Seljuk+Turks

flat By James and Colin

= = = Rise to Power =
 * The Abbaisd empire was becoming weak. Their warlike behavior was diminishing, and their reliance on the Mamalukes for protection would cost them their power. The Turks, whom had been infiltrating the Abbasid Empire for many years as the Manalukes, revolted against the empire and took control. Tughrul and his brother Cagri migrated the Seljuk people to begin their campaign against the Gaznawids. They defeated the Gaznawids and this victory is generally accepted as the beginning of the Seljuk Empire. But, they were expanding rapidly and need more land. Their future conquests were fruitful, and even after Cagri's death in 1060, they continued tonexpand their borders. The Seljuks next set their sights on Asia Minor, a land rich with resources and fertile soil, but more importantly a space for their cramped tribes to migrate to. Their initial attempts proved to be extremely sucessful; they defeated Byzantine forces quickly. But there was a problem. An uprising was beginning in Baghdad led by Ibrahim Yinal, and was taking over the city. Tughrul went back to Baghdad to silence the revolt, and did so, but not before the Buyids (a rival group) took over parts of the city. Tugrhul dealt with them as well, and swiftly expelled them form his empire. He was succeeded by Alp Arslan after his death in 1063.

= Kings and Conquests = The Seljuk Empire was ruled by many great leaders who continually expanded and improved upon the empire... > == == = Golden Age =
 * Tughrul (1037-1063): He united the tribes of the Great Eurasian Steppes into one group, and led these warriors to defeat Eastern Iran. He would later capture Persia and take the capital of Baghdad. Tughrul demoted the caliphs of Baghdad to a state figurehead, and took control of their armies. With his new army and the Mamalukes, he lead a campaign against the Byzantine and Fatimid Empires. By the time his successful rein as leader had ended he had expanded the borders of the Seljuk Empire, and created a foundation for future rulers to build on. When he died he had no sons to succeed him, but after many years of struggle, his brother's son Alp Arslan was crowned king.
 * Alp Arslan (1063-1072): While traveling to Syria, Alp invaded the Byzantine Empire. His armies were repeatedly driven back until the Byzantine Empire suggested a peaceful solution. This offer was rejected by Alp Arslan. However, during the Battle of Manzikert many of the mercenaries working for the Byzantine Empire defected to the Turkish side. As a result, many of the other "hired guns" employed by the Byzantines began to dessert, putting the empire into an impossible situation; the Byzantine Empire surrendered. Alp's military actions were also extremely influential in provoking the multiple crusades against the Seljuk Empire.
 * Maliq Shah (1072-1092): Maliq was ruler when the Seljuk Empire reached its golden age, and updated the Jalai Calendar, still used today in much of the Middle East. Maliq drove his armies northward, conquering much of what is modern day Syria, but at the expense of the Fatimid Empire. However, he solved most of his problems with diplomacy rather than military force, unlike previous leaders. Unfortunately after his death in Baghdad in 1092, the Seljuk Empire collapsed into many smaller warring states.
 * The Golden Age of the Seljuk Empire is often marked as taking place during the rule of Maliq Shah I. During this period the Seljuk Empire reached its greatest size, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the[[image:642px-Seljuk_Empire_locator_map_svg.png width="495" height="279" align="right" caption="The borders of the Seljuk Empire at its greatest extent."]] Mountains of Central Asia in the East. After conquests early in his reign, Maliq Shah I created peace with some of his enemies. Maliq Shah then turned his attention to internal affairs, and during his reign as Sultan he visited Baghdad, the cultural center of his empire, twice. Nizam Al Mulq, the Grand Vizier of Maliq Shah, also played a large part in improving the situation of the empire and helping it reach a Golden Age. Nizam Al Mulq was an infamous administrator who helped take care of state affairs during the reign of Maliq Shah I, and was able aid Maliq Shah in leading the Seljuk Empire into a Golden Age. He began many schools throughout the empire, the most famous being the Nizamiyah Madrasah in Baghdad. Due to these many new schools, the Golden Age of the Seljuk Empire became a period of increased knowledge and education. Nizam Al Mulq also helped redesign the the military system, basing it off of the militaries of Byzantium and China, and wrote a book about the responsibilities that a ruler had in taking care of his subjects. During Maliq S hah I's rule, the empire of the Seljuk Turks was able to enter into a Golden Age, however this Golden Age was short lived because of invasions and the death of Maliq Shah.

