Nine Seljuk sultans rule Baghdad between 1118 and 1194; only one dies a natural death.

The atabegs, who initially had been majordomos for the Seljuks, begin to assert themselves.

Several found local dynasties.

An atabeg originates the Zengid Dynasty (1127-1222), with its seat at Mosul.

The Zengids are instrumental in encouraging Muslims to oppose the invasions of the Christian Crusaders.

Toghril (1177-94), the last Seljuk sultan of Iraq, is killed by the leader of a Turkish dynasty, the Khwarezm shahs, who live south of the Aral Sea.

Before his successor can establish Khwarezm rule in Iraq, however, Baghdad will be overrun by the Mongol horde.

A powerful Mongol leader named Temujin brings together a majority of the Mongol tribes in the early years of the thirteenth century and leads them on a devastating sweep through China.

He changes his name at about this time to Genghis Khan, meaning "World Conqueror."

He turns his force of seven hundred thousand west in 1219 and quickly devastates Bokhara, Samarkand, Balkh, Merv, and Neyshabur (in present-day Iran), where he slaughters every living thing.

Pillaging and burning cities along the way, Genghis Khan reaches western Azerbaijan in Iran
before his death in 1227.

Al-Mustarshid, son of the preceding Caliph, Al-Mustazhir, has achieved more independence as a ruler while the Seljuq sultan Mahmud II is engaged in war in the East.

In 1122, al-Mustarshid deposes and imprisons his vizier Amid al-dawla Jalal al-Din Hasan ibn Ali.

Mahmud II then imposes Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk as his vizier.

Dubai, general of the Banu Mazyad tribe, attempts in 1123 to take advantage of the momentary lack of power and, after plundering Bosra, …

…attacks Baghdad together with a young brother of the sultan.

He is, however crushed by a Seljuq army under Zengi and Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk.

During the same year, al-Mustarshid removes Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk as his vizier.

'Imad Ad-din Zengi Ibn Aq Sonqur, or Zengi, had fled to Mosul after his father, the governor of Aleppo, was killed in 1094.

In 1126, the Seljuq sultan Mahmud II appoints Zengi governor of Basra.

Al-Mustarshid had rebelled in 1125 against Seljuq rule.

He sends an army to take Wasit but is defeated near Baghdad and imprisoned in his palace in 1126.

Mahmud II rewards the loyal Zengi with the governorship of Mosul in 1127 following the failed rebellion of Caliph al-Mustarshid.

The key city of Aleppo submits to Zengi's authority to secure military protection against a possible Frankish crusader conquest.

Bohemond’s rule will be marked from 1128 by conflicts with Joscelin I of Edessa and skirmishes in the northern border.

Both Bohemond and Joscelin attack Aleppo individually, but refuse to cooperate in a larger siege against the city.

Roger of Salerno had given away territory to Joscelin, but Bohemond does not consider these donations legitimate as they had been made without his authority, even though he had been a minor at the time.

The dispute comes to open conflict between Antioch and Edessa, with Joscelin allying with the Muslims against Bohemond.

The Latin Patriarch of Antioch places an interdict over the County of Edessa.

Bohemond’s cousin Roger II invades and conquers Taranto in 1128, claiming it as the heir of William II of Apulia.

Bohemond, being away, can do nothing to prevent this.

This year, Baldwin II marches north to mediate in the dispute, and Joscelin abandons his claims.

Meanwhile, the atabeg Zengi consolidates his power over Aleppo and Mosul and the crusaders will never again have a chance to impose their authority over Aleppo.

Baldwin plans to attack Aleppo as well, but Antioch, which had passed to Bohemond II when he came of age in 1126, had begun to fight with Edessa and the plan fell through.

Aleppo and Mosul are united under the much stronger ruler Zengi in 1128, and Crusader control of northern Syria begins to dwindle.