Seljuk

The Seljuks, also called the Seljuqs, were a medieval Turkic Muslim dynasty that founded the Great Seljuk Empire in the 11th century. Originating among the Oghuz Turks in the eastern Islamic world, they expanded from Khurasan into Iran, Mesopotamia, and Syria, and later into Anatolia. The dynasty is named after Seljuk, an ancestor of the ruling family. They established a centralized state that blended Turkic military power with Persian administrative practices.

Tughril Beg and Chaghri Beg began the rise in the 1030s–1040s, defeating rival powers and expanding Seljuk influence. Tughril captured Baghdad in 1055, acknowledging the Abbasid caliphate as a spiritual leader while asserting practical sovereignty. Under Alp Arslan and Malik Shah I, the empire reached its height, stretching from eastern Anatolia and Iran to parts of Syria. Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantines at Manzikert in 1071, opening Anatolia to extensive Turkic settlement.

Administration and culture: Persian bureaucratic practices and a court-centered administration were adopted, and royal patronage supported Sunni Islam and learning. The vizier Nizam al-Mulk established the Nizamiyya network of madrasas and reforms that shaped state education. Persian language and culture flourished at court, and Seljuk architecture, caravanserais, and mosques contributed to the Islamic world’s material culture.

Decline and legacy: After Malik Shah’s death in 1092, internal conflicts and external pressures weakened central authority. The Crusades and rival dynasties reduced Seljuk power, and the eastern empire fragmented. The Anatolian branch persisted as the Sultanate of Rum until the 13th century, while the Mongol invasions contributed to the empire’s dissolution. The Seljuks left a lasting impact on Islamic administration, Persianate culture, and the political and cultural development of Anatolia.