After the Seljuks emerged on the stage of world history, Anatolia was one of the territories destined to attract them when they were looking far a country to establish themselves as a nation. Referred to in ancient sources as "Asia Minor", that is to say, "Small Asia", the region has the geographical characteristics of a continent. These features, as well as its position as a geopolitical bridge between Asia and Europe, rendered it a crucial connector of civilizations. Furthermore, Seljuk statesmen were already aware of the history and geography of this region, which stimulated them to contemplate the potential destiny of this territory as a homeland.

Although many cultures lived in Anatolia, what made it particularly attractive for the Seljuks was its resemblance to Central Asia, their homeland, in terms of its geography. As a result of this similarity, the Seljuks decided to settle here.

Anatolia, which was apart of the Byzantine Empire before the arrival of the Seljuks, was under the pressure of the Armenians and Georgians on the one side, and the Arabs on the other. After the struggle between the Armenians and the Byzantines ended, the Armenians, subjects of the Byzantine Empire, gained the right to settle in the southern and interior parts of Anatolia. in this fashion, the Byzantine Empire made allies of the Armenians.

Various reasons stimulated the Seljuks to move westwards from Iran into Anatolia. One of these motives was the situation with the Turkman tribes. These tribes continued to migrate to Khorasan after Tughril Beg had conquered Rayy, and were causing unrest in the area. This conflict between the newcomers and earlier settlers risked jeopardizing the power of the Seljuk Empire. Because of this, Anatolia appeared as an opportune area far the settlement of these incoming tribes.

The Anatolian Seljuk Empire was founded by a descendant of Israil Arslan Yabgu, one of the four sons of Seljuk Beg. However, many raids and conquests were made by the Great Seljuks in the area before the foundation period. After these conquests, the Seljuks, who took advantage of the weakened Byzantine Empire, advanced to the region of the Sea Marmara, prior to the Battle of Malazgirt.

Before the Seljuks reached the area of Khorasan, they found themselves in an unstable position in Cend, due to the pressure of Ali Tekin. As a result of this unrest, the tents of the Seljuk tribes were raided, and their people were tortured. The Seljuks were unable to provide full security far their tribes. Therefare, Chaghri Beg, who was the head of the state at this time, ordered some of his people to move to the Byzantine border. Chaghri Beg, in collaboration with his brother Tughril Beg, took advantage of the absence of the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud, who was off leading a campaign to lndia, and moved westwards into Khorasan and eastern Anatolia with some of his Turkmen tribes. Sultan Mahmud was angered to learn that Arslan Cazip, who was the Governor of Tus at the time, had not taken any precautions to impede the advance of the Seljuks.

Chaghri Beg, who led the conquest of eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus region, entered the territories of the Vaspurakan and Bagratid Principalities, which were vassal states of the Aımenians, themselves subjects of the Byzantine Empire. The Vaspurakan prince David attacked the Turks with an army, but was defeated in the battle by the forces of Chaghri Beg. This first victory in Anatolia encouraged the Seljuks. Many Vaspurakan castles in Anatolia came under Seljuk control after this battle. Chaghri continued to score more victories in the region.

However, the real purpose of this campaign was to look for new regions in which Seljuk tribes could settle. "l did not encounter a power which could stand out against us around here," reported Chaghri Beg to Tughril Beg after this military campaign.

After the reign of Arslan Yabgu, who was the sultan of the Great Seljuks and the founder of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire, a second military campaign was undertaken in Anatolia. The Seljuk tribes suffered heavy losses during this campaign, which was carried out in approximately 1028. The Seljuk and the Byzantine armies fought near Gence, and the Byzantine army, even though supported by the Armenians and the Georgians, was defeated. After this battle, the Seljuk army moved towards northeast Anatolia by following the Aras River.

