Seljuk Turks (1060 C.E. -1307 C.E.)

1. Seljuk Turks (1060 C.E. -1307 C.E.) • Ancestors of the Western Turks - the modern Turks of today • The Seljuk Turks were the first people to invade Anatolia completely. • The Great Seljuk Empire began the Islamic period in Turkey. • 11th Century - Seljuks took control of the “Holy Land” and drove out Christian Pilgirms • Conquered large parts of the Byzantine Empire. • Will pave the way for the Ottoman Turks. 1095 – Pope Urban II will call to Free the Holy Land

2. Muslim tribes from Central Asia invaded northwestern India in the 600’s. • Turkish warlords invaded India about 1000 and established the Delhi Sultanate which lasted from 1206 to 1526 and marked the start of Muslim rule in northern India. • Hindus were treated as conquered people.

3. Interactions between Hindus and Muslims • Interaction of Hindu and Muslim societies in South Asia during the late Post-Classical period: • Periods of conflict alternated with periods of religious toleration and peaceful coexistence. • Hindus recognized many sacred texts and prayed before statues of gods and goddesses & Islam had a single sacred text, were monotheistic, & prayed before no statues; • Hindus accepted differences in caste systems while Muslims taught the equality of all believers before God • Some Muslim scholars accepted Hinduism as a monotheistic religion because they argued that behind many Hindu gods and goddesses was a single god (Brahman). • Why were some Hindus converting to Islam during the Delhi sultanate? • Some lower-caste Hindus preferred Islam because it rejected the caste system & Indian merchants preferred it because of the trade network across Muslim lands.