The Turkic Seljuk people, who rose to power from Central Asia in the 11th century, entered Baghdad and received the title of sultan from the Abbasid caliph. They ruled the Middle East and Central Asia as protectors of the Sunni Islamic world.
The Establishment of the Seljuk Dynasty (1038)
- The Seljuks were Oghuz Turks who converted to Islam under the Karakhanid and Ghaznavid dynasties.
- 1038: Tughril Beg defeated the Ghaznavids and conquered the Iranian Plateau.
- 1055: He entered Baghdad and received the title of sultan (secular ruler) from the Abbasid caliph.
- As protectors of Sunni Islam, they opposed the Shiite Fatimid dynasty.
Peak and Foreign Policy
- 1071: They defeated the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Manzikert, leading to the advance of Turks into Asia Minor and eventually contributing to the First Crusade.
- The vizier Nizam al-Mulk established Nizamiyya colleges (madrasas) in various places, developing an institutional educational foundation for Sunni Islam.
- Al-Ghazali (1058–1111) taught at a Nizamiyya college and was a theologian who sought to harmonize philosophy and Islamic faith. He was also called “the critic of philosophy.”
Key Point
Contact with the Crusaders: The First Crusade (1096–1099) was organized in response to pressure the Seljuk Dynasty had placed on Byzantium. Ironically, the power the Crusaders defeated when they captured Jerusalem in 1099 was the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, which had split from the Seljuk Dynasty. Conflict among the Crusaders, the Seljuk Dynasty, and the Ayyubid Dynasty continued for about 200 years and greatly changed the political map of the Middle East.
Contact with the Crusaders: The First Crusade (1096–1099) was organized in response to pressure the Seljuk Dynasty had placed on Byzantium. Ironically, the power the Crusaders defeated when they captured Jerusalem in 1099 was the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, which had split from the Seljuk Dynasty. Conflict among the Crusaders, the Seljuk Dynasty, and the Ayyubid Dynasty continued for about 200 years and greatly changed the political map of the Middle East.
Division and Decline
In the 12th century, the Seljuk Dynasty rapidly divided, and separate Seljuk governments arose in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Anatolia. In 1194, the Seljuk Dynasty of Iran and Iraq was destroyed by the Khwarazmian dynasty. By the beginning of the 13th century, all successor governments had disappeared because of the rise of the Mongol Empire.
Practice
- State the title that the Seljuk Dynasty obtained in Baghdad in 1055 and its meaning.
- State the significance of Nizam al-Mulk’s establishment of madrasas for Islamic history.
- Explain the course of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 and the historical chain of events that led to the Crusades.