Seljuks DQ

Explain the three waves of the Turks coming to the Middle East. When did each wave happen, what were the circumstances for each, and if and what legacies did they leave behind in the Middle East?

-       1^st: 9^th century Turkic nomads were captured in border raids and used as slave soldiers

-       2^nd: 10^th century Seljuks converted to Islam and migrated, this caused an expansion and defense of Islam

-       3^rd: 14^th century, Turkish presence in Islamic middle east and Ottoman empire allowing them to control key trade routes due to the expansion

  What is the name of the founder of the Seljuk dynasty? What do we know about him?

-       Seljuk, assumed to be Jewish/Christian before converting to Islam in 985

  What was the Battle of Dandankan? When did it occur? Between whom? Why was it important?

-       The Battle of Danadankan happened May 23, 1040, it was the Seljuks vs the Ghaznavids

-       The Seljuks defeated the Ghaznavid army which ended Ghaznavid control of much of Iran and Central Asia and established the Seljuk empire as a major political power in the world and allowed the Seljuks to expand westward into Persia and the Middle east

How did the Seljuks proceed after the Battle of Dandankan?

-       The Seljuks expanded west, took control of Persia and Iraq, entered Baghdad and became a dominant military power supporting the Abbasid caliph

  What does the term ”Shi’ite Century” refer to? How did it start and end?

-       It refers to the timeframe in with the Shi’I Buyids occupied Baghdad after taking control of the Abbasid

-       Ruled from 940-1055 when the Seljuks took over

Name the three important Seljuk kings and specify the dates of their reigns. What was the title of a Seljuk king?  

-       Togrul: 1040-63 CE

-       Alp Arslan: 1063-72 CE

-       Malik Shaw: 1072-92 CE

-       The title of a Seljuk king was “sultan”

In what ways did the Seljuks benefit from the Iranians?

-       Because the Seljuks were originally nomadic warriors, they didn’t have much experience running large states, so Iranian officials helped manage and organize the government

-       Persian became the main language of administration and literature

According to the author, what constituted the political thought of the Seljuks? Was it influenced by Turkic, Islamic, or Iranian concepts? Explain.

-       Turkic Influence: divided into west and east division and similar political ideologies

-       Islamic influence: concepts of political and philosophical motifs

-       Iranians influence concepts of authoritarian monarch

What challenges did the Seljuk kings face in ruling over the Middle East? What challenges did they face in dealing with their fellow tribesmen?

-       The Seljuk kings faced issues of cross-border raids, succession conflicts, and the fact that nomads (their followers) weren’t used to living a sedentary lifestyle, so they moved to Anatolia

What was the Battle of Manzikert? When did it occur? Between whom? Why was it significant?

-       The Battle of Manzikert occurred in 1071, it was between the Seljuks and the Byzantines. The defeat of the Byzantines allowed the Seljuks to expand into Anatolia and allowed for Turkic migration, launching a new phase of Islamic frontier expansion

Who was Nizam al-Mulk? What happened to him?

-       Nizam al-Mulk was the vizier (chief minister) of the Seljuk empire under two kings who helped organize and strengthen the Seljuk government

-       He was killed in 1092 by Isma’ili Shi’i assassins

What is the name of Nizam al-Mulk’s book? What is it about and what genre does it belong to?

-       Siyasatnama

-       It belongs to the “mirrors for princes” genre, works and advises rulers on good leadership and proper governance

What does the term “the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum” refer to? What were the circumstances of its formation? What was its territory and time span? Where was the capital?

-       It means the Seljuk state in former Byzantine (Roman) territory

-       The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum was a Seljuk Turkish state in Anatolia formed after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. It ruled much of Anatolia from 1077-1308 with its capital Konya In central Anatolia

Who was Jalaleddin Rumi?

-       A 13^th century Persian poet whos works flourished under the Ottoman empire

   What was the religious situation in Anatolia in the centuries after the Seljuk’s arrival? What about the ethnic situation?

-       Most people were Christians yet over time became Muslims because of the Islamification of Anatolia

-       Ethnically the people were Turkic, Greek and Armenian

-       Many people intermarried so a very diverse looking group of people

At the end of the chapter, the author discusses the book ‘The Wisdom of Royal Glory’, the first literary work in Turkic, which one of the groups presented on Monday. Among other things, the book equates themes of Turkic statecraft with Islamic and Iranian concepts. The chapter gives an example of one of these equations. What is it?

-       Turkic: Kut- a divine heavenly blessing or fortune that gives the ruler a right to rule, mandate of heaven

o   A ruler already possesses Kut

-       Islamic: Farr- a rulers authority comes from divine approval or Godgiven legitimacy

o   Kingship is granted by God