Bloodless Executions in the Seljukid State Tradition: The Procedures and Principles of Choking With Bowstring and Drawing Iron Rod To Eyes

Abstract

In medieval sources, two popular liquidation methods are mentioned that were frequently applied by Turkish nations, especially in the context of sovereignty conflicts: Strangling with a bowstring and pulling a hot iron rod to the eyes. In the steppe law, the red lines regarding not shedding the blood of the dynasty members brought to the forefront alternative methods for dealing with the defeated opponent, and strangulation was used as a functional execution method because it achieved the goal without shedding blood. Although the strangling process is carried out with different tools and techniques, bows, one of the most important instruments of Turkish daily life, are the most frequently used tools for this purpose. Among the Turkish states, the Seljuks were one of the states that most frequently used the punishment of strangulation with a bowstring and carried this ancient steppe custom to distant areas of domination. However, after the Seljuks' interaction with Iran, Anatolia and the Islamic world, a different method of elimination began to become more popular and was frequently used in struggles for dominance. In this execution method, which is described in the sources as drawing an iron rod into the eyes, the aim was to heat a long stick called "mil" in the fire and hold it to the eyes from a certain distance, thus causing the victim to lose his ability to see. This article aims to examine the practices of strangulation with a bowstring and drawing a hot iron rod to the eyes, which are frequently mentioned as a type of bloodless execution in the sources, within the context of logic, method and technique within the framework of the Turkish steppe law and sovereignty concept using examples from the Seljuk period.