Seljuk Empire

Seljuk Empire سلجوقیان
1037–1194
1090 GHAZNAVID EMPIRE KIPCHAKS PECHENEGS FATIMID CALIPHATE UYUNIDS GEORGIA BYZANTINE EMPIRE RUM YADAVAS KARAKHANID KHANATE ◁▷ Seljuk Empire circa 1090, during the reign ofMalik Shah I.To the west,Anatoliawas under the independent rule ofSuleiman ibn Qutalmishas theSultanate of Rum,and disputed with theByzantine Empire.To the east, theKara-Khanid Khanatebecame a vassal state in 1089, for half a century, before falling to theQara Khitai.
Status	Empire
Capital	Nishapur(1037–1043) Ray(1043–1051) Isfahan(1051–1118) Merv(1118–1153, eastern) Hamadan(1118–1194, western)
Common languages	Persian(official;lingua franca,court, erudition, and literature) Oghuz Turkic(dynastic and military) Arabic(theology, law, and science)
Religion	Sunni Islam(Hanafi)
Government	Vassal undercaliphate(de jure) Independentsultanate(de facto)
Caliph
• 1031–1075	Al-Qaʽim
• 1180–1225	Al-Nasir
Sultan
• 1037–1063	Tughril(first)
• 1174–1194	Tughril III(last)
History
• Formation under Tughril	1037
•Battle of Dandanaqan	1040
•Battle of Manzikert	1071
•First Crusade	1095–1099
•Battle of Qatwan	1141
• Supplantation by theKhwarazmian Empire	1194
Area
1080 est.	3,900,000 km2(1,500,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Oghuz Yabgu State Ghaznavids Buyid dynasty Byzantine Empire Kakuyids Fatimid Caliphate Kara-Khanid Khanate Marwanids Rawadids Sultanate of Rûm Anatolian beyliks Ghurid dynasty Khwarazmian Empire Atabegs of Azerbaijan Salghurids Bavandids Ayyubid dynasty Burid dynasty Zengid dynasty Danishmends Artuqid dynasty Shah-Armens Shaddadids Kerman Seljuk Sultanate Kingdom of Cyprus

TheSeljuk Empire,or theGreatSeljuk Empire,was ahigh medieval,culturallyTurco-Persian,Sunni Muslimempire, established and ruled by theQïnïqbranch ofOghuz Turks.The empire spanned a total area of 3.9 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles) fromAnatoliaand theLevantin the west to theHindu Kushin the east, and fromCentral Asiain the north to thePersian Gulfin the south, and it spanned the time period 1037–1308, though Seljuk rule beyond the Anatolian peninsula ended in 1194.

The Seljuk Empire was founded in 1037 byTughril(990–1063) and his brotherChaghri(989–1060), both of whom co-ruled over its territories; there are indications that the Seljuk leadership otherwise functioned as atriumvirateand thus includedMusa Yabghu,the uncle of the aforementioned two.

During the formative phase of the empire, the Seljuks first advanced from their original homelands near theAral SeaintoKhorasanand then into theIranian mainland,where they would become largely based as aPersianate society.They then moved west to conquerBaghdad,filling up the power vacuum that had been caused by struggles between the ArabAbbasid Caliphateand the IranianBuyid Empire.

The subsequent Seljuk expansion into eastern Anatolia triggered theByzantine–Seljuk wars,with theBattle of Manzikertin 1071 marking a decisive turning point in the conflict in favour of the Seljuks, undermining the authority of theByzantine Empirein the remaining parts of Anatolia and gradually enabling the region'sTurkification.

The Seljuk Empire united the fractured political landscape in the non-Arab eastern parts of theMuslim worldand played a key role in both theFirstandSecond Crusades;it also bore witness to in the creation and expansion of multiple artistic movements during this periodBy the 1140s, the Seljuk Empire began to decline in power and influence, and was eventually supplanted in the east by theKhwarazmian Empirein 1194 and theZengidsandAyyubidsin the west. The last surviving Seljuk sultanate to fall was theSultanate of Rum,which fell in 1308.

History

Founder of the dynasty

The founder of the dynasty was Seljuk, a warlord, who belonged to theQiniq tribeofOghuz Turks.He led his clan to the banks of theSyr Daryariver, near city ofJend,where they converted toIslamin 985.Khwarezm, administered by theMa'munids,was under the nominal control of theSamanid Empire.By 999, the Samanids had fallen to theKara-Khanid KhanateinTransoxiana,while theGhaznavidsoccupied the lands south of theAmu Darya.The Seljuks supported the last Samanid emir against the Kara-Khanids before establishing an independent base.

Expansion of the empire

Tughril and Chaghri

Main article:Tughril

TheToghrol Towerin the city ofRayin Iran, which serves as the tomb of the first Seljuk rulerTughril I

Oghuz Turks (also known as Turkmens at the time), led by Seljuk's son, Musa and his two nephews,Tughriland Chaghri, were one of several groups of the Oghuz who made their way toIranbetween about 1020 and 1040, first moving south toTransoxiana,and then toKhorasan,initially at the invitation of the local rulers, then under alliances and conflicts. Contemporary sources mention places such asDahistan,FarawaandNasa,as well asSarakhs,all in present-day Turkmenistan.

Around 1034, Tughril and Chaghri were soundly defeated by theOghuz YabghuAli Tegin and his allies, forcing them to escape fromTransoxiana.Initially, the Seljuks took refuge inKhwarazm,which served as one of their traditional pastures, but they were also encouraged by the localGhaznavidgovernor, Harun, who hoped to utilise Seljuks for his efforts to seize Khorasan from his sovereign. When Harun was assassinated by Ghaznavid agents in 1035, they again had to flee, this time heading south across theKarakum Desert.First, they made their way to the important city of Merv, but perhaps due to its strong fortification, they changed their route westwards to take refuge in Nasa. Finally, the Seljuks arrived on the edges ofKhorasan,the province considered a jewel in the Ghaznavid crown.

After moving into Khorasan, Seljuks underTughrilwrested an empire from theGhaznavids.Initially the Seljuks were repulsed byMahmudand retired toKhwarezm,but Tughril and Chaghri led them to captureMervandNishapur(1037–1038).Later they repeatedly raided and traded territory with Mahmud's successor, Mas'ud, acrossKhorasanandBalkh.

In 1040, at theBattle of Dandanaqan,Seljuks decisively defeatedMas'ud I of Ghazni,forcing him to abandon most of his western territories.Afterwards, Turkmens employed Khorasanians and set up a Persian bureaucracy to administer their new polity with Tughril as its nominal overlord.By 1046,Abbasidcaliphal-Qa'imhad sent Tughril a diploma recognizing Seljuk rule overKhurasan.In 1048–1049, the Seljuk Turks, commanded byIbrahim Yinal,uterine brother of Tughril, made their first incursion into the Byzantine frontier region ofIberiaand clashed with a combined Byzantine-Georgian army of 50,000 at theBattle of Kapetrouon 10 September 1048. The devastation left behind by the Seljuk raid was so fearful that the Byzantine magnate Eustathios Boilas described, in 1051–1052, those lands as "foul and unmanageable... inhabited by snakes, scorpions, and wild beasts." The Arab chroniclerIbn al-Athirreports that Ibrahim brought back 100,000 captives and a vast booty loaded on the backs of ten thousand camels.

In 1055, Tughril entered Baghdad and removed the influence of theBuyid dynasty,under a commission from the Abbasid caliph.Iraq would remain under the control of the Seljuk Turks until 1135.

Alp Arslan

Main articles:Alp ArslanandGreat Turkish Invasion

15th-century French miniature depicting the combatants of theBattle of Manzikertin contemporary Western European armour

Alp Arslan, the son of Chaghri Beg, expanded significantly upon Tughril's holdings by adding Armenia and Georgia in 1064 and invading the Byzantine Empire in 1068, from which he annexed almost all of Anatolia. Arslan's decisive victory at theBattle of Manzikertin 1071 effectively neutralized the Byzantine resistance to the Turkish invasion of Anatolia,although the Georgians were able to recover from Alp Arslan's invasion by securing thetheme of Iberia.The Byzantine withdrawal from Anatolia brought Georgia in more direct contact with the Seljuks. In 1073 the Seljuk Amirs of Ganja, Dvin and Dmanisiinvaded Georgia and were defeatedbyGeorge II of Georgia,who successfully took the fortress ofKars.A retaliatory strike by the Seljuk Amir Ahmad defeated the Georgians atKvelistsikhe.

Alp Arslan authorized hisTurkomangenerals to carve their own principalities out of formerly Byzantine Anatolia, asatabegsloyal to him. Within two years the Turkmens had established control as far as theAegean Seaunder numerousbeyliks:theSaltukidsin Northeastern Anatolia, theShah-Armensand theMengujekidsin Eastern Anatolia,Artuqidsin Southeastern Anatolia,Danishmendisin Central Anatolia,Rum Seljuks(Beylik ofSuleyman,which later moved to Central Anatolia) in Western Anatolia, and the Beylik ofTzachas of Smyrnainİzmir(Smyrna).

