TÃÂj al-Dawla Alp ArslÃÂn ibn Riá¸ÂwÃÂn, nicknamed al-Akhras ('The Mute'), was the Seljuk sultan of Aleppo from 1113 until his death in 1114. According to Ibn al-Athër, he was not actually mute but had only a speech impediment and a stammer. He was the son of the Sultan Riá¸ÂwÃÂn by a daughter of YaÃÂñsñyan, governor of Antioch.
Alp ArslÃÂn was only sixteen years old when he succeeded his father as sultan of Aleppo on 10 December 1113. As a result, according to Ibn al-Athër, he "had only the semblance of authority as sultan, while" his Luþluþ al-Yaya "had the reality". After coming to power, he ordered the death of his full brother MalikshÃÂh and his paternal half-brother MubÃÂrakshah in imitation of his father, who had also ordered the death of his brothers upon coming to power. Historian Amin Maalouf wrote that Alp Arslan, in addition to his brothers, executed "several officers, a few servants, and in general anyone to whom he took a dislike".
While Luþluþ had control over the army, the ('local militia') remained loyal to Alp ArslÃÂn and under his control. At the suggestion of SÃÂÿid ibn Badëÿ, ('leader') of the , Alp ArslÃÂn persecuted the NizÃÂrë BÃÂá¹Âiniyya, executing their leader, Abà « ṬÃÂhir al-SÃÂþigh, and confiscating the properties of the rest. In this way he drove many NizÃÂrës over to the Christian Principality of Antioch. He later turned on Ibn Badëÿ, confiscating his property and exiling him to the ÿUqaylid emirate of Qalÿat Jaÿbar. He replaced him as of the by a foreigner, IbrÃÂhëm al-FurÃÂtë.
Because of his military weakness, Alp ArslÃÂn was forced to pay tribute to Antioch. In March 1114, Alp ArslÃÂn turned to Ṭughtegin of Damascus for protection against Antioch, against the NizÃÂrës and against his , Luþluþ. Ṭughtegin sent forces to Aleppo, but they found the official toleration of the Shia unacceptable and left before the end of the year. Roger of Salerno, regent of Antioch, forced the resumption of tribute. With Ṭughtegin's forces gone, the , in league with Shams al-KhawÃÂṣṣ YÃÂrà «qtÃÂsh, the lord of Rafanëya, whom Ṭughtegin had deposed, had the s murder Alp ArslÃÂn in the citadel. Luþluþ then placed Alp ArslÃÂn's six-year-old brother, Sulá¹ÂÃÂn ShÃÂh, on the throne. When Luþluþ died in 1117, princess ÃÂmina KhÃÂtà «n took control of the city.