Analysis Of Seljuq Dynasty’s Political-Economic System

The Seljuq Dynasty (1037-1194) was a Turkic Sunni Muslim Country established by Seljuq Turks in the 11th century’s Central and West Asia. The Seljuqs, named after their chieftain Seljuq, originated from a branch of the Oghuz Turks, who lived in the Kyrgyz Steppe of Turkestan. In the middle of 10th century, Seljuq migrated his nomadic tribe westwards and set up the camp in Jand, which was on the west bank of the downstream Syr Darya. And afterwards, Seljuq converted to Islam. Since then, the Seljuqs expanded rapidly in Central Asia. And during the period of great prosperity, Seljuqs ruled West Asia, Central Asia and Asia Minor (Anatolia) as a powerful military-feudal empire. The Seljuqs grew and thrived from a nomadic tribe. For its domination of Central Asia during the expansion, the Seljuqs integrated their own traditions into the original system in Central Asia and developed a series of new systems with own features. This thesis is mainly about the analysis of Seljuq Dynasty’s Political System, Economic System and their influence on Central Asia area.This thesis is divided into four parts. Part one is about the origin of Seljuq Turks and the outside & inside conditions of their rise. The Seljuqs was formerly a part of the Oghuz Turks. But in the followed development processes, the Seljuqs had a falling out with Yabghu, the supreme chieftain of the Oghuz, due to several divergences and Oghuz’s internal disruption. With the help of Oghuz’s internal disruption, the Seljuqs defeated Yabghu and started to play its historic role as an individual power in Central Asia area. The Seljuqs took the advantage of the converting to Islam and gained a firm foothold in Central Asia by virtue of fighting battles among different powers. In the end, they replaced the former governor and started their own dynasty.Part two and part three are about Seljuq Dynasty’s political-economic system. Because the Seljuq Dynasty was established on the basis of Islam in a certain sense and Islam provided the political rationality for their establishment, the Seljuq Dynasty attached great importance to the development of Islam and preserved the Sunnis dominant position. However, the Seljuq Dynasty adopted Persian political traditions, namely the centralization of authority. This resulted to the dual leadership system. On the one hand, the Seljuq Dynasty safeguarded Abbasid Caliphate’s religious authority. On the other hand, the Sultan got the hold of the highest secular rule. The administrative system led by Grand Vizier was taken to cover the shortage of Sultan’s inexperienced ruling. A clear-cut atabegate system with nomadic traditions could be found in the dynasty. For the economic system, the Seljuq Dynasty took over the former system and improved it. For instance, they completed the Iqta System; in business area, they revived muhtasib and gave more authority to muhtasib in religious area. In financial area, they paid more attention to taxation but with randomness.Part three is about the influence the Seljuq Dynasty’s political-economic system had on Central Asia’s history. The Seljuq Dynasty not only inherited former systems, but also improved them and added more features into them. This had great influence on the Islamic world. Especially for Ottoman Empire.