraw Abaqa died at this point and was succeeded by Ahmad, a recent convert to Islam. Ahmad faced a revolt in Anatolia by his brother, Kangirtay, which Kaykhusraw unwisely joined. In retaliation Ahmad conferred the undivided sultanate on Ghiyath al-Din Mas‘ud II, ordering Kaykhusraw to be strangled in 682 (1283). Ahmad was then overthrown by the Ilkhan Arghun, who once again divided the sultanate between east and west. From that time onwards the throne was disputed by the squabbling Rum Saljuq cousins until the dynasty’s end in 708 (1308).

The Rum Saljuq dynasty left behind it a legacy of architectural riches almost unparalleled anywhere else in the Islamic world. Because they built in stone, rather than the mud brick used in Iran, many of their buildings have survived in all their glory. The mosques, hospitals, caravansarays, mausolea and other constructions can still be admired in many parts of Anatolia today.»