Seljuk 219986 225690626 2008-07-14T22:36:19Z 78.174.11.116 {{otheruses}} '''Seljuk''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: السلاجقة, [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''Selçuk''; also '''Seldjuk''', '''Seldjuq''', '''Seljuq''') was the eponymous hero of the [[Seljuks]]. He was the son of a certain [[Dukak Timuryalıgh|Dukak]] surnamed Timuryaligh -''of the iron bow''- and either the chief or an eminent member from the Kınık tribe of the [[Oghuz Turks]]. In about [[985]] the Seljuk clan split off from the bulk of the [[Tokuz-Oguzes|Tokuz-Oghuz]], a confederacy of nine clans long settled between the [[Aral Sea|Aral]] and [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] Seas, and set up camp on the right bank of the lower [[Syr Darya]]([[Jaxartes]]), in the direction of [[Jend]], near [[Kzyl Orda]] in present day south-central [[Kazakhstan]] where they were converted to [[Islam]]. The [[biblical names]] of his four sons -Mîkâîl, Isrâîl (Arslan), Mûsâ, and Yûnus (Jonah)- suggest previous acquaintance with either [[Khazar]] [[Judaism]] or [[Nestorian Christianity]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Seljuk died approximately in [[1038]] and was sacrified in a tomb.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} Under Mikail's sons [[Toghrul]] and [[Chaghri]] the [[Seljuks]] migrated into [[Khurasan]]. [[Ghaznavid]] attempts to stop Seljuks raiding the local [[Muslim]] populace led to the [[Battle of Dandanaqan]] on 23 May [[1040]]. Victorious Seljuks became masters of Khurasan, expanding their power into [[Transoxiana]] and across [[Iran]]. By [[1055]] [[Toghrul]] had expanded his control all the way to [[Baghdad]], setting himself up as the champion of the [[Abbasid]] [[caliph]], who honored him with the title ''[[sultan]]''. Earlier rulers may have used this title but the Seljuks seem to have been the first to inscribe it on their coins.<ref>Carter Vaughn Findley, ''The Turks in World History'', pp. 68, 2005, Oxford University Press</ref> {{start box}} {{succession box|title=[[Seljuk Turks|Seljuk Founder]]|before=-|after=[[Toghrül]]|938&ndash;1038{{Fact|date=March 2008}}}} {{end box}} ==See also== *[[Great Seljuk Empire]] *[[Seljuk Sultanate of Rum]] ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==References== *Rene Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes, 1970, Rutgers University Press {{MEast-royal-stub}} {{Turkey-bio-stub}} {{CAsia-hist-stub}} {{Iran-bio-stub}} [[Category:Seljuk Turks]] [[Category:Turkic rulers]] [[Category:Khazar military history]] [[ar:سلجوق]] [[fr:Seldjouk]] [[he:סלג'וק]] [[nl:Seltsjoek]] [[ru:Сельджук]] [[sv:Seldjuk]] [[tr:Selçuk Bey]]