Who were the Seljuks?
Seljuks, members of a ruling family of Turkic-speaking peoples, originated in an area of central Asia called Turkestan and were named for Seljuk, their first leader. The Seljuks also became one of the first Turkish peoples to rule in Asia Minor (now Turkey). They controlled much of southwestern Asia from the mid-1000's to the mid-1200's.
Excerpt adapted from the "Seljuk" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999.