With the decline of the Caliphate the Turkic mercenaries like the Germanic mercenaries changed from servants to masters They deposed the rulers in Baghdad and took the caliphs into custody one after the other Around 970 the Seljuks a Turkic people successfully crossed the border and entered the Muslim region where they soon monopolized political power This regime was officially recognized in 1o55 when the Caliph declared the Seljuk sheikh Toghlur Bey a "sultan" or "sovereign" Although the Caliph was still nominally the head of the empire the actual ruler was from then on the Turkic sultan Under the leadership of the warlike Turks the frontiers of the Islamic Empire expanded further into two regions One region was Asia Minor which for centuries was a bulwark of Christian Byzantine forces against the many attacks of Arab Islam But in 1071 at the Battle of Manzikert in eastern Asia Minor the Seljuks won a great victory and captured Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV The battle was a decisive turning point in the history of the Middle East as it led to a civil war between rival Byzantine factions In fact the defeat at the battle of Manzikert It was largely due to this factional struggle that the Turks now entered stainless steel tile edging Asia Minor without any resistance Competing for positions in the administration of the chieftains of the Turkic tribes discordant Byzantine officials and officers dedicated many towns and fortresses to the invaders Moreover the peasants dissatisfied with the corruption and exploitation of the Byzantine officials were distrustful but subservient to their new masters
Thus from the 11th to the 13th century large parts of Asia Minor changed from Greek and Christian areas to Turkic and Muslim areas and have remained until now Moreover Byzantium had been left empty by the loss of Asia Minor a province that had in the past provided much of the empire with taxes and armies Constantinople is now like a large head perched on a withered body; therefore the cause of its decline in 1453 should be traced back to 1071 The victory of Manzichert was a great step forward for the Seljuks allowing them to re-establish the rule of the dying caliphate During the reign of Mariksha (1073-1092) the Serdu Empire reached its peak ruling Syria Mesopotamia Iran and Asia Minor With the support of the Seljuks cultural undertakings flourished most notably the achievements of Persian language literature and art But Serdu's ascendancy was short-lived After Mariksha's death the heirs fought over each other the fiefdoms became hereditary tile trim manufacturers and the empire began to split (see Chapter 13 Section 6) This division of the empire made it possible for the Crusaders to conquer the Holy Land in the 12th century Another result was the emergence of the Ottoman Turks in western Asia Minor who continued to hold high the banner of Islam at the gates of Vienna and ruled the entire Middle East until the 20th century While the Seljuks were advancing westward in pursuit of fame and the spoils of war other
Alexander 150 years ago were not adapted to the needs of the time Its infantry was usually a disorganized mob and their vaunted elephants were useless against Muslim cavalry India's caste system is equally destructive and an even more fatal weakness limiting those who can fight to the "Kshatriya" or warrior class Others were untrained and uninterested china tile trim in fighting largely because class divisions separated the oppressors the landlords from the peasants further fragmenting the social hierarchy Therefore the masses of the people either adopted an attitude of indifference or welcomed the aggressors and embraced their religion This situation has been repeated many times since then This is why in modern times the British rulers have been able to rule India from Delhi as the former Turkic sultans did Genghis Khan jecatrims.com
Our News