Malik Shah I

Main article:Malik Shah I

UnderAlp Arslan's successor,Malik Shah,and his two Persianviziers,Nizām al-Mulkand Tāj al-Mulk, the Seljuk state expanded in various directions, to the former Iranian border of the days before the Arab invasion, so that it soon borderedChinain the east and theByzantinesin the west. Malik Shah's brotherTutushdefended Seljuk' interests in Syria in thebattle of Ain SalmagainstSuleiman ibn Qutalmishwho had started to carve out an independent state in Anatolia. Nevertheless, despite various attempts to bring afterwards the various Turkish warlords in Anatolia under control, they largerly maintained their independence.Malikshāh was the one who moved the capital fromRaytoIsfahan.The Iqta military system and theNizāmīyyah Universityat Baghdad were established by Nizām al-Mulk, and the reign of Malikshāh was reckoned the golden age of "Great Seljuk". The Abbasid caliph titled him "The Sultan of the East and West" in 1087.

Internally, the most prominent development of Malik Shah's rule was the continuous increase in the power of the Nizām al-Mulk. Some contemporary chroniclers refer to the period as "al-dawla al-Nizamiyya", the Nizam's state, while modern scholars have mentioned him as "the real ruler of the Seljuq empire". The 14-century biographer Subki claimed that Nizām al-Mulk's vizierate was "not just a vizierate, it was above the sultanate".TheAssassins(Hashshashin) ofHassan-i Sabāhstarted to become a force during his era, however, and they assassinated many leading figures in his administration; according to many sources these victims included Nizām al-Mulk.

Ahmad Sanjar

Main article:Ahmad Sanjar

Ahmad Sanjarseated on his throne, from the 14th-centuryJami' al-Tawarikh

Ahmad was the son ofMalik Shah Iand initially took part in wars of succession against his three brothers and a nephew:Mahmud I,Barkiyaruq,Malik Shah IIandMuhammad I Tapar.In 1096, he was tasked to govern the province ofKhorasanby his brother Muhammad I.Over the next several years, Ahmad Sanjar became the ruler of most ofIran(Persia), and eventually in 1118, the sole ruler of the Great Seljuk Empire, but with a subordinate Sultan in Iraq in the person ofMahmud II.

In 1141, Ahmad marched to eliminate the threat posed byKara Khitansand faced them in the vicinity ofSamarkandat theBattle of Qatwan.He suffered his first defeat in his long career, and as a result lost all Seljuk territory east of theSyr Darya.

Sanjar's as well as the Seljuks' rule collapsed as a consequence of yet another unexpected defeat, this time at the hands of the Seljuks' own tribe, in 1153.Sanjar was captured during the battle and held in captivity until 1156.It brought chaos to the Empire – a situation later exploited by the victorious Turkmens, whose hordes would overrun Khorasan unopposed, wreaking colossal damage on the province and prestige of Sanjar.Sanjar eventually escaped from captivity in the fall of 1156, but soon died inMervin 1157. After his death, Turkic rulers, Turkmen tribal forces, and other secondary powers competed for Khorasan. In 1181,Sultan Shah,a pretendent to the Khwarezmian throne, managed to take control of Khorasan, until 1192 when he was defeated nearMervby theGhurids,who captured his territories.The Ghurids then took control of all Khorasan following the death of his successorTekishin 1200, as far asBesṭāmin the ancient region of Qūmes.The province was finally conquered byKhwarazmiansafter the Ghurid defeat at theBattle of Andkhud(1204).

TheTomb of Ahmed Sanjarwas destroyed by theMongolsled byTolui,who sacked the city of Merv in 1221, killing 700,000 people according to contemporary sourcesduring their catastrophic invasion of Khwarazm;however, modern scholarship holds such figures to be exaggerated.

Division of empire

See also:Sultanate of Rum

1100

KARAKHANID
KHANATE

KIEVAN
RUS'

Cumans

Pechenegs

Kyrgyzs

FATIMID
CALIPHATE

GEORGIA

XI XIA

Jurchen

Kimeks

KHITAN EMPIRE

QOCHO

GHAZNAVID
EMPIRE

CHOLA
EMPIRE

WESTERN
CHALUKYAS

PAGAN

DALI

KHMER

MALAYU

PALA
EMPIRE

SELJUK
EMPIRE

SONG
DYNASTY

SULTANATE
OF RUM

GO-
RYEO

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The Seljuk Empire and the Sultanate of Rum, with contemporary Asian polities circa 1100.

When Malikshāh I died in 1092, the empire split as his brother and four sons quarrelled over the apportioning of the empire among themselves. At the same time, the son ofSuleiman ibn Qutalmish,Kilij Arslan I,escaped Malikshāh's imprisonment and claimed authority in theformer lands of his father.InPersia,Malikshāh's four year old sonMahmud Iwas proclaimed sultan but his reign was contested by his three brothersBarkiyaruqinIraq,Muhammad I inBaghdad,andAhmad SanjarinKhorasan.Additionally, Malikshāh's brotherTutush Imade a claim to the throne but was killed in battle againstBarkiyaruqin February 1096.Upon his death, his sonsRadwanandDu QAQinheritedAleppoandDamascusrespectively and contested with each other as well, further dividing Syria amongst emirs antagonistic towards each other.

In 1118, the third sonAhmad Sanjartook over the empire. His nephew, the son of Muhammad I, did not recognize his claim to the throne, andMahmud IIproclaimed himself Sultan and established a capital in Baghdad, until 1131 when he was finally officially deposed by Ahmad Sanjar.

Elsewhere in nominal Seljuk territory were theArtuqidsin northeastern Syria and northernMesopotamia;they controlledJerusalemuntil 1098. TheDānišmanddynasty founded a state in eastern Anatolia and northern Syria and contested land with theSultanate of Rum,andKerboghaexercised independence as theatabegofMosul.

First Crusade (1095–1099)

Sultan Barkiaruq,the Seljuk ruler during the First Crusade, from thec. 1425Persian manuscriptofHafiz-i Abru'sMajma' al-Tawarikh,Yale University Art Gallery

Main articles:First CrusadeandGeorgian–Seljuk wars

During theFirst Crusade,the fractured states of the Seljuks were generally more concerned with consolidating their own territories and gaining control of their neighbours than with cooperating against thecrusaders.The Seljuks easily defeated thePeople's Crusadearriving in 1096, but they could not stop the progress of the army of the subsequentPrinces' Crusade(First Crusade), which took important cities such asNicaea(İznik),Iconium (Konya),Caesarea Mazaca(Kayseri), andAntioch(Antakya) on its march toJerusalem(Al-Quds). In 1099 the crusaders finally captured theHoly Landand set up the firstCrusader states.The Seljuks had already lost Jerusalem to theFatimids,who had recaptured it in 1098 just before its capture by the crusaders.

After pillaging theCounty of Edessa,Seljuk commanderIlghazimade peace with the Crusaders. In 1121 he went north towards Georgia and with supposedly up to 250,000 – 350,000 troops, including men led by his son-in-law Sadaqah and Sultan Malik ofGanja,he invaded theKingdom of Georgia.David IV of Georgiagathered 40,000 Georgian warriors, including 5,000monaspaguards, 15,000Kipchaks,300 Alans and 100 French Crusaders to fight againstIlghazi's vast army. At theBattle of Didgorion August 12, 1121, the Seljuks were routed, being run down by pursuing Georgian cavalry for several days afterward. The battle helped the Crusader states, which had been under pressure from Ilghazi's armies. The weakening of the main enemy of the Latin principalities also benefitted the Kingdom of Jerusalem under KingBaldwin II.

Second Crusade (1147–1149)

See also:Second Crusade,Zengid dynasty,andNur ad-Din (died 1174)

During this time conflict with theCrusader stateswas also intermittent, and after the First Crusade increasingly independent atabegs would frequently ally with the Crusader states against other atabegs as they vied with each other for territory. At Mosul,ZengisucceededKerboghaas atabeg and successfully began the process of consolidating the atabegs of Syria. In 1144 Zengi capturedEdessa,as theCounty of Edessahad allied itself with theArtuqidsagainst him. This event triggered the launch of the Second Crusade.Nur ad-Din,one of Zengi's sons who succeeded him as atabeg ofAleppo,created an alliance in the region to oppose the Second Crusade, which landed in 1147.

