[BtS] Civ of the Week: Seljuks 2016-10-05

Civ of the Week is a “project” aiming at bringing you a new, fresh, exotic, and most of all, random, civ every 1-2 weeks, from all corners of the globe, from the Vietnamese to the Mittanni to the Iraqis. Each civilization features full civilopedia text entires, 1-2 leaders with unique game and diplomatic attitudes (they're not simply a copy of another leader!), a UU, a UB, unique diplomacy music, and full graphics.

The purpose of Civ of the Week, then, is three-fold:

1. To bring you random civs that would probably not have been chosen as civilizations first of all, and to provide a new, more exotic, more interesting experience in choosing civilizations.

2. To promote more knowledge of lesser-known peoples, cultures, and histories.

3. Make more civs for the totally awesome Civ Gold mod.


Otherwise, then, enjoy!

[FONT=&quot]Leader:[FONT=&quot] Alp Arslan (Organized, Imperialistic)

UU: Ghulam Warrior (Knight) (+50% attack vs. macemen, pikemen; +15 cost)

UB: Nizamiyya (University) (+2 health) [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Credits:[FONT=&quot] Sakhr (unit), Walter Hawkwood (Building), fk2006 (buttons)[/FONT][/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Description: [FONT=&quot]The Seljuks were originally one of many nomadic, Turkish tribes in Central Asia. They rose to prominence early in the 10th century due to a leader named ‘Seljuk’. His descendants would name their Empire after him. Under his Seljuk’s successor, Togrul Beg, the Seljuks developed into a military power in the Middle East. Under him, the Seljuks conquered much of Persia and became involved in conflicts throughout the Middle East; they allied and fought with with various Islamic and Christian powers of the region, including the Abbasid Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Under Togrul’s successor, his nephew Alp Arslan, the Seljuk Empire reached an even greater height. Alp Arslan conquered various territories of the Middle East, including modern-day Kurdistan, Syria, Iraq, Georgia, and Armenia. However, his most famous and historically significant conquest was that of Anatolia, which he wrestled from the Byzantines at the battle of Manzikert in 1071. The Byzantines were soundly defeated, and Alp Arslan even captured the Byzantine Emperor; regardless, the battle is considered by some historians to be the start of the long decline of the Byzantine Empire.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Alp Arslan was a renowned warrior and conqueror, well-organized and capable. His son, Malik Shah I, proved to also be an able leader; under Malik Shah, the Empire reached its greatest height, with territory extending from Kashmir to Ionia. However, internal troubles erupted at the end of Malik Shah’s reign, and soon after he died, the “Great Seljuk Empire”, as it was known, disintegrated into various warring states. Likewise, the fact that the Seljuks had previously conquered the Holy Land led to the Crusades, which further weakened their power. By the time of the Mongol invasions, the Seljuks were but a mere shadow of their power. They survived to some degree in Anatolia within the Sultanate of Rum, but even this Sultanate eventually dwindled until it disappeared from the historical record.[/FONT]