Seljuk

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Seljuk Nomadic tribesmen from central Asia who adopted Islam in the 7th century, and founded the Baghdad sultanate in 1055. Their empire included Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Under Alp Arslan, they defeated the Byzantines at Manzikert in 1071, which led to their occupation of Anatolia. They revived Sunni administration and religious institutions, checking the spread of Shi'ite Islam and laying the organizational basis for the future Ottoman administration. In the early 12th century, the Seljuk Empire began to disintegrate, and the Mongols conquered the Seljuk states in the 13th century.

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