Decline of The Seljuk Empire

Map depicting military actions during theBattle of Qatwan,1141

Ahmad Sanjarfought to contain the revolts by theKara-KhanidsinTransoxiana,GhuridsinAfghanistanandQarluksin modernKyrghyzstan,as well as the nomadic invasion of theKara-Khitaisin the east. The advancing Kara-Khitais first defeated the Eastern Kara-Khanids, then followed up by crushing the Western Kara-Khanids, who were vassals of the Seljuks atKhujand.The Kara-Khanids turned to their Seljuk overlords for assistance, to which Sanjar responded by personally leading an army against the Kara-Khitai. However, Sanjar's army was decisively defeated by the host ofYelu Dashiat theBattle of Qatwanon September 9, 1141. While Sanjar managed to escape with his life, many of his close kin including his wife were taken captive in the battle's aftermath. As a result of Sanjar's failure to deal with the encroaching threat from the east, the Seljuk Empire lost all its eastern provinces up to the riverSyr Darya,and vassalage of the Western Kara-Khanids was usurped by the Kara-Khitai, otherwise known as the Western Liao in Chinese historiography.

Conquest by Khwarezm and the Ayyubids

See also:Saladin,Ayyubids,andKhwarezmid Empire

Seljuk warrior figurine (12th century),and Turkoman soldiers from theBook of Antidotes of Pseudo-Gallen.Probably northern Iraq (Mosul). Mid 13th century.

In 1153, the Oghuz Turks rebelled and captured Sanjar. He managed to escape after three years but died a year later. The Atabegs, such as theZengidsandArtuqids,were only nominally under the Seljuk Sultan, and generally controlled Syria independently. When Sanjar died in 1157, the empire fractured even further and rendered the Atabegs effectively independent.

The breakaway states and dynasties included:

• Kerman Seljuk Sultanate
• Sultanate of Rum(or Anatolian Seljuks). Capital:Iznik(Nicaea), laterKonya(Iconium)

Map of the territory directly held by the Seljuks in 1180 CE.

After the Second Crusade, Nur ad-Din's generalShirkuh,who had established himself inEgyptonFatimidland, was succeeded bySaladin.In time, Saladin rebelled againstNur ad-Din;upon his death, Saladin married his widow, captured most of Syria and created theAyyubiddynasty.

On other fronts, theKingdom of Georgiabegan to become a regional power and extended its borders at the expense of the Great Seljuk Empire. The same was true during the revival of theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia,underLeo II of Armenia,in Anatolia. The Abbasid caliphAn-Nasiralso began to reassert the authority of the caliph and allied himself with the KhwarezmshahTakash.

For a brief period,Toghrul IIIwas the Sultan of all Seljuk lands except for Anatolia. He spent his reign conquering cities, destroying the citadel ofRayin the process, but was unable to hold any cities long enough to rebuild them.Toghrul III, however, was defeated byAla al-Din Tekish,Shah ofKhwarazmian Empire,and the Seljuk Empire finally collapsed in 1194. Of the former Empire, only theSultanate of Rumin Anatolia remained.

The Khwarazmian Empire took over as the dominant power in the region, but theMongol invasionin 1219–1220 soon destroyed it.

The Sultanate of Rum, the last remnants of the Seljuks in Anatolia, ended too with theMongol invasions of Anatoliathrough the 1260s, and was divided into smallemiratescalled 'beyliks'. One of these, theOttomans,would eventually rise to power and conquer the rest.

Governance

Seljuk Dinar (gold), 12th century

Further information:Divan § Seljuks

Seljuk power was indeed at its zenith under Malikshāh I, and both theQarakhanidsandGhaznavidshad to acknowledge the overlordship of the Seljuks.Seljuk dominion was established over the ancientSasaniandomains, inIranandIraq,and includedAnatolia,Syria,as well as parts ofCentral Asiaand modernAfghanistan.Their rule was modelled after the tribal organization common among Turkic and Mongol nomadic cultures, resembling a 'family federation' or 'appanagestate'.Under this organization, the leading member of the paramount family assigned to family members portions of his domains as autonomous appanages.

Capital cities

Ruins of ancientMarv,one of the capitals of the Great Seljuk Empire

Seljuks exercised full control overIslamicCentral Asiaand theMiddle Eastbetween 1040 and 1157. For most of its history, the empire was split into a western and eastern half and did not have a single capital or political center. In the east, the chief seat of Seljuk rule wasMarvin present-dayTurkmenistan.In the west, various cities, where the Seljuk rulers lived periodically, served as capitals:Rayy,Isfahan,Baghdad,and, later,Hamadan.These western lands were known as the Sultanate of Iraq.After 1118, the Seljuk rulers of Iraq recognized the suzerainty of the Seljuk sultanSanjar,who mostly ruled from Marv, and was known by the title of al-sultān al-a'zam, 'the Greatest Sultan'. The Seljuk rulers of Iraq were often mentioned as the 'Lesser Seljuks'.

Culture and language

Much of the ideological character of the Seljuk Empire was derived from the earlier Samanid and Ghaznavid kingdoms, which had in turn emerged from the Perso-Islamic imperial system of the Abbasid caliphate.This Perso-Islamic tradition was based on pre-Islamic Iranian ideas of kingship molded into an Islamic framework. Little of the public symbolism used by the Seljuks was Turkic, namely thetughra.The populace of the Seljuk Empire would have considered this Perso-Islamic tradition more significant than that of steppe customs.

Mina'ibowl signed byAbu Zayd al-Kashani,dated 1187 CE, Iran

HighlyPersianizedin cultureand language,the Seljuks also played an important role in the development of theTurko-Persian tradition,even exporting Persian culture to Anatolia.Under the Seljuks, Persian was also used for books lecturing about politics in theMirrors for princesgenre, such as the prominentSiyasatnama(Book of Politics) composed byNizam al-Mulk.During this period, these type of books consciously made use of Islamic and Iranian traditions, such as an ideal government based on the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his successors, or theSasanianKing of KingsKhosrow I(r. 531–579).

Head with a beaded headdress, 12th–early 13th century, Seljuk periodIran.

In most of their coins, the Seljuk sultans used the Sasanian title ofshahanshah(King of Kings), and even used the old Buyid title of "Shahanshah of Islam."The title ofmalikwas used by lesser princes of the Seljuk family.Like the caliphate, the Seljuks relied on a refined Persian bureaucracy.The settlement of Turkic tribes in the northwestern peripheral parts of the empire, for the strategic military purpose of fending off invasions from neighboring states, led to the progressiveTurkicizationof those areas.According to the 12th-century poetNizami Aruzi,all of the Seljuk sultans had a liking for poetry, which is also demonstrated by the large compilation of Persian verses written under their patronage. This had already started under Tughril, who was praised in Arabic and Persian by poets such asFakhruddin As'ad Gurganiand Bakharzi, albeit he could not understand the verses. The last Seljuk sultan Tughril III was well known for his Persian poetry.TheSaljuq-namaofZahir al-Din Nishapuri,which was most likely dedicated to Tughril III, indicates that the Seljuk family now used Persian to communicate, and even were taught about the achievements of their forefathers in that language.

Tughril relied on his vizier to translate fromArabicand Persian into Turkic for him,and Oghuz songs were sung at the wedding of Tughril to the caliph's daughter. Later sultans, likeMahmud,could speak Arabic alongside Persian, however, they still used Turkic among themselves. The most significant evidence of the importance of Turkic language is the extensive Turkic–Arabic dictionary, or theDīwān Lughāt al-Turk,assembled inBaghdadforCaliph al-MuqtadibyMahmud al-Kashgari.However, besides the Diwan, no works written in Turkic language survive from the Seljuk Empire. While theMaliknamawas compiled from Turkic oral accounts, it was written in Persian and Arabic languages.

Steppe traditions influenced Seljuk marriages,with Tughril marrying his brotherChaghri's widow, a practice despised inIslam.Seljuk ceremonies were based on the Abbasid model, but sometimes ancient Iranian ceremonies were observed. During a night in 1091, all of Baghdad was lit with candles under the orders of Malik-Shah I, which resembled theZoroastrianritual ofsadhak.

Religion

See also:Sunni Revival

Panel of al-Khatun (the lady) Fatima bint Zahir al-Din, 11th–12th century, Iran.

North dome in theFriday mosque of Isfahan,Iran, added in 1088–89 by Seljuk vizierTaj al-Mulk

In 985, the Seljuks migrated to the city of Jend where they converted to Islam.The arrival of the Seljuk Turks into Persia, and their patronage of constructing madrasas, allowed for Sunni Islam to become the dominant sect of Islam.Until the death of Sultan Sanjar, the Seljuks were pious Sunnis, and represented a re-establishment of Sunni Islam in Iraq and western Persia since the 10th century.

In 1046,Tughrilbuilt the madrasa, al-Sultaniya in Nishapur,whileChaghri Begfounded a madrasa in Merv.Tughril and Alp Arslan chose Hanafiqadisand preachers for these madrasas. By 1063, there were twenty-five madrasas scattered throughout Persia and Khorasan,founded by Seljuk princes.In the 12th century there were over thirty madrasas in Baghdad.

