War of Mosul (1106-1107)

Battle of Kalba and Jikirmish's deafet

Jawali left Baghdad for Mosul in 1106, and advanced along the left bank of the Tigris River. He seized al-Bawazij along the way and plundered it, even though he had granted its inhabitants safe passage. He approached Erbil, so Jikirmish summoned his armies and prepared. Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja al-Kurdi, the Emir of Erbil, sent him a message informing him that he would be forced to ally with Jawali if Jikirmish did not come to his aid. Although his armies were not fully assembled, he went out with his available forces and crossed the Tigris quickly. Abu al-Hayja sent his soldiers and sons to him, and the forces of Mosul and the forces of Erbil met in the village of Kalba. Jikirmish's army had two thousand soldiers, and Jawali's army had one thousand. Despite the numerical superiority, Jikirmish was defeated and captured after a strong attack by Jawali's army on the heart of Jikirmish's army. Guarding him was tightened. As for the armies that Jikirmish summoned, they arrived two days late, and on their way to Kalba, they found the defeated, and news of the defeat had likely reached them there.^[1][2] Upon news of the defeat reaching Mosul, the city's notables pledged allegiance to Zengi ibn Jekermish and installed him as its ruler, despite him being only eleven years old. The custodian of the Mosul citadel, one of Jekermish's Mamluks, Ghazghali, became very active, distributing horses and provisions to the soldiers. He summoned the Emir of Hilla, Sadaqa ibn Mazid, the Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Kilij Arslan I, and the Shahna of Baghdad, Aqsunqur al-Bursuqi, requesting their assistance and promising each of them that he would deliver Mosul to them. Jawali arrived in Mosul and besieged it with Karmawi ibn Khurasan al-Turkmani. Taking advantage of Jikirmish's captivity, he would parade him out daily on a mule, calling on the people of Mosul to open the gates, but no one heeded his pleas. He was returned each day to a pit where he was imprisoned to prevent anyone from abducting him. He eventually died at the age of 60.^[1][2]

Kilij Arslan's intervention in the war

As for the three messages that Ghazghali sent, they reached their intended recipients. Sadaqa bin Mazid rejected Ghazghali’s offer, adhering to his obedience to Sultan Muhammad. As for Kilij Arslan and Aq Sunqur, they accepted and each of them went out with his forces to Mosul. When Qilij Arslan reached Nusaybin, Jawali heard of his arrival, so he lifted the siege on Mosul and left towards Sinjar. There, Ilghazi bin Artuq joined him, and his army became four thousand soldiers. As for Aq Sunqur, he camped east of Mosul, but no one contacted him, so he returned on the same day. The people of Mosul sent word to Kilij Arslan while he was in Nusaybin, and they exchanged pledges and oaths with him. After he was reassured, Kilij Arslan entered Mosul on the 22nd of March 1107. He was received by the companions of Jikirmish and his son Zengi in the al-Ma'rofa, and he bestowed gifts upon them. The sermon of Sultan Muhammad was removed and the sermon was delivered in the name of Kilij Arslan after the Caliph. He took possession of the fortress from Ghazghali and treated him well. As for Jawali, after leaving Mosul he went to Sinjar, then he headed to Al-Rahba and arrived there in March 1107, and besieged it in May 19, 1107. During the siege, Jawali allied with Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan, the Emir of Aleppo, and the latter joined him in the siege. After a conspiracy with the owners of one of the city's towers, Jawali succeeded in entering Nusaybin and looting it until noon, and its ruler, Muhammad bin Al-Sabbaq Al-Shaybani, surrendered to him. Kilij Arslan appointed his son Malik shah over Mosul, leaving with him an Emir named Idbar and a force to protect him, and went out to deal with Jawali.^[1][2]

The Seljuk army of Rum consisted of four thousand well-equipped horsemen, but Jawali possessed a larger army. This caused concern among several of Kilij Arslan's commanders, who began to withdraw and return to their lands. The first of these was Ibrahim ibn Yinal, the ruler of Amid, followed by the Emir of Mayyafariqin and others. Kilij Arslan stalled Jawali until reinforcements arrived from Anatolia. When Kilij Arslan reached the Khabur River, his army numbered five thousand soldiers, while Jawali's army numbered four thousand, including soldiers of Ridwan of Aleppo. Jawali's forces were more experienced and formidable than Kilij Arslan's. Taking advantage of the Sultan's incomplete reinforcements, Jawali launched an attack, and the battle erupted on 13 July 1107. Kilij Arslan led the attack, and although his initial assault was successful, he became preoccupied with the offensive and neglected his defense. The remainder of his army was defeated and plundered by Jawali and Ridwan's forces. Kilij Arslan realized that his rebellion would not be forgiven. Sultan of Rum, fearing he might get punished for challenging Sultan Muhammad's rule if he was captured, decided to try to escape. He threw himself into the Khabur River and kept shooting arrows at his pursuers, but his horse reached a deep point in the river and sank into it, and he drowned with it.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Jawali's capture of Mosul

After his overwhelming victory, Jawali headed to Mosul, and its people opened the gates to him without resistance, and the garrison of Kilij Arslan could not stop them. Jawali began to displace the companions and princes of Jekermish who fought alongside Kilij Arslan and confiscated their money and property. Then he restored the sermon to Sultan Muhammad I and arrested Malik shah ibn Kilij Arslan and sent him to Isfahan. Then he headed to Cizre, where Habashi bin Jikirmish and Ghazghali were, and besieged them. They reached a peaceful solution after they paid him six thousand dinars and gifts of animals and clothes.^[1][2]