Home Region: Iran (Southwest Asia)

Seljuk Sultanate

1037 CE 1157 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 ir_seljuk_sultanate / IrSeljq

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

950 CE 1212 CE Kara-Khanids (kg_kara_khanid_dyn) [elite replacement]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The Seljuks were a Turkic dynasty from east of the Aral Sea ^[1] who ruled a relatively decentralized empire across Central Asia, Persia and Mesopotamia - with perhaps the exception of the powerful viziership of Nizam al-Mulk. ^[2] .
The Seljuk Empire (1037-1157 CE) did not have a single political center as it was divided into western and eastern halves ^[3] ; the east had "connotations of seniority in Turkic culture" ^[4] and Nizam al-Mulk himself started his career in the Seljuk bureaucracy in Balkh. ^[5] The western territories were known as the Sultanate of Iraq ^[6] and altogether there may have been 12 million under Seljuk rule in 1100 CE.
Nizam al-Mulk "strove to suppress abuses, to introduce reforms, to initiate his still uncultured Saljuk masters into the arts of Perso-Islamic statecraft, and to provide competent and reliable theologians, judges, and secretaries for the state religion and administration." ^[7] "Nizam al-Mulk was particularly concerned with the construction and maintenance of trade routes, caravanserais, and bridges; the appointment of trustworthy market inspectors and tax collectors; and the appointment of spies throughout the realm - policies crucial to rooting out corruption and fostering confidence in local and long-distance trade." ^[8]
Within the Seljuk system of rule the caliph was the ultimate religious authority ^[9] ^[9] and the sultan was the head of secular power ^[10] supported by a vizier of the diwan-i a’la. ^[11] Seljuk maliks (princes) ruled provinces with an atabeg (supervisor) and a small court bureaucracy overseen by a vizier. ^[12]
As an independent state the Seljuk Empire came to an end when it was defeated by the Mongols and the Sultan had to pay them tribute.

[1]: (Bosworth 2001) C. E. Bosworth, ’Turks, Seljuk and Ottoman’ in The Oxford Companion to Military History eds. Richard Holmes, Charles Singleton, and Dr Spencer Jones (2001) (al-Rahim 2010) Ahmed H. al-Rahim, ’Seljuk Turks’ in The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages ed. Robert E. Bjork (2010)

[2]: (Peacock 2015, 48) Peacock, A C S. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[3]: (Peacock 2015, 6) A C S Peacock. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[4]: (Peacock 2015, 41) Peacock, A C S. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[5]: (Peacock 2015, 48) A C S Peacock. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[6]: (Peacock 2015, 7) A C S Peacock. 2015. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[7]: (Bagley 1964, xxviii-xxix) F R C Bagley. trans. Huma’i, Jalal and Isaacs, H. D. eds. 1964. Ghazali’s Book of Counsel for Kings (Nasihat Al-Muluk). Oxford University Press. London.

[8]: (Lindsay 2005, 20) James E Lindsay. 2005. Daily Life in The Medieval Islamic World. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Indianapolis.

[9]: (al-Rahim 2012) Ahmed H. al-Rahim, ’Seljuk Turks’ in The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages ed. Robert E. Bjork (2010)

[10]: Findley, Carter V., The Turks in World History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), P.69.

[11]: (Peacock 2015, 333) A C S Peacock. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

[12]: (Peacock 2015, 194-195) A C S Peacock. 2015. The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. Edinburgh.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Original Name

5 Capital

6 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

3 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

2 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

2 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

1 Fastest Individual Communication

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

2 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

9 Power Transition

Instability Events

31 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate) was in:
(1056 CE 1190 CE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Susiana

Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Original Name	Seljuk Empire	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Capital	Hamadan	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Capital	Merv	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Capital	Rayy	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Capital	Isfahan	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Capital	Baghdad	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Great Seljek Empire	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Seljuk Turks	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Seljuk Dynasty	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Seljuk	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Saljuq	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternative Name	Selchuq	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Temporal Bounds Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	1092 CE
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Duration	[1037 CE ➜ 1157 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	nominal allegiance to [---]	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Perso-Islamic	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Il-Khanate	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	[3,000,000 to 3,500,000] km²	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	elite migration	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Preceding Entity 950 CE 1212 CE	Kara-Khanids (kg_kara_khanid_dyn) [elite replacement]
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Language Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Linguistic Family	Afro-Asiatic	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Language	Turkish	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Language	Arabic	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Language	Persian	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Religion Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Islam	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Religion Family	Sunni	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[500,000 to 1,000,000] people	1100 CE
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Polity Territory	[4,000,000 to 4,500,000] km²	1100 CE
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Polity Population	12,100,000 people	1100 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Religious Level	[3 to 4]	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Military Level	6	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Administrative Level	5	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Professions Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1054 CE
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Professional Soldier	Present	1055 CE 1157 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1054 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	1055 CE 1157 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Law Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Judge	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Court	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Port	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Canal	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Bridge	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Information / Writing System Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Script	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Philosophy	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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History	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Fiction	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Calendar	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Information / Money Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Article	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Information / Postal System Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Courier	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Fastest Individual Communication	- Undecided	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Information / Measurement System Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present Disputed	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent Disputed	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Military use of Metals Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Iron	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Copper	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Bronze	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Projectiles Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Self Bow	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Javelin	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Handheld weapons Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Sword	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Spear	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Polearm	Unknown	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Dagger	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Animals used in warfare Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Elephant	Absent Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Dog	Absent	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Camel	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Armor Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Shield	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Laminar Armor	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Helmet	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Chainmail	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Naval technology Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	1037 CE 1157 CE
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Human Sacrifice Seljuk Sultanate (ir_seljuk_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More