In 1056, Tughril built a Friday mosque with a newly constructed quarter in Baghdad which was surrounded by a wall.The new quarter separated the Shia community from the Sunnis, since there had been frequent outbreaks of violence.Through the influence of Tughril's vizier, al-Kunduri, a Hanafi Sunni,the Ash'ari and Ismaili Shi'ites were exiled from Khurasan and cursed at Friday sermons in Seljuk mosques.Al-Kunduri's vizierate persecuted Ash'aris and Sharifis, although this ended with the vizierate of Nizam al-Mulk.It was under the vizierate of al-Kunduri that the Islamic scholar,Al-Juwayniwas forced to flee to Mecca and Medina.In 1065, Alp Arslan campaigned against theKingdom of Georgia,subjugatedTbilisi,and built a mosque in the city.

In 1092, Malik-shah built the Jami al-Sultan Mosque inBaghdad.At the capital, Isfahan, Malik-shah had constructed a madrasa, a citadel and a castle near Dizkuh.Following Malik-Shah's death, the familial civil war drew attention away from religious patronage, slowing the building of madrasas and mosques.Although, in 1130, the Seljuk sultan Sanjar ordered the construction of the Quthamiyya madrasa in Samarkand.

While the Seljuk sultans were prodigious builders of religious buildings, Seljuk viziers were no different. The Seljuk vizier, Nazim al-Mulk, founded the first madrasa in Baghdad, in 1063, called theNizamiya.In the madrasas he built, he patronized Shafi'is.The vizierTaj al-Mulkand Malik-shah's widow, Terken Khatun, patronized the building of a madrasa to compete with Nazim'sNizamiya.

Control over the Abassids in Iraq (1055–1135)

The region of Iraq was under the control of the Seljuk Empire from 1055 to 1135, since the Oghuz TurkTughril Beghad expelled theShiiteBuyid dynasty.Tughril Beg entered Baghdad in 1055 and was the first Seljuk ruler to style himself Sultan and Protector of the Abbasid Caliphate.From that time, the Abassids were only "puppets" in the hands of the Seljuks.In 1058, the Abassid Caliph granted to Tughril the title of "King of East and West", officially becoming the temporal protector of Abassid CaliphQa'im.Iraq remained under the control of the Great Seljuks during the reign ofMuhammad I Tapar(1082–1118 CE), but from 1119, his 14 years old sonMahmud II(1118–1131) was restricted to the only rule of Iraq, whileSanjartook control of the rest of the Empire.

In order to counter the ambitions of Abbasid Caliphal-Mustarshid(1118–1135), who wanted to acquire world dominance, in 1124 Mahmūd granted the city ofWasittoImad al-Din Zengias anıqta,and conferred him the Military Governorship ofBasratogether with Baghdad and the whole of Iraq in 1126. In 1127, Imad al-Din Zengi was named Governor of Mosul, where theAtabegdom of Mosulwas formed.The Seljuk control of the Abassids ended in 1135, with direct military confrontation between the Abassids and the Seljuks: after rebuilding the walls of Baghdad and recreating a Caliphal after many centuries,Al-Mustarshidconfronted the subordinate Seljuk Sultan of IraqMas'udin battle. The caliph lost and was taken prisoner, and died in captivity in 1135, but conflicts continued with Al-Mustarshid's successors.Mas'ud briefly recaptured Baghdad in theSiege of Baghdad (1136),forcing CaliphAl-Rashid Billahto abdicate, but the next CaliphAl-Muqtafi(1136–1160) managed to restore a high degree of independence and successfully resisted the SeljukSiege of Baghdad (1157).

Military

General overview

Princely figures related to the Seljuk sultan or one of his local vassals or successors, Seljuk period, Iran, late 12th–13th century

The army of the earliest Seljuks was not similar to the renowned Turkic military of the classical'Abbasidera. Their first invasions were more of a great nomadic migration accompanied by their families and livestock rather than planned military conquests. They were not a professional army; however, warfare was a way of life for nearly all of adult male Turkmens.

According to a Seljukvizier,Nizam al-Mulk,by the reign ofMalik-Shah I,the sovereign had a large army at his disposal. There wereTurkmens,mamluks,a standing army, infantry and the sultan's personal guard. Nizam al-Mulk also estimated Malik-Shah's forces at 400,000 men, and often opposed cost-cutting plans (instituted byTaj al-Mulk) to bring these to 70,000.

Turkmens

Vizier Nizam al-Mulk, the greatest advocate of Iranian orientation for the Seljuk empire, admitted the debt dynasty owed to the Turkmens. After the establishment of the Seljuk state, Turkmens continued to be the driving force behind the Seljuk expansion inAnatolia.After the rule of Malik-Shah I, however, there are very few mentions of Turkmens in theJibaliregion of the state, especially in their traditional axis ofRayy,HamadhanandHulwan.

Turkmens were difficult to manage, and they were susceptible to undisciplined pillaging. The greatest issue, however, was their dependence on pasturelands for their livestock. A great number of regions that constituted the Seljuk state were ecologically ill-suited for supporting a nomadic army. Turkmens' limitations are adeptly described by Arab scholarSibt ibn al-Jawzi:

Saltuk II(1132–1168), a Seljuk ruler in Anatolia, on horseback firing arrows.

The sultan (Tughril I) ordered his soldiers to prepare [themselves] and to send to bring their tents, children and families to Iraq and to head toSyriawith him. They said, "This land is ruined, there is neither food nor fodder here and we have no funds left. We cannot stay [indefinitely] on the backs of horses. What if our families, horses and beasts come, but our absence becomes drawn out? We must visit our families, so we are asking for permission to return to them and to go back to the place which is assigned to us."

Long campaigns had to be discontinued due to Turkmens' insistence on returning home, and conquests had to be scheduled to satisfy the demands of Turkmens. The short-term needs of Turkmens made a longer term military plans unachievable.

Mamluks

The alternative to nomadic Turkmen troops wasmamluks.While also of Turkic and often nomadic origin, dependence on pasturelands was non-existent for mamluks as they did not live a nomadic life. Previously, mamluks had constituted the later'Abbasid,theSamanidand theGhaznavidarmies. In fact, the Ghaznavid dynasty was itself of mamluk origin.

The process of mamluk recruitment are well known from other periods inIslamic history,but there is almost no information directly relating to the Seljuks. The chief source of mamluks was most probably forays to the steppe. The alternative to raids was buying them from slave traders and various dealers as evidenced from a slave dispute between a merchant andMuhammad I Tapar.

Military of successor states

Many depictions of military figures are known from the period immediately following the Seljuk Empire (which ended in 1194), as illustrated manuscripts started to enjoy a major boom from circa 1200.Seljuk styles of military equipment continued during the 13th century in the Turkic post-Seljuk successor states (generally included under the term "Seljuk period" ), such as theSeljuk Rums,theZengids,theArtuqidsor theKhwarizmians,and are documented in their manuscripts.

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  Battle scene, inVarka and Golshah,mid-13th centurySeljuk Anatolia
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  Turkicamirwith guards inMaqamat al-Hariri,wearing thesharbushheadgear, the three-quarters length robe, and boots, atRayy,Iran, 1227.
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  Horsemen duel inVarka and Golshah,mid-13th century Seljuk Anatolia

Architecture

Main article:Great Seljuk architecture

Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar(1152) inMerv,Turkmenistan

Mosquesandmadrasaswere created and embellished during the period of Seljuk control. Congregational mosques were either repaired, re-built, or constructed in their entirety. The Seljuk sultan also commissioned numerous madrasas to promote the teaching of orthodox Islamic sciences.These developments in architectural practice are coherent with the Seljuk dynasty's focus on Islam and the promotion of Muslim orthodoxy, the combining ofSufismandSunnism. Overall, the architecture attributed to the Seljuk period is characterized by elaborate decoration, much like the other arts produced under Seljuk rule.Decoration was primarily executed in elaborate brickwork and in the use of colorful glazed tiles.The most important innovations of this period occurred in the form of mosques, as first seen in the renovations of theFriday mosque of Isfahan.One was the introduction of thefour-iwan plan.This was attested in some earlier buildings, but under the Seljuks it turned into a common characteristic of mosques, madrasas, and caravanserais in Iran and Central Asia, eventually influencing architecture in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia as well.Another major innovation was the creation of monumental domes over the space in front of themihrab(or themaqsura), which also became characteristic of later mosques in this region and beyond.

