23 - The First Seljuk Sultan

The Turkish History Podcast

In the aftermath of the Battle of Dandankan, Tughrul expands west into Iran. But instead of being a traditional barbarian warlord on horseback, Tughrul is committed to ruling in the existing Perso-Islamic tradition. To become a Khan-Sultan. And tension quickly arises between his role as Khan and his role as Sultan. As Tughrul presents himself as the restorer of order and Sunni orthodoxy in his quest to conquer Iran, the wild Oghuz tribes are driven by the need for pasturage and are pushed along by Tughrul into Anatolia - setting up a conflict between the Turks and the Roman Empire.