After the Dandanakan victory, the Seljuks who were established in and around Khorasan became more and more interested in Anatolia. The Seljuks kept looking for a place in which to settle the Turkmen tribes which kept arriving to Khorasan. Hasan, the son of Musa lnane Yagbu, a subordinate of Tughril Beg, moved into Anatolia with his army, but was ambushed and killed near the Zap River to the east of Van. Tughril Beg appointed lbrahim Yinal the commander of the armies for the Anatolian campaign after this incident.

lbrahim Yinal crossed into Anatolia with his army and captured the region of Erzen. After learning that the Seljuk army had entered Anatolia, the Byzantine army, assisted by the Georgians and the Armenians, went to the region. The Byzantine army was led by the Georgian King Liparit, who also had the support of the armies of other princes. In large part due to conflicts between these various princes, the Seljuk army was able to defeat Liparit in the Pasinler plains on September 18, 1048, taking him captive. This important battle enabled the Seljuk army to assess its power before the Battle of Malazgirt. The Battle of Pasinler had many positive outcomes. The first treaty between the Seljuks and the Byzantines was officially signed after this battle. This treaty included a clause for the restoration of the Arab Mosque in Istanbul. In return for setting Liparit free, it was agreed that depictions of the bow and arrow, the attributes of Tughril Beg, would be placed in the mihrab of the mosque. In addition, the sermon, previously read in the name of the Shiite caliph, would now be read in the name of the Abbasid caliph.

Kutalmish Beg, the son of Arslan Yagbu, had taken the important settlement of Kars on the Aras River for the Seljuks before the start of the Anatolian campaign of Tughril Beg. Kutalmish Beg retumed to Iran, having lost a major part of his soldiers after the attack on the the city of Merrin, near Anion.

Tughril Beg took a closer interest in Anatolia after this defeat. It is said that the reason for this pointed interest was the problem of the increasing immigrant Turkmen population in Khorasan and the lack of a definite treaty between the Seljuks and the Byzantine Empire. Tugril Beg captured Muradiye and Ercis from the Vaspurakan principality and laid siege to Malazgirt, an important military city, in 1054. After laying an extensive siege, he was forced to abandon it. Tughril Beg sent three separate armies to the region to conquerthe north-eastern parts of Anatolia aftert he unsuccessful siege of Malazgirt. Some of the settlements and castles in Tercan, Pulur, Sadak, Erzincan, Bayburt, Kars region and Coruh valley were captured and the Seljuk armies returned with substantial booty.

Diogenes appointed Manuel Komnenos as commander-in-chief of the army he had assembled and sent the army on a campaign in 1070. Since Alparslan and his brother-in-law Erbasgan had a conflict during this campaign, Emir Erbasgan entered Anatolia with a teeming Turkmen tribe. Alparslan sent Afsin Beg to Anatolia to follow Emir Erbasgan. Emir Erbasgan's army, who was running away from Afsin's troops, met the army of Manuel Komnenos in Sivas. Although Emir Erbasgan, who won the war, took Manuel Komnenos captive, he was persuaded by Manuel to seek refuge in the Byzantine Empire from his conflict with Alparslan, which he did.

Due to the turmoil in Egypt priorto 1071, Alparslan went to Anatolia from Azerbaijan, and from there to Egypt, with the mission to establish Seljuk rule there. Alparslan captured the Malazgirt Castle, which had not been captured by Tughril Beg. He also captured castles as far away as Urfa. Although he laid siege to Urfa, he was unable to take it. The Sultan, who advanced towards Aleppo, returned the administration of the city to Mahmud, the emir of Aleppo, after Mahmud apologised to him. When Alparslan was about to depart from the city to go to Damascus, the Byzantine Emperor sent a letter by messenger, demanding him to return Malazgirt, Ahlat, Ercis and the surrounding areas to the Byzantines. lf not, he threatened military action to take them back. Since this letter and the messengers indicated that a large Byzantine army was moving towards them, Alparslan aborted his Egyptian campaign and moved towards Ahlat. The Byzantine army captured Malazgirt Castle without a siege, and, although the castle commander asked for mercy, the Byzantine army massacred all the Muslims who lived in the city.

