abstract
| - Originally just one breakaway part of the Turkish Seljuk tribe (there were also the Great Seljuks, the Kerman Seljuks and the Iraqi Seljuks) in Anatolia, on the former territory of Byzantium, the Rum-Seljuks later formed one of the greatest empires in the Muslim world. In OTL they were destroyed by the Mongols in 1243 (which allowed the Ottomans to get their own country, and later become an empire themselves), which didn't happen here. Sultan Kay Khusrau II continued to reign until 1259. 1225, they had conquered Crimea as OTL, which was the start of their interfering in OTL Ukraine. They also made a peace treaty with the empire of Nikaia in 1245; but since they weren't threatened by Mongols, ITTL they could demand tribute from Nikaia. Soon after this, they'd clash the first time with their great opponent, the Shahdom of Choresm, which had put Syria under its protection in 1262. 1265, the Rum-Seljuks attacked Nikaia, threatened its capital. This time they were still content to get some areas (i.e. not the whole empire). But in 1284, they'd attack the resurrected East Roman Empire again, and conquered Brussa, Nicomedia and Nikaia. (IOTL the Ottomans took eleven years for that, but they were one of many little princedoms in Anatolia then. The Rum-Seljuks, OTOH, already owned most of Anatolia...) 1292, the west of Lesser Armenia was conquered by the Rum-Seljuks.
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