Expedition to Iconium (1146)

Siege of Konya (Iconium)
Part of the Byzantine-Seljuk wars
Date Spring 1146 Location Near Iconium, (now Konya), Turkey Result Seljuk victory
Belligerents
Byzantine Empire	Seljuk Turks
Commanders and leaders
Manuel I Komnenos	Mesud I
Casualties and losses
20,000 killed	Unknown

The Expedition to Iconium was a military expedition launched by the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk capital of Iconium, the siege ended in failure.

Background

in 1143, the Danishmendid Sultan Melik Mehmed Gazi died which resulted in a civil war between Melik Zünnun and his Uncles Yağıbasan and Ayn el-Devle which ended in the division of the Danishmend lands between them with each three ruling their own territory, the Seljuk Sultan Mesud I decided to take advantage of the civil war and invaded the Danishmendids, Mesud captured Sivas and Yukarı Seyhan from Yağıbasan, defeating him and captured Ceyhan and Elbistan from Ayn el-Devle, he then Besieged Malatya from Melik Zünnun from 1143-1144, realizing they could not withstand Mesud attack, they allied with the Byzantine Empire which put Mesud in a two front war and forced Mesud to withdraw back, in spring 1145 the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos launched his first expedition but withdraw upon getting ill or upon learning his sister Maria Komnene was ill, upon this hasty withdrawal, The Seljuks thought the Byzantines were having internal problems and thought they weren't ready to have a long conflict, which encouraged them to attack the Byzantines, which alerted Manuel and prepared to attack them.

Expedition

in the spring of 1146, Manuel Prepared his expedition against the Seljuks, he then forced his way to Philomelion, the Seljuks made several ambushes during his journey, however, they were all repulsed with losses on the Seljuk side, he then reached Philomelion and successfully defeated the Seljuks there, although Mnauel was wounded in the heel, he burned the town and took the remaining Christian population there, Manuel then headed for Iconium, Alarmed by Byzantine victories, Mesud divided his forces into 4 groups, one to protect the capital, the second stationed at Lake Tuz to ambush the Byzantines behind, the third at Outskirts of city and the last to slow down the incoming Byzantines, during their march, the byzantines were still being ambushed by the turks which inflicted losses on the byzantines, they finally arrived to Konya and began ravaging the Outskirts of the capital, the Seljuks could only skirmish them from the walls, Manuel then besieged and surrounded the city, but failed to capture it, he prolonged the siege, however he heard the new of an upcoming Crusade to the east, which prompted him to retreat.

during the retreat, he passed some of the rugged paths which caused the Byzantine march slow and unorganized, and for that, it was a chance for Seljuks, they ambushed the Byzantines and inflicted heavy losses on the center of the army which killed the commander Kritopolos, this attack split the army which caused panic in the rear while having no place to hide, Manuel attempted to re-organize his forces but failed due to heavy attacks, Manuel successfully reached to safety after a great difficulty dealing with the Seljuk ambush, according to an anonymous Seljuk-nama, it claims that Byzantines lost as high as 20,000 killed.

See also

• Komnenian army
• Battle of Myriokephalon