Muqarnasin aniwanof the Friday mosque of Isfahan (early 12th century)

Another architectural form that flourished during the Seljuk period was themuqarnas,a form of three-dimensional geometric decoration.Some interpretations maintain that the earliest known examples of muqarnas were constructed during the period of Seljuk hegemony, though it also remains possible that they were being developed at the same time inNorth Africa.The layering of multiple embellished cells with divergent profiles in muqarnas creates a dome that has a seemingly-insubstantial interior.The play of light on the surface enhances this visual effect.Art historianOleg Grabarargues that the effect of muqarnas domes embodies Qur'anic water symbolism.Examples of muqarnas also appear in the niches ofmosquesbuilt during the Seljuk empire.

Arts

See also:Central Asian art

Various art forms were popularized during the Seljuk period, as evidenced by the vast amount of surviving artifacts.Most Seljuk arts are known to have been produced in what is modern-day Iran.However, the Seljuk sultans also encouraged artists to settle in Anatolia as part of a recolonization and reconstruction process of several cities.Many works of Seljuk art continued to be produced following the decline of the empire in the late 12th century.In this regard, the timeline associated with the production of Seljuk art does not entirely match the political events pertaining to the empire and its eventual fall.Nonetheless, relatively little art can be correctly dated and ascribed to a Great Seljuk context. Much of the material deemed to be Seljuk in world museums in fact belongs to the period A.D. 1150–1250, after the fall of the Great Seljuk Empire, when there seems to have been a sudden burst in artistic production, apparently to a great extent unrelated to court patronage.

Ceramics

Main articles:Mina'i wareandLusterware

AMina'ibowl, dated 1187 CE (Muharram583A.H.), a few years before the end of the Seljuk Empire in 1194. Scene of poetic recitation, with poetic verses inscribed on the rim: "If the beloved leaves me, what am I to do? If s/he does not see the wisdom of our union, what am I to do?".Kashan,Iran. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art.)

Among other ceramics, the manufacture of polychrome ceramic tiles, often used as decor in architecture, were popularized during the Seljuk dynasty.The Seljuks pioneered the use of theMina'itechnique, a painted and enameled polychrome overglaze for ceramics.The glazes on the Seljuk ceramics produced often ranged from a brilliant turquoise to a very dark blue.The art of Seljuk mosaic tile decorating would continue to dominate the interior of many Anatolian mosques following the period of Seljuk rule.The Seljuks also created ceramic house models, while other ceramic forms in the Seljuk period included pottery figurines, some of them children's toys.

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  Bowl withMajlisscene by a pond, byAbu Zayd,Iran, dated 1186, MMA.
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  Lustrewaregreat basin signed by Abu Zayd al-Kashani in 1191, Kashan, Iran.
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  Bowl with enthroned figure and horsemen (Late 12th, early 13th centuries, Iran).

Book arts

Pages from a Seven-part Quran, Iran, late 11th cen. Khalili Collection

Both secular and non-secularmanuscriptswere produced during the Seljuk period.These pieces are now limited in availability, considering their ultimate susceptibility to damage overtime.But those manuscripts that have survived over the centuries provide insight into the Seljuk's involvement in the arts of the book.Calligraphersand illuminators were responsible for the creation of these manuscripts, though sometimes calligraphers mastered the art of both writing and illustration.By the end of the 10th century, both illuminators and calligraphers were beginning to employ various colors, styles, and writing techniques in the realm of the book arts.

TheQur'an's produced during the period of Seljuk rule evidence developments in calligraphy and other changes in how the holy text was divided.Uniquely, calligraphers during this period frequently combined several scripts on one page of the Qur'an, such asKuficand New Style.In addition to these changes in the text, the dawn of the Seljuk empire coincided with a newfound increase in the popularity of paper as a replacement forparchmentin the Islamic world.The use of durable paper increased the production of compact, single-volume Qur'an's, whereas parchment codexes often contained multiple volumes of Qur'anic text.Despite this development, parchment would remain popular for the production of some Qur'an's, and multi-volume pieces continued to be produced.Illuminated borders continued to distinguish the Qur'ans produced during the Seljuk period and relative consistency was maintained with regard to their structure.

Early world mapfromDīwān Lughāt al-Turk( "Compendium of the languages of the Turks" ), a Turkish-Arab dictionary by theKara-KhanidauthorMahmud al-Kashgari,written in Seljuk Baghdad in 1072–74 CE (1266 copy).

One example of a manuscript created during Seljuk rule is a thirty-volume (juz) Qur'an created c. 1050, produced by only one calligrapher and illuminator (Freer Gallery of Art, District of Columbia, F2001.16a-b).As paper had just been introduced to the Islamic world, this piece is an early Islamic paper manuscript.This Qur'an is bound in brown leather, dyed in pink, decorated with gold, and offers an intricatefrontispiece.These elements imply the care that went into the production of this text and indications of frequent usage confirm that it was appreciated.It is primarily written in the vertical "New-Style"Arabicscript, a sharp, vertical script.The dominant use of New Style in thisfolio,also referred to as "newAbbasidScript ", attests to the shift from the geometric Kufic script to a more legible calligraphic style, which occurred in the 10th century.Scattered remnants of Kufic, used primarily to indicate volume and page number, also appear in the text.The verticality of the paper in this manuscript speaks to the historic shift away from the horizontal use of paper in many Qur'ans, also a 10th-century development.

Another example of a religious manuscript produced closer to the end of the period of Seljuk Rule is theQarmathian Qur'an(dispersed folio, Arthur M. Stackler Gallery of Art, District of Columbia, S1986.65a-b).This manuscript's folios are illuminated with a gold border and thin, spiraled illustration, featuring vegetal motifs.Despite the generous illumination, the four lines of Qur'anic text on the folio are exceptionally legible.Created between the years 1170–1200, this particular folio demonstrates the evolution of New Style, as both vocalized cursive and diacritical dots appear in this later version of the script.Only during the 13th century would New Style be replaced by the curvier proportional scripts for regular use.

A Seljuk manuscript on astrological figures:Book of Fixed Stars(Kitāb suwar al-kawākib al-ṯābita), by ‛Abd al-Rahman ibn ‛Umar al-Ṣūfī, dated 1125 CE, Baghdad (controlled by the Seljuks from 1055 to 1135).Doha Museum of Islamic ArtMS 2.1998.

A final example of a Seljuk Qur'an that has entered into scholarship is a manuscript studied in-depth by the late art historianRichard Ettinghausen.This piece was written in 1164 by Mahmud Ibn Al-Husayn and contains the entirety of the Qur'an (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, NEP27).Unlike the two Seljuk Qur'ans discussed prior, this manuscript primarily containsNaskhscript, another early Arabic script that replaced Kufic.However, some Kufic calligraphy is embedded in the chapter headings.This aspect speaks to how the inclusion of Kufic in Qur'ans became more of a decorative element overtime, often included in headings as opposed to the main body of text.The manuscript is large, with seventeen lines of text per two-hundred and fifteen sheets of paper.Though not all of the Qur'an is illuminated, both the beginning and the end boast elaborate illustration, with blue, gold, and white hues.Ettinghausen describes the subsequent visual effect as "brilliant".The inscriptions feature detailed rosettes, vines, medallions, andarabesques,some exclusively as decoration and others to indicate the end of particular lines of Qur'anic text.

Manuscript production during the Seljuk period was not limited to religious texts. Beyond these religious manuscripts, scientific, literary, and historical pieces were created.One example of a secular manuscript is theNusrat al-fatrah,a historiographical and literary account of the Seljuk period written in 1200 by Imād al-Dīn (Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London).Meanwhile, the scientific manuscripts produced during the Seljuk period oftentimes pertained to geography, physics, mechanics, mathematics, and astronomy.The former Seljuk city ofIsfahannot only boasted twelve libraries that contained a total of twelve thousand volumes, but also had an observatory where scholars could record their astrological findings.Secular manuscripts from the Seljuk empire bear illuminations that often relate to the alignment of planets and thezodiac,a couple examples of common themes.

Whether secular or non-secular, Seljuk illuminated manuscripts had enough influence as to inspire other relevant art forms, such as brass or bronze metal objects.For example, the largeQarmathian Qur'aninfluenced some of the inscriptions on Seljuk ceramic wares.Even mirrors, candlesticks, coins, and jugs manufactured inAnatoliaduring the Seljuk period would often bearoccultastrological images inspired by manuscripts.Occult knowledge persisted in manuscripts produced after the decline in the Seljuk's political power in the late 12th century, as the Seljuk sultanate's influence on the book arts continued in Anatolia.

The first known illustrated manuscript ofKitâb al-Diryâq,is dated 1198, around the end of the Seljuk dynasty, and is generally attributed to theJazira(northernSyriaor NorthernIraq).

