This is a unique collaborative exploration of this pivotal yet understudied Muslim dynasty. The Seljuqs were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries. What was it like to live in Seljuq times? How did the Seljuq rulers express their power? How did the learned classes and the state feel about each other? How was social space organised? What was the relationship between nomads and settled people? Split into three parts, this collection of essays addresses questions like these about life during the Seljuq period. Part 1 follows the gradual transformation of the Seljuqs into a powerful dynasty and their concepts of political legitimisation. Part 2 examines social history, particularly with regard to the 'ulama' and the urban populations. Part 3 explores how religious thought, jurisprudence, belles-lettres and architecture developed under the Seljuqs. Key features: covers a wide geographical spectrum, from Central Asia and Persia to Iraq, Syria and Anatolia; contributors include C.E. Bosworth, Massimo Campanini, Carole Hillenbrand, Robert Hillenbrand, Jurgen Paul, Andrew C.S. Peacock and Scott Redford.