The Seljuk and Byzantine armies met in the Rahva plains, between Malazgirt and Rahva, on August 24, 1071. However, the battle actually took place on Friday, August 26, 1071. The Seljuk army, which was smaller than the Byzantine army, won the battle as a result of successful tactical manoeuvres. The Emperor was taken captive, yet was treated like an honored guest, instead of a captive, by Sultan Alparslan. The Emperor was set free after signing a peace treaty following the battle. However, Mikhail Doukas Vll now came to the Byzantine throne in Istanbul. Dukas had won the struggle with Diogenes for the throne, after which he blinded Diogenes with a metal rod and then locked him in a monastery. When Alparslan found out about the turmoil in the Byzantine Empire, he ordered his emirs to conquer Anatolia.

After Alparslan died, Seljuk raids to Anatolia 's interior continued, during the reign of Malik Shah. The Kutalmishoguls settled in the southern part of Anatolia.

Malik Shah appointed Artuk Beg to establish sovereignty over the Turkmen begs, who were scattered in Anatolia. Malik Shah sent Emir Porsuk to Anatolia to establish absolute sovereignty. Emir Porsuk eliminated Mansour, the son of Kutalmish.

Suleyman Shah, the son of Kutalmish, began to cooperate with the Byzantines. During the turmoil in the Byzantine Empire, he supported Nikephoros Melissenos, who was one of the candidates far the throne. Control of lznik and its surroundings, which were governed by this feudal lord, was given to Suleyman Shah. Suleyman Shah held lznik and made it the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, which was founded in 1080. Barsama, who was a son of Philaretos Brachiamos, the governor of Antakya, invited Suleyman Shah to Antakya to give him the city by gaining the support of Ismail, the administrator of the city. Considering the distance, this invitation was significant, because Barsama invited Suleyman Shah to Antakya due to his relationship with the Byzantine Empire. Suleyman Shah captured the city and its citadel in a short time.

Suleyman Shah then engaged in efforts to capture the surroundings of Aleppo, and took the cities and castles of Maarretunnuman, Kefertab, Latmin and Kinnesrin. He last the battle of Aleppo when T utush, the emir of Damascus, overtook him from behind when he was laying siege to Aleppo. Since Suleyman Shah could not bear the shame of this defeat, he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the heart. Thusly, this warrior Sultan, founder of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire, died as a result of an unfortunate conflict. Ebu'l Kasım ruled the Turkish Seljuk Sultanate when Suleyman Shah was in Antakya and its surroundings.

Diyarbakir and its surroundings was ruled by the Marwanid tribes. The Marwanids agreed to become subjects of the Turks, but they later formed an alliance with the emir of Mosul, and planned a campaign far the region. The Sultan Malik Shah appointed Fahr'ud-Devle as emir of Diyarbakir in 1084. A large army was formed by the Turkish begs Artuq, Cubuk, Cokurumush, Dilmacoglu, Muhammad, the State Official of Baghdad Gevharayin and the Arab Emir, Seyf ed-Devle, who were all sent to Diyarbakir with their troops. After Diyarbakir was conquered, the Seljuk army took the cities of Siirt, Erzen and Hasankeyf.

The Anatolian policy of the Great Seljuks was interrupted after the death of Malik Shah. However, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, who were the descendants of Suleyman Shah, the son of Kutalmish, continued the effective cultural and political characteristics of the Great Seljuk Sultanate in Anatolia.

Alparslan, who came to the throne after Tughril Beg, wanted to complete the Caucasus operation started by Tughril Beg. His vizier, Nizam al-Mulk, accompanied him on his campaign, which departed from Raw. When Alparslan reached the city of Marand, he received information regarding the roads to Anatolia from Tugtekin, who had previously campaigned in Anatolia. After Sultan Alparslan met with success in Georgia, the army moved towardsAnatolia. The Seljuks took some regions under their control by establishing diplomatic alliances instead of waging war. Alparslan married the daughter of the Armenian King Gourgen il, and sent the king to live in the city of Lori after the wedding. Sultan Alparslan then undertook the conquest of Ani, moving his troops to the area. According to the chronicle of lbn-ul Esr, the siege of the city lasted a long period. Using various siege techniques, the Seljuk army also built a small wooden castle in front of the walls and fired at them from here. Entering through a breach opened in the city walls, the army was at last able to take the city. The news that the city was captured reached all the way to Baghdad, and the Caliph sent the Sultan a letter full of praise. After Ani was conquered, the cross on top of the dome of the Virgin Mary Cathedral was removed and a crescent was placed there. However, the Sultan was upset when he learned that a valuable chandelier inside the cathedral had been dropped and broken.