Historian Andrew Peacock demonstrates an interest in the Seljuks of Anatolia's focus on occult themes and its manifestation in the book arts.Peacock describes this finding as something that challenges the reigning view that the Seljuks were exclusively the "pious defenders of Islam" when it came to larger systems of belief.Some of the occult sciences that the Seljuks took special interest in includedgeomancy,astrology,alchemy.A relevant occult manuscript from a later period of Seljuk influence in the 13th century is theDustur al-Munajjimin,otherwise known as the "Rules of Astrologers", while another is theDaqa'iq al-Haqa'iq,or the "Fine Points of Eternal Truths", dating to theSultanate of Rumin 1272.The latter text captures an interest in magic and spells, with a particular focus on calling upon spiritual beings, such as angels, through ritualistic acts (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, Persan 174).The text was written by a man who wrote under a pen name, "Nasiri".Interestingly, Nasiri'sDaqa'iq al-Haqa'iqchallenges prevailing Islamic understandings of God while encouraging piety and invoking bothSufiterms and themes.For example, while incorporating a Sufi poem, the occult text speaks of supernatural bodies and disputes what Islam considers to be the accepted number of names for God.

Illustrated manuscripts

The western area of the Seljuk realm including Syria,Jaziraand Iraq saw an "explosion of figural art" from the 12th to 13th centuries, particularly in the areas of decorative art and illustrated manuscripts.This occurred despite religious condemnations against the depiction of living creatures, on the grounds that "it implies a likeness to the creative activity of God".The origins of this new pictorial tradition are uncertain, but Arabic illustrated manuscripts such as theMaqamat al-Haririshared many characteristics with ChristianSyriacillustrated manuscripts, such asSyriac Gospels (British Library, Add. 7170).This synthesis seems to point to a common pictorial tradition which developed from circa 1180 CE in the region, which was highly influenced byByzantine art.

Metalwork

Seljuk celestial globe with stand, Iran, 1144–45,Louvre Museum.The globe mentions: "This globe includes all the stars mentioned in the book of theAlmagestafter modifying them in proportion with the interval between the calculations ofPtolemyand the year [A.H.] 540, i.e. 1144. [It is t]he work of (san‘at) Yunis b. al-Husayn al-Asturlabi [in the] year 539 ".

Starting around the middle of the 12th century, there appears to have been a major increase in the number of artistic metalwork objects produced in the eastern Islamic world (roughly Iran and Central Asia).More of these objects have survived from after the 1140s than from before this period.The major centers of production were initially concentrated in the Khorasan region, includingNishapur,Herat,andGhazna.There is some scholarly debate about the patronage of these objects,with some suggesting that the growth in production is explainable by the growth of a bourgeoisie in Khorasan which had the means to afford such costly craftsmanship.This is attested in part by inscriptions naming merchant owners, but most surviving objects are nonetheless attributed by their inscriptions to sultans, royal household members, or state officials.In the early 13th century, this expansion of metalwork art and patronage also occurred further west, in the Levant and Mesopotamia, under the successors of the Great Seljuks (the Zengids, the Artuqids, and the Anatolian Seljuks), spurred in part by the immigration of metalworkers from Iran.

Made of bronze or brass, objects could also beinlaidwith copper and silver. This latter technique had fallen out of fashion in previous centuries but it underwent a revival that probably originated in Khorasan during this period.The forms produced include both traditional Khorasani types, such as flutedewersand hoodedincense burners,and newe shapes, such as penboxes with rounded ends and candlesticks with drum-like bodies.Many metal vessels also featuredzoomorphicforms. The most sophisticated works were created byraisingandsinking,with decoration executed inrepoussé.To create some shapes, multiple metal sheets were carefully soldered together, with the seams made invisible by various means, such as by camouflaging them under decorative friezes.The wide range of ornamental motifs includearabesques,geometric designs,real and mythological animals, and even scenes of human figures such as musicians and horsemen.Arabic inscriptions are found on almost all metalwork art objects.An innovation of this period, almost exclusive to metalwork, is the rendering of Arabic script into figurative forms. The earliest example of this is found on the so-calledBobrinsky Bucket.

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  "A demonstration of the excellence achieved in metalwork under the Seljuqs": bronze incense burner shaped like lion, with removable head, dated 1181–82 CE,Taybad,Iran. (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
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  Gold roundel, 11th century Iran. It "exemplifies the refinement of Seljuq goldsmithing".
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  Seljuk gold necklace, 11th century Iran.
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  Bobrinsky Bucket,a bronze cauldron decorated with human figures. From 1163 CE, Herat, Afghanistan. (Hermitage Museum)
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  Brass candlestick withrepousséwork. Inlaid with silver, copper, and black bitumen. Late 12th century, Afghanistan. (Freer Gallery of Art)

Textiles and clothing

Seljuk period figures in Turkic dress, withaqbiya turkiyyacoat,tirazarmbands, boots andsharbushhat.Kitāb al-Diryāq,Jazira,1198 CE.

Seljuk period silk robe in Persian style, with birds motifs in medallions (11th–12th century).

Figures in Arab dress, with long robes, turbans and bare or sandalled feet, reading books.Kitāb al-Diryāq,Jazira,1198 CE.

The general clothing style attributed to the Seljuks is that of theaqbiya turkiyya,or long robe or decorated caftan with “Turkish” cut, with a front opening closing diagonally from right to left.Patterned textiles were used, together withtirazbands on the upper sleeves. Clothing included tall boots, as well as various hats of thesharbushtype, often including a fur lining.These styles continued during the 13th century in the smaller Turkic successor states, such as theZengidsorArtuqids,where many more illustrations are available, especially in manuscripts.

On the other hand, the affluent sedentary Persian population seems to have adopted different robe styles, with a front opening closing diagonally from left to right, called theaqbiya tatariyyaor "Tatar style", but actually also characteristic of Persian caftans from the last decades of the Sasanian dynasty.The fabrics represent what could be called a "Sasanianrenaissance ", with styles going back to the Sasanian or Sogdian period.Seljuk fabrics are often distinguished by the representation of nature, by minimal ornamental details, and by the combination of colorful linens giving an interchangeable color effect to the fabric. Many realistic natural elements characterize the composition of the fabrics, such as animals and plants, forming patterns consisting of arabesque elements.

In many manuscripts of the period, great care is taken to distinghuish the clothing of figures of power and authority in Seljuk style, from that of the otherwise omnipresent figures in Arabic or local style with their long robes, turbans and bare or sandalled feet.According to Snelders:

In a number of these manuscripts a careful distinction is made between royal and non-royal figures, both in terms of physical appearance and dress. Whereas princes and governors are commonly represented with the same ‘Asiatic’ or ‘Oriental’ facial features, and dressed in Turkish military garments like fur-trimmed caps (sharbush) and short close-fitting tunics, most other figures are depicted with ‘Arab’ or ‘Semitic’ facial features, and dressed in long robes and turbans. Apparently in keeping with the contemporary political and social makeup of the region in which these manuscripts were produced, a visual distinction was made along ethnic and social lines, between the non-Arab Turkish ruling elite and the indigenous Arab bourgeoisie.

— SneldersIdentity and Christian-Muslim interaction: medieval art of the Syrian Orthodox from the Mosul area.

Legacy

The dynasty brought revival, energy, and reunion to the Islamic civilization hitherto dominated by Arabs and Persians. The Seljuks founded universities and were also patrons of art and literature. Their reign is characterized byPersianastronomers such asOmar Khayyám,and thePersianphilosopheral-Ghazali.Under the Seljuks,New Persianbecame the language for historical recording, while the center of Arabic language culture shifted from Baghdad toCairo.

