The Battle of Nisa took place between the Seljuk Turks and the Ghaznavid Empire following the death of the former leader of the Seljuks, Israil.^[2]

In 1016 Chagri Beg, son of Israil, led an incursion into eastern Anatolia, he defeated Armenian forces near Lake Van.^[2] In 1020-1021 Israil seized Bukhara in cooperation with the Karakhanids.^[2] The Ghaznavids watched the Seljuks apprehensively. A meeting was held in Transoxiana in 1025 between the khagan of the Karakhanids and the sultan of the Ghaznavids.^[2] During this meeting it was decided that the Seljuks were to be rounded up and transferred away from Transoxiana and Turkestan before they caused any problems for the Ghaznavids.^[2] Israil was apparently lured to Samarkand where he was arrested and exiled to India where he died in 1032.^[2]

The death of Israil caused a sudden collapse of authority among the Seljuks, however Mikail, the brother of Israil, was able to reassert the Seljuks as a cohesive force and pose a challenge to the Ghaznavid state for control of Khorasan.^[2] On June 19, 1035, a 15,000 strong Ghaznavid force under the command of Hajib Begtughdi left for Nisa.^[3] The Seljukids shocked the Ghaznavids and inflicted a serious defeat against them at Nisa in 1035.^[2] In battle the Seljuks used the feigned flight tactic and managed to use a stimulated withdrawal to lure their enemy into a surprise attack.^[4]

Due to this serious defeat the Ghaznavids offered the Seljuk Turks three provinces in Khorasan, this was part of a treaty that included a grant of tribal autonomy within the Ghaznavid state.^[2] The Seljukids did not comply and continued to raid as far as Balkh and Sistan.^[2]