The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm (1077–1308 CE) emerged in the aftermath of the Seljuk victory over Byzantium at the Battle of Manzikert (1071), which opened Anatolia to Turko-Persian expansion. The term Rûm (derived from the Greek Rhomaioi, “Romans,”) reflected both the legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Seljuks’ establishment of rule over its former territories. Founded as a branch of the Great Seljuk Empire, the Sultanate declared independence under Suleiman ibn Qutulmish (reign 1077–1086), with its first capital at Nicaea and later at Iconium (modern Konya). The state combined Persian administrative traditions with Turkish military structures and Islamic institutions, creating a dynamic hybrid culture that helped reshape Anatolia’s demographic and political landscape.
At its height in the 12th and early 13th centuries, the Sultanate of Rûm controlled much of central and western Anatolia, fortified trade routes, and fostered alliances with Mediterranean powers such as the Genoese. The sultans Kaykhusraw I (reign 1192–1211) and Kayqubad I (reign 1220–1237) presided over a period of prosperity, architectural growth, and vibrant commerce. Yet, persistent Byzantine resistance, Crusader incursions, and internal rivalries weakened the state. The decisive Mongol victory at Köse Dağ (1243) reduced the sultanate to vassalage under the Ilkhanate, and by the late 13th century, its fragmentation gave rise to the Anatolian beyliks, among them, the Ottomans, who would inherit and transform the legacy of Rûm into a new imperial order.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2024, September 06). Map of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, c. 1200. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-seljuk-sultanate-of-rum-c-1200/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, c. 1200." World History Encyclopedia, September 06, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-seljuk-sultanate-of-rum-c-1200/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, c. 1200." World History Encyclopedia, 06 Sep 2024, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-seljuk-sultanate-of-rum-c-1200/.
