Charles V vs Malik Shah I

Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor, defeating Francis I of France through extensive bribery of the prince-electors. This election united the Habsburg lands in Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire under his rule.

Charles V presided over the Diet of Worms, where Martin Luther was summoned to recant his teachings. Luther refused, and Charles issued the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther an outlaw and banning his writings, escalating the Protestant Reformation.

Imperial forces under Charles V defeated and captured Francis I of France at Pavia in Italy. This victory secured Spanish dominance in Italy and forced Francis to sign the Treaty of Madrid, though he later repudiated it.

Mutinous imperial troops under Charles V sacked Rome, looting the city and besieging Pope Clement VII in Castel Sant'Angelo. This event shocked Europe and forced the Pope to align more closely with Charles, leading to the coronation of Charles as Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in 1530.

Charles V abdicated his thrones, dividing his empire between his son Philip II (Spain, Netherlands, Italy) and his brother Ferdinand I (Holy Roman Empire). This division reflected the administrative challenges of ruling a vast, multi-ethnic empire.

Malik Shah I's forces, commanded by his general Alp Arslan, defeated the Byzantine army at Manzikert in eastern Anatolia. Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes was captured, leading to a Byzantine civil war and opening Anatolia to Turkish settlement.

Under Malik Shah I and his vizier Nizam al-Mulk, the Seljuk Empire implemented a centralized administrative system. This included the establishment of the iqta' land-grant system, a standardized tax code, and the construction of caravanserais to promote trade.

Malik Shah I commissioned the expansion and renovation of the Great Mosque of Isfahan (Jameh Mosque). This project added four iwans and a large dome, transforming the mosque into a masterpiece of Persian-Islamic architecture and a model for later mosques.

Vizier Nizam al-Mulk was assassinated by a member of the Assassins (Nizari Ismailis) near Nahavand. His death removed a key stabilizing figure from the Seljuk court and contributed to the subsequent decline of the empire under Malik Shah's successors.

Malik Shah I died in Baghdad shortly after Nizam al-Mulk's assassination, possibly poisoned. His death triggered a succession crisis among his sons, leading to a period of civil war and fragmentation of the Seljuk Empire.