= Invaders =
 * Towards the later years of the Seljuk Empire, military conflicts were on the rise. They were attacked by the crusaders, who fought to rid the holy land of Muslim influence and the Seljuk Turks. The first of the crusaders were sent by were sent by Pope Urban II, and their campaign was hugely successful. This was partially due to the collapse of the Seljuk Empire into several disorganized states. The lack of clear communication prevented the Seljuks from mounting an effective counter attack. This first wave of European armies captured Nicaea, Antioch, and Jerusalem. However, the Seljuks eventually gathered together enough military power to mount persisting attacks,and recapture several cities. These counter attacks provoked the second crusade. But, following crusades were not as effective as the previous ones, and one by one,battle by battle the European warriors were defeated. By the eighth crusade, the European warriors had strayed from their purpose, and no longer knew what they were fighting for. Even though the Seljuks were able to hold off the crusades, they would not fare so well with their next opponent.media type="youtube" key="tj2kC13sgrw?fs=1" height="245" width="306" align="right"


 * The Mongols were sweeping across asia destroying all opposition, and the Seljuk Empire was directly in their path. The Assassins, hiding out in the mountains, angered the Mongols, and caused their full wrath to be brought down upon them and the empire. In 1245, the Seljuk army faced off against the Mongols at the Battle of Kose Dagh. The Seljuks were crushed under the huge war machine. In 1258 the Mongols sacked Baghdad and killed the last Abbasid caliphs. Amazingly, the Egyptian sultan Baibars managed to halt the rampaging Mongol Army. But it was too late. Most of the Muslim controlled areas were taken over by the invaders. The Mongols settled down in the areas that they controlled, and most adopted Islam.

**Collapse** y a man named Hassan-ibn-al-Sabah also greatly contributed to the fall of the Seljuk Turks. These Assassins began a campaign of terror against the Sunni Seljuks. They brought about the death of Maliq Shah I, and their attacks of terrorism helped contribute to the chaos in the Seljuk state which led to its downfall. In the many years after Malik Shah's death, rebellions sprang up in many different parts of the Seljuk Empire. The Seljuk Turks slowly lost their power in Anatolia (modern day Turkey), until its collapse because of the invading Mongols. The Mongols led by Genghis Khan destroyed the Seljuk army, and sacked Baghdad, bringing about the collapse of the Great Seljuk Empire. However, even after the Mongol invasions an offshoot of the destroyed Seljuk Empire survived. This group was know as the Sultanate of Rum, and managed to remain in control of part of central and Eastern Anatolia for many more years. However, the Sultanate of Rum began to decline as well, and a group led by Osman I took their place forming what later became the Ottoman Empire, lasting for many more centuries.
 * The decline of the Seljuk Turks began after the death of Maliq Shah I. After his death, turmoil ensued as a result of the Seljuk tradition of dividing up a rulers realm amongst their sons, and because of the invasions of the crusading Christians attempting to take Jerusalem from the Muslims. An anti-Sunni group known as the Assassins led b

= =

Brief Timeline of Seljuk Empire
 * < Year ||< Event ||
 * < 1055 ||< Toghrul takes over Baghdad ||
 * < 1063 ||< Toghrul dies, and is succeeded by Alp Arslan ||
 * < 1071 ||< Alp Aslan crushes Byzantine at battle of Manzikert, Seljuks gain Anatolia ||
 * < 1072 ||< Alp Arslan dies and Maliq Shah I becomes sultan beginning the Golden Age ||
 * < 1072-1092 ||< The Golden Age of the Seljuk Empire ||
 * < 1092 ||< Maliq Shah I dies, ending the Golden Age and beginning decline of the Empire ||
 * < 1245 ||< Mongols destroy Seljuk armies at Kose Dagh ||
 * < 1258 ||< Mongols sack Baghdad and Seljuk Empire falls ||

=Bibliography= Butler, Chris. “The Rise of the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks.” //The Flow of History//. Ed. Chris Butler. N.p., 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. . This source is an online website designed to help teach history. This source is useful in providing information about how the Seljuk Turks rose to power and background information about the Seljuk empire. Ihsan. “The Seljuk Empire.” //All Empires//. All Empires History Community, 2004. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. . The website which we found this source is run by a non-profit organization dedicated to worldhistory. This source provides background information about many aspects of the Seljuk Empire from its rise to its decline and fall. Moran, Michael. “The Pope and Islam.” //Council on Foreign Relations//. The Council on Foreign Relations, 18 Sept. 2006. Web. 21 Jan. 2011. . This source speaks about issues and discrepancies that arose between the Christian Pope and Islam. This source is helpful in providing information about ho Islam and Christianity still disagree with each other as they did during the the Great Seljuk Empire. Mouradian, George. “The Crusades.” //Armenian Heritage//. Armenian Heritage Organization, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. . This source is found on a website that is devoted to Armenian history. This source mostly provides infromation about the Crusades, and their relation to The Seljuk Empire. “Nizam al-Mulk.” //Islamic Philosophy Online//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. . This source provides a large amount of information about Nizam al-Mulk, Maliq Shah I’s adviser. This source was useful in providing information about how Nizam al-Mulk influenced the rule of Maliq Shah I. “The Turkish World After the Seventh Century A.D.” //Smithsonian//. The Smithsonian Institute, 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. . This article is found on the website of the Smithsonian Institute. The articles on this website were written by authors well educated in their fields of study. This source provides good background knowledge on the Seljuk Empire.