A
Turkish dynasty that ruled in East Islam from 1055. During the
10th century the Seljuqs (descended from Seljuq, chief of the
Oguz tribes) led bands of migrating Turks into the Islamic world and in 1055 their head,
Toghril Beg, captured
Baghdad. The dynasty was at its peak under Toghril Beg and his successors
Alp Arslan and
Malik-Shah, under whom the great
visier Nizam al-Mulk administered the
empire.
After the death of
Mailk-Shah the empire disintegrated into
rival kingdoms. His successors in
Persia maintained a nominal suzerainty over the other kingdoms until defeated by
invaders from Central Asia in 1153. In
Anatolia the Seljuqs of Rum ruled an important independent kingdom until coming under the domination of the
Mongols in 1243.