A Thunderbolt From Asia: a Byzantino-Anatolian Saga
"Our Emperor John looked grave and solemn upon hearing the accounts of the Turk. He was gracious and wise to give him and his compatriots lodgings, for they had traveled much and appeared to have endured yet more. The man, who was pale and wrung his hands in a nervous manner, told all of how a horde of horsemen from the bowels of Asia had utterly defeated and conquered a great portion of his Sultan's kingdom. Of how this horse-lord had forced his sire to retreat in a panic towards the coast. How even now, his countrymen brace in terror before the wrath of Asia."
- Account of Demetrios Vardopolous, court chronicler to John Vatatzes, of the account of refugees witnessing the Battle of Kose Dag
In this TL, I shall highlight - with a deferential nod to a reasonable degree of historical accuracy - how the Byzantines could have more vigorously responded to the collapse of Seljuk power in Asia in response to the Mongol invasion by Baiju in 1243.
I am an Hellenophile, but more than that I have an appreciation for Byzantium in general, that will be reflected in my writing. I am open to questions, comments and criticism. This TL will take a while to get going, and I plan to write in piecemeal.
A picture that displays, with a reasonable agree of relevance, the strategic situation of the Palaiologan Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk state on the eve of and during the Mongol invasions of Anatolia in our original time line.
To start: a brief timeline of relevant events (I may add some dramatization where necessary, to add flavor because of the poverty of my sources)
1205: Theodore Laskaris established himself in Nicaea in opposition to the Latin invaders in Constantinople - his state eventually encompassed what was left of Byzantine Asia Minor
1211: Under the pretext of aiding a former, deposed Byzantine Emperor, the Seljuk Sultan (the predecessor of he who was crushed at Kose Dag, interestingly enough) invaded Theodore's nascent state.
Theodore fought the Sultan in single combat and killed him with a wound through the heart. The Seljuks were routed, and the former Emperor himself was captured and forced to live the rest of his life a monastic exile.
This victory won Theodore's embattled state prestige and a boost of morale.
1212: The Emperor expanded his control east on the Black Sea coast, taking advantage of internal strife in the rival Byzantine successor state based at Trebizond.
1214-1220: The Byzantine state in Nicaea engaged in intermittent warfare with the Latin State of the City, neither side is able to make much headway.
1221: Emperor Theodore died, and is succeeded by his son John. He had to suppress internal opposition to his rule, the struggle ended after 3 years in spite in his opponents gaining support from the Latin usurpers in the City.
1225: Emperor John boldly invaded Thrace and siezed the ancient city of Hadrian (Adrianople). In response to this, the rival and overmighty Emperor Theodore, ruler of Epirus and even Thessaly, took Adrianople from John.He pushed John and his armies from Thrace. The Emperor John was greatly alarmed by this, and fortified Kallipolis on the Hellespont in preparation of a great invasion.
1230: Such events were not to pass, for Theodore, in his hubris provoked a Bulgarian horde and was crushed by their King on the fringe of northern Thrace. The 'Emperor' Theodore was thus captured, he was bandied about backwards on a mule, covered in dung and made a thing of amusement for the Bulgarian women and children-folk.