Sultans

Main article:List of sultans of the Seljuk Empire

Rank	Laqab	Throne name	Reign	Marriages	Succession right
1	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین,	Toghrul-Beg	1037–1063	Altun Jan Khatun Aka Khatun Fulana Khatun (daughter ofAbu Kalijar) Seyyidah Khatun (daughter ofAl-Qa'im,Abbasidcaliph) Fulana Khatun (widow ofChaghri Beg)	son of Mikail (grandson of Seljuk)
2	Diya ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah ضياء الدنيا و الدين عضد الدولة	Alp Arslan	1063–1072	Aka Khatun (widow ofToghrul I) Safariyya Khatun (daughter ofYusuf Qadir Khan,KhaganofKara-Khanid) Fulana Khatun (daughter ofSmbat Lorhi) Fulana Khatun (daughter ofKurtchu bin Yunus bin Seljuk)	son of Chaghri
3	Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Jalal ad-Dawlah معز الدین جلال الدولہ	Malik-Shah I	1072–1092	Turkan Khatun (daughter ofIbrahim Tamghach Khan,KhaganofWestern Kara-Khanid) Zubeida Khatun (daughter ofYaquti ibn Chaghri) Safariyya Khatun (daughter of Isa Khan, Sultan of Samarkand) Fulana Khatun (daughter ofRomanos IV Diogenes)	son of Alp Arslan
4	Nasir ad-Dunya wa ad-Din ناصر الدنیا والدین	Mahmud I	1092–1094		son of Malik-Shah I
5	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین	Barkiyaruq	1094–1105		son of Malik-Shah I
6	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Jalal ad-Dawlah رکن الدنیا والدین جلال الدولہ	Malik-Shah II	1105		son of Barkiyaruq
7	Ghiyath ad-Dunya wa ad-Din غیاث الدنیا والدین	Tapar	1105–1118	Nisandar Jihan Khatun Gouhar Khatun (daughter ofIsma'il bin Yaquti) Fulana Khatun (daughter ofAksungur Beg)	son of Malik-Shah I
8	Mughith ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Jalal ad-Dawlah مُغيث الدنيا و الدين جلال الدولة	Mahmud II	1118–1131	Mah-i Mulk Khatun (died 1130) (daughter ofSanjar) Amir Siti Khatun (daughter ofSanjar) Ata Khatun (daughter ofAli bin Faramarz)	son of Muhammad I
9	Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah مُعز الدنيا و الدين جلال الدولة	Sanjar	1118–1153	Turkan Khatun (daughter ofMuhammad Arslan Khan,KhaganofWestern Kara-Khanid) Rusudan Khatun (daughter ofDemetrius I of Georgia) Gouhar Khatun (daughter ofIsma'il bin Yaquti,widow ofTapar)	son of Malik-Shah I
10	Ghiyath ad-Dunya wa ad-Din غیاث الدنیا والدین	Dawud	1131–1132	Gouhar Khatun (daughter ofMasud)	son of Mahmud II
11	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین	Toghrul II	1132–1135	Mumine Khatun (mother ofArslan-Shah) Zubeida Khatun (daughter ofBarkiyaruq)	son of Muhammad I
12	Ghiyath ad-Dunya wa ad-Din غیاث الدنیا والدین	Masud	1135–1152	Gawhar Khatun (daughter ofSanjar) Zubaida Khatun (daughter ofBarkiyaruq,widow ofToghrul II) Sufra Khatun (daughter of Dubais) Mustazhiriyya Khatun (daughter ofQavurt) Ummuha Khatun (daughter of Amid ud-Dawla ibn Juhayir) Arab Khatun (mother of Malik-Shah) Abkhaziyya Khatun (daughter ofDavid IV of Georgia) Daughter of Abbasid CaliphAl-Muqtafi	son of Muhammad I
13	Muin ad-Dunya wa ad-Din مُعين الدنيا و الدين	Malik-Shah III	1152–1153		son of Mahmud II
14	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین	Muhammad	1153–1159	Gawhar Khatun (daughter ofMasudand Gawhar Khatun, and former wife of Dawud) Mahd Rafi Khatun]] (daughter of Kirman-Shah, son of Arslan-Shah) Kerman Khatun (daughter of CaliphAl-Muqtafi)	son of Mahmud II
15	Ghiyath ad-Dunya wa ad-Din غیاث الدنیا والدین	Suleiman-Shah	1159–1160	Khwarazmi Khatun (daughter ofMuhammad Khwarazm Shah) Abkhaziyya Khatun (daughter ofDavid IV of Georgia,widow ofMasud)	son of Muhammad I
16	Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din معز الدنیا والدین	Arslan-Shah	1160–1176	Kerman Khatun (daughter ofAl-Muqtafi,widow ofMuhammad II of Great Seljuq) Sitti Fatima Khatun (daughter ofAla ad-Daulah) Kirmaniyya Khatun (daughter ofTughrul Shah,ruler ofKerman,widow ofMuhammad) Fulana Khatun (sister ofIzz al-Din Hasan Qipchaq)	son ofToghrul II
17	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین	Toghrul III	1176–1191 1st reign	Inanj Khatun (daughter ofSunqur-Inanj,ruler ofRay,widow ofToghrul III)	son of Arslan-Shah
18	Muzaffar ad-Dunya wa ad-Din مظفر الدنیا والدین	Qizil Arslan	1191	Inanj Khatun (daughter ofSunqur-Inanj,ruler ofRay,widow ofMuhammad ibn Ildeniz)	son of Ildeniz (stepbrother of Arslan-Shah)
—	Rukn ad-Dunya wa ad-Din رکن الدنیا والدین	Toghrul III	1192–1194 2nd reign		son of Arslan-Shah

Great Seljuk sultans family tree
Tu QAQ Temur Yalig Beg (b.?–d.?) Commander-in-chief ofThe Oghuz army Seljuk Beg (b.?–d.?) The founder of Seljuk dynasty Qawam al-Dawla (r.1012–1028) BuyidGovernorinKerman Arslan Yabgu (b.?–d.1032) Chief ofSeljuk dynasty Mikail ibn Seljuk (b.?-d.?) The mother of Toghrul,Chaghri, Ibrahimand Artash Yûsuf Inal Yûnus Mûsâ Yabgu (İnanç Yabgu)Governor ofTokharistan Abu Kalijar (r.1028–1048) BuyidAmirin Kirman Kurlu Bey (r.1069–1071) Leader of the Seljuk vassal state inPalestine Qutalmish Fatherofthe founderof Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate 1.Toghrul I (r.1037–1063) First sultanof TheGreat Seljuk Empire Chaghri Beg (r.1040–1060) Governor of Khorasan Ibrahim Inal Artash Inal (Artāsh) Abu Ali Hasan Yabgu Yûsuf, Kara Arslan, Abu Bakr, Umar, Bori and Dawlatshah 1.Qawurd-Beg SeljukShahof Kirman (r.1048–1073) KermanSeljuk Sultanate Atsiz ibn Uvaq (r.1076–1079) AmirofDimashq Aksungur (r.1086–1094) SultanofAleppo 2.Suleiman (r.1063) Sultan of Great Seljuk 3.Alp Arslan (r.1063–1072) Sultan of Great Seljuk Alp Sungur Yâkūtî Prince Governor of Azerbaijan Arslan Argun and Ilyas Other princes Khadija Arslan Princess marriedAbbasid caliphAl-Qa'im. Safiyya Khatun Princess 2.Kerman Shah (r.1073–1074) 3.Hussain Omar Shah (r.1074) Tutush (r.1079–1095) SultanofDimashqand (r.1094–1095) ofAleppo Turkan Khatun The daughter ofTamghach Khan IbrahimofKara-Khaniddynasty and de facto ruler ofMahmud I 4.Malik-Shah I (r.1072–1092) Sultan of Great Seljuk Arslan-Shah (r.1066–1083) Governor of Khorasan Doğan-Shah (r.1083–1092) Governor of Khorasan Arslan-Argun (r.1092–1097) Governor of Khorasan Tuğrul and Böri-Bars Other princes Aisha Princess marriedKara-Khanidkhan Nasr Shams al-Mulk. 4.Sultan Shah (r.1074–1085) 5.Turan I Shah (r.1085–1097) Dawud and Ahmad Other princes 5.Mahmud I (r.1092–1094) Sultan of Great Seljuk 6.Bark-Yaruq (r.1092–1104) Sultan of Great Seljuk 8.Muhammad I Tapar (r.1105–1118) Sultan of Great Seljuk 9.Ahmad Sanjar (r.1118–1153) Last sultan of TheGreat Seljuk Tuğrul and Amîr Humâr Other princes Gawhar Khatun Princess marriedGhaznavid sultan Mas'ud III. Sayyeda Princess marriedAbbasid caliphAl-Mustazhir 6.Iranshah (r.1097–1101) 7.Arslan I Shah (r.1101–1142) Du QAQ (r.1095–1104) AmirofDimashq Mah-i Malak Princess marriedAbbasid caliphAl-Muqtadi 7.Malik-Shah II (r.1104-1105) Sultan of Great Seljuk 1.Mahmud II (r.1118–1131) First sultanof TheIraqiSeljuks 3.Toghrul II (r.1132–1134) SultanofIraqiSeljuks Mu'mine Khatun wife ofToghrul II until 1134 wife of İldenizfrom 1136 Ildeniz (r.1160–1175) de facto ruler AtabegofArslan-Shah 4.Masud (r.1134–1152) SultanofIraqiSeljuks 8.Malīk Muhammad I Shah (r.1142–1156) 9.Toghrul Shah (r.1156–1170) Tutush II&Artash (Baktāsh) (r.1104) AmirofDimashq 2.Dawud (r.1131–1132) SultanofIraqiSeljuks 5.Malik-Shah III (r.1152–1153) SultanofIraqiSeljuks 6.Muhammad II (r.1153–1159) SultanofIraqiSeljuks 7.Suleiman-Shah (r.1159–1160) SultanofIraqiSeljuks 8.Arslan-Shah (r.1160–1177) SultanofIraqiSeljuks Nusrat al-Din Muhammad (r.1175–1186) de facto ruler ofToghrul III AtabegofArslan-Shah Qizil Arslan (r.1186-1191) de facto ruler ofToghrul III Atabegof theEldiguzids 10.Bahrām,11.Arslan II Shah(r.1170 - 1171) 12.Bahrām Shah (r.1171 - 1172) 13.Bahrām&Arslan II Shah(r.1172–1175) 14.Bahrām Shah (r.1175) 15.Muhammad II Shah (r.1175) 16.Arslan II Shah (r.1175 - 1177) 17.Turan II Shah (r.1177–1183) 18.Muhammad II Shah (r.1183–1187) Fakhr al-Mulk Radwan (r.1095–1113) MalikofAleppo Alp Arslan (r.1113–1114) Sultan Shah (r.1114–1117) 9.Toghrul III (r.1177–1191, 1192–1194) Last sultanof TheIraqiSeljuks Nusrat al-Din Abu Bakr (r.1191–1210) de facto ruler Atabegof theEldiguzids Muzaffar al-Din Uzbek (r.1210–1225) Atabegof theEldiguzids
Notes:

