Lion and Sun, გურჯი-ხათუნი

In 1237 CE, Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn Kayḵosrow II became sultan when his father, Kayqubad I (1219-1237 CE), died. He would reign until his death in 1245 CE.

Let's start wiht a coin from the father, Kayqubad I .

Seljuq of Rum, Ala al-din Kayqubad I, 1219-1237 CE, AH 616-630, Siwas mint in AH 617, AR Dirhem  (2.77g, 22 mm). Ref: Broome 172.

Bar Hebraeus (1226 – 1286 CE), a bishop of the Syriac church, didn't think much of the Sultan Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn Kayḵosrow II:

"Then the new Sultan GHAYATH AD-DIN sent and had brought to him the daughter of the queen of the IBERIANS for a wife; and he loved her dearly. And he gave himself up to childishness of mind, and be began to occupy himself with wine-bibbings and drinking bouts, and he amused himself with birds and animals. And he left the government of his kingdom in the hands of his slaves, and each of them began to act as he pleased."
-Bar Hebraeus, Chronicles, 471

The image is from a 16th century translation of an older book on astrology by Abu Mashar showing the conjunction of the Sun and the constellation Leo.

The reference to "IBERIA" was confusing as I thought Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn's wife, Tamar, came from Georgia. This became clearer with this map showing Iberia as an old name for an eastern Georgian state.

Image by Deu, based on work by A. Anderson and Don-Kun CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tamar was born a member of the Bagrationi dynasty, daughter of Queen Rusudan and Seljuk prince Ghias ad-din, and grand-daughter of Queen Tamar the Great. She became better known as Gürcü Hatun (meaning "Georgian Lady", the Georgian words in the title of this post გურჯი-ხათუნი).

The sun face and lion on my coin of interest today, may represent the constellation of Leo and be a symbol of the ruler's power. Another story, is that the sun and lion represent the astrological sign of Tamar. And another, not necessarily conflicting, is that the sun face represents the Georgian princess Tamar (Gürcü Hatun), the beloved wife of Kayḵosrow II, while the lion symbolizes the Sultan.

The stories linked with his love of Tamar are based on Bar Hebraeus (1226-1286), a bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who noted that Sultan Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn Kayḵosrow, the Saljuqid of Rūm, was so much in love with Tamar that he expressed the wish to place an image of her on his dirhams. There is a coin with two lions that raises questions about the story of the sun representing Tamar and the lion representing the sultan.

Seljuks, Rum, Sultan Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn Kayḵosrow, first reign, AH 634-644 / AD 1237-1246, Dirham, Sivas, AH 639 = AD 1241/2

Obv: Lion advancing right; personification of sun above; in field to left, star; below, star and crescent with pellet; around, الامام المستنصربالله اميرالمؤمنين legend “the Imam al-Mustansir billah, Commander of the Faithful".

Rev: Legend bearing the name and title of Sultan Ḡīāṯ-al-Dīn Kayḵosrow, the Saljuqid of Rūm; in outer margin, in square design, ضرب هذا الدرهم \ سوس في \ سنة تسع \ وثلثين و ستمائة "This dirham was struck at Sivas in the year 639". Inside, السلطان \ الاعظم \ كيخشرو \ بن كيقبد on four lines, "The Greatest Sultan Kaykhushraw b. Kayqubad"

Note: not 100% confident in the date, compare here and here.

Although this coin is from "Seljuks of Rum" - there is still a connection to my primary collecting interest from the Roman Republic. "Rum" is a corruption of Rome, derived from Ῥωμαῖοι (Rhomaioi), as the Seljuk's took possession of territory formerly held by the Byzantine or Roman empire. More on the lion and sun symbol here. Another version of the love story at the David Collection (open the Historical Note to read), and another here.

In AD 1240, Baba Ishak a charismatic prophet, stirred a rebellion of the Anatolian Turkmen that ended in 1242 or early 1243.

In the Battle of Köse Dagh near Sivas, on 26 June 1243, Kayḵosrow II, was badly routed by the Mongols. The Mongols were led by general Baiju Noyan appointed by Ögedei Khan, the third son of Ghengis Khan. Kayḵosrow II fled to Ankara with his treasury and harem. He died in AD 1245 leaving three young son's and heirs and no strong successor. Initially his 11 year old son took the throne as Kay Ka'us II.

Seljuks, Rum, 'Izz al-Din Kay Ka'us II, first sole reign, AH 643-647 / AD 1245-1249, Dirham, Qunya mint, AH 646 = AD, 1248/9

Seljuks, Rum, 'Izz al-Din Kay Ka'us II, first sole reign, AH 643-647 / AD 1245-1249, Dirham, Sivas, AH 646= 1248/1249

Obv: The Kalimat-aṭ-Ṭayyibah (Word of Purity) and date in ornamental Arabic script within dotted square; rosette between two stars above.

