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Seljuk - The Seljuq
(Turkish Selcuklular; Arabic
سلجوق Saljūq, or السلاجقة al-Salahjiqa) (also Seldjuk, Seluk Turks) Turks ruled
a huge Persianized empire in the eleventh century, which was a practical
successor to the northern part of the Arab empire, as it included Baghdad and
all of Persia. At its largest extent, which lasted for only a brief time, it
also included all of Palestine and Anatolia in the West, and a large part of
Afghanistan in the East, and reached as far north as the Aral sea and Armenia.
The Seljuqs were originally a clan or
clans of the Oguz or Oghuz Turkmen tribes that invaded the Central Asian Steppes
about 1000 CE. They converted to Islam, and, on conquering Persia, became
Persianized in language and culture. The rapid Seljuk expansion alarmed
Christian Europe, which became concerned for the fate of the Eastern Roman
Empire ("Byzantium" with its capital at Constantinople). It also attracted
the attentions of all the rival Muslim emirates and dynasties on their borders,
and particularly the Shi'a, whose faithful were a majority in the area of Iran.
The Seljuqs made their capital in
Isfahan. They came to speak Persian and spread Persian culture throughout the
Middle East. and they used Farsi as their official language. As with many
of the Muslim empires, divisions were fostered by unclear rules of succession
and by splitting up the emirates among the sons of rulers. Nominally, all the
associated realms were ruled by a Grand Sultan, but the connections were weak
and the they were slow to aid each other in case of attack. The Seljuq empire
contracted until it was left only with Eastern Anatolia, called the "The Seljuqs
of Rum." Rum is the Arab word for "Rome," meaning the Byzantine empire. This
area was populated by Byzantine Christians, Armenians and Sunni and Shia
Muslims. The Seljuks succeeded in providing a relatively stable and tolerant
state. The Seljuk empire was subjugated by the Mongols and eventually
eliminated.
About 1040 Togrul 1, chief of the
Seljuqs and grandson of Seljuq, began to conquer large parts of the lands that
comprises modern Iran and Iraq. By 1055, he had conquered Baghdad from the
Shia
Buyids, and made himself protector of the
caliph
in Baghdad. Nominally, the Caliph was his superior, and bestowed the title of
Sultan on him.
A crucial stage in Seljuk history and in
the history of Muslim-Christian relations was marked by the Battle of Manzikert
in 1071. The Battle of Manzikert was fought between the Byzantine Empire
lead by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and Seljuq forces led by Alp Arslan on
August 26, 1071 near Manzikert (Malazgirt). The power of the Byzantine empire
had been waning. This battle demonstrated its weakness. The Emperor was captured
and humiliated, but set free. The following year, Arslan died and the Turks
proceeded to settle Anatolia, capturing Iconium (Konya) and making it the seat
of their Rum sultanate. News of the Battle of Manzikert ignited the first
Crusade.
Toward the end of the Eleventh century
and the beginning of the twelfth, the Seljuq state in Persia began
disintegrating into smaller states, ruled by relatives and descendants of
the previous sultans. Western Persia (Hamadan) came to be ruled by a different
line than southern Persia, Kerman, though for a time the Sultanate of Rum
remained nominally under their sway.
In 1097, the Seljuqs were defeated by
the Crusaders in Anatolia, losing Western Anatolia to Christian rulers. In
1194, Togrul 3, the last Iranian Seljuq sultan, fell on the battlefield
fighting Khwarazmshah, who annexed Western Persia.
Around 1230 the Seljuqs of Rum fought
the Khorezmians and defeated them. However, they were invaded and subjugated by
the Mongols in 1243. Seljuq rulers continued to rule as tributaries of the
Mongols. Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II, the last Seljuk Sultan, was removed and
reinstated in office several times by his Mongol overlords. He died or was
removed from office for the last time about 1306 or 1307, ending the Seljuk
line.
In addition to the main lines shown
below, other Seljuq dynasties ruled in Southern and Western Persia and in Syria.
Great Seljuq Dynasty
1037–1157
The "Great Seljuqs" ruled in Persia. They
were heads of the family. Theoretically, they got their power from the Caliph
and their authority extended over all the other Seljuq lines, although in
practice this often was not the case. The ruler was either the head of the
family, as dictated by Turkish custom, or the ruler of Western Iran.
* Tugrul I (Tugrul Beg) 1055(?)–1063
* Alp Arslan bin Chaghri 1063–1072
* Jalal ad-Dawlah Malik Shah I 1072–1092
* Nasir ad-Din Mahmud I 1092–1093
* Rukn ad-Din Barkiyaruq 1093–1104
* Mu'izz ad-Din Malik Shah II 1105
* Ghiyath ad-Din Mehmed I Tapar 1105–1118
* Mu'izz ad-Din Ahmed Sanjar 1118–1157
Seljuq sultans of Rum
(Anatolia)
1077–1307
* Kutalmish 1060–1077
* Suleyman Ibn Kutalmish (Suleiman) 1077–1086
* Dawud Kilij Arslan I 1092–1107
* Malik Shah 1107–1116
* Rukn ad-Din Mas'ud 1116–1156
* Izz ad-Din Kilij Arslan II 1156–1192
* Ghiyath ad-Din Kaykhusraw I 1192–1196
* Suleyman II (Suleiman) 1196–1204
* Kilij Arslan III 1204–1205
* Ghiyath ad-Din Kaykhusraw I (second time) 1205–1211
* Izz ad-Din Kaykaus I 1211–1220
* Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I 1220–1237
* Ghiyath ad-Din Kaykhusraw II 1237–1246
* Izz ad-Din Kaykaus II 1246–1260
* Rukn ad-Din Kilij Arslan IV 1248–1265
* Ala ad-Din Kayqubad II 1249–1257
* Ghiyath ad-Din Kaykhusraw III 1265–1282
* Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II 1282–1284
* Ala ad-Din Kayqubad III 1284
* Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II (2nd time) 1284–1293
* Ala ad-Din Kayqubad III (2nd time) 1293–1294
* Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II (3rd time) 1294–1301
* Ala ad-Din Kayqubad III (3rd time) 1301–1303
* Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II (4th time) 1303–1306(?)
Ami Isseroff
November 18, 2008
Synonyms and alternate spellings:
Further Information:
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