After the Ani Castle was conquered, Alparslan commissioned the repair of the damaged city walls and the construction of a small mosque in the city. Muhammad bin Mansour was appointed governor of this city.

The Seljuk Begs and Turkmen leaders continued to make raids in various parts of Anatolia. Saları-i Khorasan attacked several castles in the region of Diyarbakir at this time, and notably laid siege to the Diyarbakir castle. Emir Nizameddin, the Marwanid ruler of Diyarbakir, invited Salar-i Khorasan to Diyarbakir to sign a treaty of surender. However, when Saları-i Khorasan entered the city, he was captured and killed by Emir Nizameddin.

Turkmen raids to the interior of Anatolia continued in the following years. The southern parts of Anatolia, such Hisn Mansu and the Hocin Castle, were conquered by Afsin Beg and Gumustekin Beg. When Afsin Beg killed Gumustekin Beg as a result of a dispute between them in Ahlat, Afsin Beg, who feared that Alparslan would then kill him, moved towards the west and raided Byzantine territory. He first captured Deluk, near Gaziantep, after laying siege to it. He then tried to fay siege to the Antakya castle. When Afsin Beg was unsuccessful here, he moved towards Malatya and captured the castle after laying siege to it.

He then tried to fay siege to the Antakya castle. When Afsin Beg was unsuccessful here, he moved towards Malatya and captured the castle after laying siege to it. Afsin Beg followed the caravan roads to Kayseri and captured the city, which was defenceless. Afsin Beg later went to Aleppo, with much booty.

Raids of Seljuk em irs and T urkmen begs to the interior parts of Anatolia caused great concern for the Byzantine Empire. Romanos Diogenes iV, the Byzantine Emperor, sought to rid Anatolia of the Seljuks. Diogenes formed an army in the Balkans by assembling Uz soldiers from the Balkans and Patzinaks from Cappadocia, and set out with this army towards Syria in the spring of 1068. When the army approached Kayseri, he heard that the Seljuk army was plundering the region of Niksar. He advanced east in pursuit of the Seljuk troops, and they met near Divriği. The Byzantine army began the battle with confidence. The army set out towards Aleppo to secure the city and the region under the Byzantine rule and captured the city. However, after capturing the city, the army was concerned about Turkish raids at any moment. The Emperor left Aleppo and retreated towards Anatolia. Afsin Beg, who was in Ahlat at this time, gathered his troops and continued to make raids to the interior of Anatolia. He captured the city of Amorium and reached the banks of the Sakarya River. When Diogenes heard that Amorium had been captured, he began to advance towards the city when he was in the region around Pozanti. After he learned that the Seljuk emir had left Istanbul, he then divided his army between the various winter quarter cities and went there.

The following year, Seljuk raids, targeting mostly Anatolian cities, forced Emperor Romanos Diogenes to launch a new campaign. The main objective of Diogenes, who advanced on central Anatolia with a powerful army, was to break Seljuk rule in Anatolia by capturing Ahlat, the city the Seljuks used as a military garrison. The Byzantine army approached Harput with the Emperor in command. The Seljuks, who had raided Malatya and its surroundings, captured Palu. Philateros Brachamious, the Byzantine governor of Palu, fled the city and took refuge behind the Emperor. When the the army of Emperor Diogenes started to move towards Palu, he learned that the Seljuk emirs had captured Konya and Karaman. He decided to advance to Kayseri, via Sivas, in order to check the advance of the Seljuk raiders to the southern regions. The Seljuk raiders in Konya and Karaman managed to reach Aleppo by passing through the Cilician gates. The Byzantine army was thus forced to return without ever meeting the Seljuks.

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