The comparative genealogy of the Great Seljuks with theirKhwarazmneighbors and theAnatolian Seljuks

Tu QAQ Temur Beg Commander-in-chief of the Oghuz army Ma'munidrulers inChorasmia (r.995–1117) Seljuk Beg The founder of Seljuk dynasty Altun Tash (1017–1032) Arslan Yabgu Chief of Seljuk dynasty Mikail ibn Seljuk The mother of Toghrul I, Chaghri, Ibrahim & Artash Yûsuf Inal Yûnus Mûsâ(İnanç)Yabgu Harun (r.1032–1035) Ismail Khandan (r.1035–1041) Rasūl Tagīn Qutalmish Father of the founder of Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate Toghrul Beg First sultan of the Seljuks (r. 1037–1063) Chaghri Beg Co-ruler of the Seljuk dynasty Ibrahim Inal Artash Inal Abu Ali Hasan Yabgu Yûsuf,Kara Arslan, Abu Bakr, Umar, Bori & Dawlatshah Shah Malik (r.1041–1042) Mānsūr Suleyman I ShahofRûm (r.1077–1086) Alp Ilig and Dawlat Suleiman (r.1063) Alp Arslan (r.1063–1072) KavurtBeg (r.1048–1073) KirmanSeljuks Seljuk rule inKhwarazm (r.1042–1077) Abu'l-Qasim(İznik) (r.1086–1092) Abu'l Ghazi Hasan Bey(Kayseri) Malik-Shah I (r.1072–1092) KīrmānShah (r.1073–1074) Sultan Shah (r.1074–1085) Turan I Shah (r.1085–1097) Anūsh Tekīn (r.1077–1097) AyishaKhātun (r.inMalatya) Kilij Arslan I (r.1092–1107) Kulan Arslan (Dāvûd) Mahmud I (r.1092–1094) Barkiyaruq (r.1092–1104) Arslan Shah I (r.1101–1142) Muhammad I Mālīk Shah (r.1142–1156) Îrânshah (r.1097–1101) Ekinchi (r.1097) Toghrul Arslan (r.1107–1124) Malīk ShahofRûm (r.1110–1116) Muhammad I Tapar (r.1105–1118) Malik-Shah II (r.1104–1105) Toghrul Shah (r.1156–1170) Bahrām Shah (r.1170 – 1175) Arslan II Shah (r.1170 – 1177) Turan II Shah (r.1177–1183) Muhammad II (r.1183–1187) Qutbū'd-Dīn Muhammad (r.1097–1127) Gündüz Alp Rukn ad-DīnMas'ūd I (r.1116–1156) Malīk Arab (r.1116–1127) inAnkara Ahmad Sanjar (r.1118–1153) Last Sultan of theGreat Seljuk Mahmud II (r.1118–1131) First sultanof theIraqiSeljuks Toghrul II (r.1132–1134) Masud (r.1134–1152) Suleiman-Shah (r.1159–1160) Qizil Arslan (r.1191) de facto ruler ofToghrul III Atabegof theEldiguzids ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnĀtsız (r.1127–1156) DanismendliGroomsYağıbasan(Sivas)&ZūnNūn(Kayseri) ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kilij Arslan II (r.1156–1192) Malīk Shāhīn Shāh(Ankara,Çankırı,Kastamonu);Daulat Dawud (r.1131–1132) Malik-Shah III (r.1152–1153) Muhammad II (r.1153–1159) Arslan-Shah (r.1160–1177) Toghrul III (r.1177–1191, 1192–1194) Last sultan Terken Khatun Tāj ad-Dīn İl-Arslan (r.1156–1172) Rukn ad-DīnSuleyman II ShahofRûm (r.1196–1204) The mothers of ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kay Kāwus Iand Jalāl ad-Dīn Kay Farīdûn Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Kay Khusraw I (r.1192–1196) & (r.1205–1211) Dawlat Raziya Khatun Malīka İsmetū'd-DīnGevher Nesibe Sultan Qutbū'd-Dīn Malīk Shāh (Sivas,Aksaray) Arslan Shāh (Niğde) Terken Khatun de facto ruler ofMuhammad ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnTakish (r.1172–1200) Jalāl ad-DīnSultān Shāh (r.1172–1193) Kilij Arslan III (r.1204–1205) ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kay Kāwus I (r.1211–1220) Hunad-Māh Pari KhātunofKir FardofAlanya Castle ʿAlāʾ ad-Dīn Kay Qubād I (r.1220–1237) Malīka Ādīla Ghāzīya KhātunofAyyubids Muhyi'd-Dīn Masud Shāh(Ankara,Çankırı,Eskişehir) Nurū'd-[Dīn Mahmud Sultān Shāh(Kayseri) ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnMuhammad (r.1200–1220) Jalāl ad-DīnMangubardī (r.1220–1231) Jalāl ad-Dīn Kay Farīdûn (Koyulhisar) Sāhīp Shams ad-Dīn Īsfahānī (1246–1249) Bardūlīya Khātun (Prodoulia) Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Kay Khusraw II (r.1237–1246) Gurju Khatun(Bagrationi dynastyofGeorgians) Mu'in ad-Dīn Suleyman(Parwāna) ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kilij Arslan, Rukn ad-Dīn and two daughters Mugisū'd-Dīn Toghrul Shāh(Elbistan) Muizū'd-Dīn Kāysar Shāh(Malatya) ÖgedeiestablishedMongol rule inKhwarezmia (r.1229–1241) Karîm ad-DīnKaraman Bey (r.1256–1263) (Karamanoğulları Anatolian Beylik) Unknown son ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kay Kāwus II (1246–1249) (r.1249–1254)& (r.1254–1262) Rukn ad-Dīn Kilij Arslan IV (r.1249–1254)& (r.1257–1262) & (1262–1266) ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnKay Qubād IICelâleddin Karatay (r.1249–1254) PervâneoğullarıAnatolian Beylik(established in Sinopin 1277) Nizāmū'd-Dīn Argun Shāh(Amasya) Sanjar Shāh (Ereğli) Nasirū'd-Dīn Barkyāruk Shāh(Niksar,Koyulhisar) MöngkeappointedHulagu,the son ofTolui,asIlkhanof theMongol Empirein 1253 KaramanoğluShams ad-DīnMehmed Bey (Grand Vizier of ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnSīyāvuş) ʿAlāʾ ad-Dīn Sīyāvuş (15 May 1277 – 20 June 1277)or (24 April 1279 – 30 May 1279) Ghiyāth ad-DīnMas'ūd II (r.1282–1284) & (r.1284–1296) Farāmurz Ghiyāth ad-Dīn Kay Khusraw III (r.1266–1282) & (r.1282–1284) Mu'in ad-Dīn Mehmed (r.1277–1297) Mū'hazzab ūd-Dīn Ali KubilaiendorsedAbaqa,the son ofHulagu,asIl-Khanin 1270 (r.1265–1282) Ahmad Tagüdar (r.1282–1284) Uç BeylikofOsmanestablished ʿAlāʾ ad-DīnKay Qubād III (r.1298–1302) Mū'hazzab ūd-Dīn Masūd (r.1297–1300) Taraqay Arghun (r.1284–1291) Gaykhatu (r.1291–1295) OsmanofOttomans (r.1299-1323/4) Ghiyāth ad-DīnMas'ūd II (r.1303–1308) Gazi Chelebi (r.1300–1322) Baydu (r.1295) Ghazan (r.1295–1304) Öljaitü (r.1304–1316)

See also

• Anatolian Seljuks family tree
• History of the Turks
• List of battles involving the Seljuk Empire
• Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
• Rahat al-sudur
• Timeline of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
• Timeline of the Turkic peoples (500–1300)
• Turkic migration

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Further reading

• Previté-Orton, C. W.(1971).The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Tetley, G. E. (2008).The Ghaznavid and Seljuk Turks: Poetry as a Source for Iranian History.Abingdon.ISBN978-0-415-43119-4.