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The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum (1077–1308) emerged amid the political fragmentation of Anatolia following the Great Seljuk victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Manzikert (1071), which accelerated Turkic migration, settlement, and military expansion across the region. The name Rum, derived from “Rome,” reflected Seljuk rule over territories long associated with the medieval Eastern Roman Empire. Established by the Seljuk prince Süleyman ibn Qutalmış (reign 1077–1086), the sultanate was first centred on Nicaea before shifting inland to Konya following the First Crusade (1096–1099). Over time, Persian administrative traditions, Turkic military elites, Islamic institutions, and the diverse Christian communities of Anatolia contributed to a complex political and cultural society.
During the 12th and early 13th centuries, Rum consolidated much of central Anatolia and expanded toward the Mediterranean and Black Sea, while competing with Byzantines, Armenian Cilicia, neighbouring Turkish dynasties, Crusader states, and other regional powers. Under Kaykhusraw I (reign 1192–1196; 1205–1211) and especially Kayqubad I (reign 1220–1237), expanding trade networks, urban development, caravanserais, and monumental architecture reflected growing prosperity and political influence. This expansion was reversed after the Mongol victory at Köse Dağ (1243), which placed Rum under Mongol supremacy. During the later 13th century, declining central authority encouraged the rise of competing Anatolian beyliks, including the Ottomans, while the Sultanate of Rum finally disappeared in 1308.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2026, August 21). Map of the Sultanate of Rum & Anatolia, c. 1200: From Manzikert to Köse Dağ - Seljuk Expansion and Fall. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-sultanate-of-rum--anatolia-c-1200/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Sultanate of Rum & Anatolia, c. 1200: From Manzikert to Köse Dağ - Seljuk Expansion and Fall." World History Encyclopedia, August 21, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-sultanate-of-rum--anatolia-c-1200/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Sultanate of Rum & Anatolia, c. 1200: From Manzikert to Köse Dağ - Seljuk Expansion and Fall." World History Encyclopedia, 21 Aug 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19415/map-of-the-sultanate-of-rum--anatolia-c-1200/.
