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The Seljuk polity in Anatolia developed from a band of warriors in the 11th century to an imperial power which reached its peak in the mid-13th century on the eve of the Mongol invasions. It rapidly expanded its territory and developed an imperial culture which continued to have symbolic value as a ruling ideal during the subsequent rule of the Mongols and then the Ottomans.

This book traces the influences of Turco-Iranian and Byzantine cultures on the development of a distinctly Anatolian Seljuk political culture and imperial style. In addition to narrating the developments of political history it tackles questions regarding Seljuk political and imperial culture in a socio-economic context. Organised chronologically, it is divided into three sections: the first covers the origins and settlement of the Seljuks and their commanders in Anatolia in the 11th and 12th centuries; the second deals with the development and expansion of the Seljuk state in the 13th century; and the final section explores the period of the Mongol invasions and rule until the demise of the Seljuk sultanate in the early 14th century. It concludes with a consideration of the Seljuk legacy.