Overview
By the end of the 1000's, the Seljuks had gained control of Persia (now Iran), Syria, and Palestine. Much of the Seljuk Empire declined during the 1100's. But the Seljuk branch in Asia Minor flourished until the 1240's, when Mongol invaders weakened its rule. This branch laid a foundation for the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 1300's.
Excerpt adapted from the "Seljuk" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999.