Seljuk dynasty
The Seljuks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq, sometimes also Seljuk Turks) were a Turkic Sunni Muslim dynasty. They ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries. Their empire was known as Great Seljuk Empire that stretched from Anatolia and the Levant to Afghanistan. The Seljuks also fought the European Christian Crusaders in the First Crusade. The Shia Muslims and other non-Sunnis (such as Zoroastrians) were heavily oppressed under Seljuk rule as the Seljuks were devout Sunnis and saw themselves as the protectors of the Abbasid Caliphate and Sunni Islam. Culturally, the Seljuks were a Persianate empire as they focused heavily on Persianate culture and Persian language. The Seljuk dynasty was founded by Tughril, a Turkmen chief.