Seljuk Dynasty

The Seljuks established the Seljuk Empire (1037–1194), the Sultanate of Kermân (1041–1186) and the Sultanate of Rum (1074–1308), which stretched from Iran to Anatolia and were the prime targets of the First Crusade.

Seljuk dynasty
Double-headed eagle, used as a symbol by several Seljuk rulers including Kayqubad I
Country	Seljuk Empire Sultanate of Rum
Founded	10th century – Seljuk
Titles	Sultan of Seljuk Empire Sultan of Rum Sultan of Kermân (or Kirmân) Emir of Damascus Emir of Aleppo
Traditions	Sunni Islam (Maturidi Hanafi)
Dissolution	Damascus: 1104 – Baktāsh (Ertaş), dethroned by Toghtekin Great Seljuk: 1194 – Toghrul III was killed in battle with Tekish Rum: 1308 – Mesud II died

The Seljuks originated from the Kinik branch of the Oghuz Turks, who in the 8th century lived on the periphery of the Muslim world; north of the Caspian Sea and Aral Sea in their Oghuz Yabgu State in the Kazakh Steppe of Turkestan. During the 10th century, Oghuz had come into close contact with Muslim cities.

When Seljuk, the leader of the Seljuk clan, had a falling out with Yabghu, the supreme chieftain of the Oghuz, he split his clan from the bulk of the Oghuz Turks and set up camp on the west bank of the lower Syr Darya. Around 985, Seljuk converted to Islam. In the 11th century, the Seljuks migrated from their ancestral homelands into mainland Persia, in the province of Khurasan, where they encountered the Ghaznavids. The Seljuks defeated the Ghaznavids at the Battle of Nasa Plains in 1035. Seljuk's grandsons, Tughril and Chaghri, received the insignias of governor, grants of land, and were given the title of dehqan. At the Battle of Dandanaqan, they defeated a Ghaznavid army, and after a successful siege of Isfahan by Tughril in 1050/51, established the Great Seljuk Empire. The Seljuks mixed with the local population and adopted the Persian culture and Persian language in the following decades.

After arriving in Persia, the Seljuks adopted the Persian culture and used the Persian language as the official language of the government, and played an important role in the development of the Turko-Persian tradition which features "Persian culture patronized by Turkic rulers". Today, they are remembered as great patrons of Persian culture, art, literature, and language.

 

 

 

Rulers of the Seljuk Dynasty

The "Great Seljuks" were heads of the family; in theory their authority extended over all the other Seljuk lines, although in practice this often was not the case. Turkic custom called for the senior member of the family to be the Great Seljuk, although usually the position was associated with the ruler of western Persia.

• Muhammad's son Mahmud II succeeded him in western Persia, but Ahmad Sanjar, who was the governor of Khurasan at the time being the senior member of the family, became the Great Seljuk Sultan.

Seljuk sultans of Hamadan

 

The rulers of western Persia, who maintained a very loose grip on the Abbasids of Baghdad. Several Turkic emirs gained a strong level of influence in the region, such as the Eldiguzids.

• Mahmud II 1118–1131
• 1131–1133 disputed between:
  • Dawud 1131–1132
  • Mas'ud (in Jibal and Iranian Azerbaijan) 1132
  • Toghrul II, 1132–1133
• Mas'ud 1133–1152
• Malik Shah III 1152–1153
• Muhammad II 1153–1159
• Suleiman-Shah 1159–1161
• Arslan-Shah 1161–1177
• Toghrul III 1177–1194

In 1194, Toghrul III was killed in battle with the Khwarezm Shah, who annexed Hamadan.

Seljuk rulers of Kerman

Kerman was a province in southern Persia. Between 1053 and 1154, the territory also included Umman.

• Qavurt 1041–1073 (great-grantson of Seljuq, brother of Alp Arslan)
• Kerman Shah 1073–1074
• Sultan Shah 1074–1075 or 1074–1085
• Hussain Omar 1075–1084

or 1074 (before Sultan Shah)

• Turan Shah I 1084–1096 or 1085–1097
• Iranshah ibn Turanshah 1096–1101 or 1097–1101
• Arslan Shah I 1101–1142
• Muhammad I 1142–1156
• Tuğrul Shah 1156–1169 or 1156–1170
• Bahram-Shah 1169–1174 or 1170–1175
• Arslan Shah II 1174–1176 or 1175–1176
• Turan Shah II 1176–1183
• Muhammad II Shah 1183–1187 or 1183–1186

Muhammad abandoned Kerman, which fell into the hands of the Oghuz chief Malik Dinar. Kerman was eventually annexed by the Khwarezmid Empire in 1196.

Seljuk rulers in Syria

• Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I 1085–1086
• Jalal ad-Dawlah Malik Shah I of Great Seljuk 1086–1087
• Qasim ad-Dawla Abu Said Aq Sunqur al-Hajib 1087–1094
• Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I (second time) 1094–1095
• Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan 1095–1113
• Tadj ad-Dawla Alp Arslan al-Akhras 1113–1114
• Sultan Shah 1114–1123

To the Artuqids

Sultans/Emirs of Damascus:

• Aziz ibn Abaaq al-Khwarazmi 1076–1079
• Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I 1079–1095
• Abu Nasr Shams al-Muluk Duqaq 1095–1104
• Tutush II 1104
• Muhi ad-Din Baktāsh (Ertaş) 1104

Damascus seized by the Burid Toghtekin

Seljuk sultans of Rum (Anatolia)

 

The Seljuk line, already having been deprived of any significant power, effectively ended in the early 14th century.

• Kutalmish 1060–1077
• Suleyman I (Suleiman) 1077–1086
• Dawud Kilij Arslan I 1092–1107
• Malik Shah 1107–1116
• Rukn ad-Din Mesud I 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 Kayqubad 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 (second time) 1284–1293
• Ala ad-Din Kayqubad III (second time) 1293–1294
• Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II (third time) 1294–1301
• Ala ad-Din Kayqubad III (third time) 1301–1303
• Ghiyath ad-Din Mesud II (fourth time) 1303–1307

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  Shatranj chess set, glazed fritware, 12th-century Iran. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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  Seljuk sarcophagus at the Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum

• Khatun Seljuk princess
• Seljuk Empire
• Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
• Seljuk (warlord)