Historical Overview Section
The Seljuk Empire was a high medieval Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qiniq branch of Oghuz Turks. At its greatest extent, the Seljuk Empire controlled a vast area stretching from western Anatolia and the Levant to the Hindu Kush in the east, and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf in the south.
The Seljuk empire was founded by Tughril Beg (1016–1063) and his brother Chaghri Beg (989–1060) in 1037. From their homelands near the Aral Sea, the Seljuks advanced first into Khorasan and then into mainland Persia, before eventually conquering eastern Anatolia.
The son of Chaghri Beg, Alp Arslan (1063-1072) became Sultan of the Great Seljuq Empire in its capital Ray (today Teheran). It was during his reign and that of his son Malik Shah I (1072-1092) that the Seljuk empire in Iran reached its peak, thanks in part to their Persian minister, Nizam al-Mulk. In 1071, Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine emperor Roman IV Diogenes at the Battle of Manzikert. In doing so, he gave birth to another branch of the dynasty: that of the Seljuks of Roum, or Anatolia. The conquest of most of Anatolia from the Byzantine Empire and the fall of Jerusalem from the Fatimids by the Seljuks who unilaterally changed its status in 1078 became one of the reasons for the first crusade (1095-1099).
From the end of the reign of Malik Shah in Iran, the civil war took over. Khorassan escaped Turkish rule on the death of Mu`izz ad-Din Ahmad Sanjar (1118-1157) in a revolt of the Oghouzes, while the atabeys (local governors) were in fact leading Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jezirah, and that several ephemeral lineages were created in Syria and Kerman. The last Seljuk Sultan of Iran, Tuğrul ibn Arslan (1176-1194), died in the war he had imprudently unleashed against the shahs of Khwarezm.
The line of Seldjoukids of Roum, meanwhile, lasted until 1307, resisting somehow to crusades and internal dissensions. However, from 1276 onwards and the arrival of Ilkhanide Abaqa, the Seljuks lost almost all power.
The Mongols divided Anatolia into emirates. Eventually one of these, the Ottoman, would conquer the rest.
Using the army in ADLG
- Many elite mounted bowmen in this army
- With the Syrian option, you can have a maximum of six elite impact cavalry !
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Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
200 Points (24 elements, initiative 4)
- Corps 1 - General brilliant (6)
2 Aldath militias : Levy (6)
1 Bowmen (7)
1 Light Infantry Bow (4)
2 Light Infantry Javelin (8)
3 Turkoman : Medium Cavalry Bow (27)
2 Turkoman : Light Cavalry Bow Elite (14)
- Corps 2 - General brilliant (6)
4 Kurds & Syrians : Heavy Cavalry Impact Elite (48)
1 Turkoman : Medium Cavalry Bow (9)
4 Turkoman : Light Cavalry Bow Elite (28)
- Corps 3 - Syrian ally - General ordinary included (-6)
1 Ghulam : Heavy Cavalry Bow elite (13)
2 Syrians, Kurds & Armenians : Heavy Cavalry Impact Elite (24)
1 Bedouins : Light Horse Impact (6)