The Seljuk State
The Oghuz Turks, who had embraced Islam in the 10th century, migrated into Anatolia between about 1100 and 1300 C.E. Their ranks included settlers and warrior-raiders, gazi, dedicated to expanding the reach of Islam and defending the caliphate, the supreme religious office for Sunni Muslims. The Oghuz gazis, a subgroup of the Seljuks, could not be persuaded to adapt to the administrative confines of the Seljuk state, to which they were obligated to pay taxes. Instead, they sought new territory, which offered the prospect of riches as well as the opportunity to spread Islam. The Seljuks pursued the gazis into Anatolia in order to exert authority over them. In 1071, Byzantine forces were routed near Lake Van by the Seljuks, opening the way for Turkish control of all of Anatolia. This location enabled them to control the lucrative East-West trade on the Silk Road, and to levy taxes on everything that passed through. It also meant they faced enemies on all sides from whom they had to protect themselves. By 1300 their authority was crumbling.