Rev: "Title of Kay Ka'us II" in ornamental Arabic script within dotted square; rosette between two stars above

Ref: Broome 321B

In 1248, his brother, Qilij Arslan IV, favoring submission to the Mongols, rose up against him. All of about 10 years old? he must have had some advisors and regents. And a year later the three brothers were ruling jointly.

Seljuks, Rum, Kay Ka'us II, Qilich Arslan IV & Kay Qubadh II (Joint rule, AH 647-655 / 1249-1257 AD), Dirham

Obv: “no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, the Imam al-Musta‘sim billah Commander of the Faithful”

Rev: “the Supreme Sultans, Glory of the World and the Faith Kayka’us and Pillar of the World and the Faith Qilij Arslan and Exalted of the World and the Faith Kayqubad ibn Kaykhusraw, Proofs of the Commander of the Faithful”

Ref: Album 1227; ICV 1349.

Size: 3.09g, 22.5mm

Seljuks Rum, Kay Ka'us II, Qilich Arslan IV & Kay Qubadh II (Joint rule, AH 647-655 / 1249-1257 AD), Dirham, Qunya, AH 650 = AD 1252/3

Ref: Broome 334 Av(iv)b. Izmirlier -

Size: 3.00g, 22mm

There are two coins from the end of the Seljuk era. First a coin of Kaykhusraw III, 1265-1283, AR dirham (2.95g), Madinat Lu'lu'a, date not visible, partial name of ruler.

Album notes that "Silver dirhams were generally carefully struck until the early years

of the reign of Kaykhusraw III, but later pieces were increasingly haphazardly struck. They were all struck to the standard of just under 3 grams (theoretically the classic 2.97g dirham) until 697."

Seljuq Sultanate of Rum, Ghiyas ad-Din Kaykhusraw III, 1265-1283, AR half dirham.

Obv: “al-mulk lillah” (‘sovereignty belongs to God’) within polylobe; around, mint and date Madinat Lu'lu'a 674.

Rev: name and titles of Kaykhusraw III: “al-sultan al-azam / ghiyath al-dunya wa al-din / abu al fath kay khusraw / ibn qilij arslan.” 22mm, 2.15g.

Ref: Album 1232; Mitchiner 1001.

And finally this coin from a son of Kaykaus II, Mas'ud or Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Mas'ūd bin Kaykāwūs, was a client king or vassal to Ilkanids at various times between 1284 and 1308 AD.

Mas‘ud II, 2nd reign, circa 701-708? / 1302-1308?, rival to Kayqubad III 699-701 / 1298-1300 (no coins), then as independent ruler circa 701-708 / 1302-1308.

Ref: Album 1236

Notes: Steven Album writes:

"In 699/700 the central and eastern portions of the Rum Seljuq kingdom were incorporated into the Ilkhanate, and local Seljuq coinage was suppressed except in those few far western districts where the Ilkhans exerted no influence. These far western regions were ruled by local beyliks who issued their coins in the name of the last Seljuqs."

After 1306 Mas'ud and the Seljuq Sultanate disappear from the historical record.

Addendum 9/2/2024:

This coin from Suleiman II, also known as Rukn ad-Din Suleiman Shah who was the Seljuk Sultan of Rûm between 1196 and 1204. He was the brother of Sultan Kaykhusraw I and took the throne from him in 1196. He was succeeded by his son Kilji Arslan III (1204-1205), before Kaykhusraw I took back the throne and rules 1205-1211. Kaykhusraw I was then succeeded by his eldest son Kaykaus I (1211–1220).

Kaukaus I was succeeded by his brother, Kayqubad I, who was the father of Kaykhusraw II (who issued the Lion and Sun coin of the original post.

Islamic, Seljuks, Rum, Rukn al-Din Sulayman II, AH 592-600 / AD 1196-1204, AE Dirham (32.5mm, 6.91g, 12 h), Qaysariya, AH 595 = AD 1198/9.

Obv: Facing horseman, nimbate, riding to right and holding three-forked scepter; behind six-pointed star.

Rev: Legend in Kufic in inner field and around

Ref: Broome 57B. Izmirlier 100.

Seljuq of Rum, Ala al-din Kayqubad I, 1219-1237 CE, AH 616-630, Siwas mint in AH 617, AR Dirhem  (2.77g, 22 mm), referencing  Abbasid Caliph Al-Nasir Li-Din Allah (in Baghdad 1180–1225 CE). (Drawing of the Rev. of the coin shown at the beginning of the post))