Great religious leaders and the scholars of canon
jurisprudence, the Muslim Scriptures, interpretation, Prophet's sayings, and philosophy
had been brought up in the period of Seljuk Empire and they had been protected by the
sultans. The scholars of this period had had great effects on the Muslim intellectual and
scientific lives for a long time.
The Farsi language had experienced his supreme period in
the field of poetry and literature in the period of the Great Seljuk State. Seljuk sultans
and princes were fond of poetry and literature. For example, it has been cited that the
Sultan Melikshah and Sencer had read and written poems. The Seljuk sultans had protected
the famous poets of Iran literature and they stayed in their palaces and wrote some poems
that praised them.
Among the Iraq Seljuk Sultans, Arslan-shah
(1161-1174) and Tugrul III (1176-1194) had protected the contemporary poets of the period.
The cultural activities in Kirman attract attention
in the period of domination of Seljuk State. Kirman Seljuk Emirs had endeavoured great
efforts in order to increase the cultural level of the people. As a matter of fact, the
diffusion of the prosperity and the wealth in the period of the Ruler Arslan Shah I within
the neighbouring countries had attracted several scientists to Kirman. His son, Muhammed
was mostly interested in ilm-i nücum (the science of the starts, astrology). Furthermore,
the Ruler Muhammed had given various prizes in order to encourage the education. We have
learned that he had constructed a library and donated five thousands of books to this
library. Kirman Seljuk rulers and statesmen had protected some of the poets, scholars and
the religious learned men. These people had written poems about the Kirman Seljuk rulers
and the statesmen.
Seljuk State tried to disseminate the sciences
through the theological schools that they had constructed. In the Nizamiye theological
school that was considered as the university of the period, the positive sciences such as
medicine, etc. were taught as well as the religious information. An observatory was built
(1074-5) in the period of Melikshah, and the scholars such as the famous astronomy
scientist and the mathematician Omar Hayyam, Ebu'l-Muzaffer Isfizari and Meymun b. Necib
Vasiti, etc. were occupied in the affairs of observation. This scientific committee had
composed the Celali calendar in reference to the title of Sultan Melikshah as
"Celalu'd-devle". The philosopher Muhammed b. Ahmed Beyhaki was another famous
astronomy scientist and mathematician. Ebu Mansur Abdurrahman Hazini was one of the
scholars in the field of astronomy that lived in the period of Sultan Sencer. Ebu'l-Kasim
el-Asturlābī had worked upon his studies in the field of astronomy in the Seljuk palace
located in Baghdad. Regarding the science of medicine, Ebū Sa'īd Muhammed b. Ali and
Sultan Sencer's chief physician, Bahaeddin Muhammed b. Mahmūd were considered among the
famous doctors of the period.
Within the peaceful and quiet environment established
by the Seljuk State, various religions and tribes lived in harmony in Anatolia. This
situation led to the emergence of a joint culture. Furthermore, the regions of Anatolia
were far away from the feelings of fanaticism and it was open to accept various
philosophical thoughts and the movements about the Islamic mysticism. Within this
environment, the intellectual movements that were initiated since the second half of the
century XII led to the training of some important characters such as Mevlanā Celāl ed-Dīn
Rūmī and Yunus Emre, etc. Sultan 'Alā' ed-Dīn Keykubād had provided great services
for the science, art and religion in the state and he had increased the conditions of the
state to the highest level of civilisation.
Kadi Burhāneddīn Ebū Nasr b. Mes'ūd Anevī
(1211-2) was one of the scholars and poets that had been brought up in the period of
Turkey Seljuk State. He had presented his work titled as Enis el-Kulūb written in Farsi
language to Sultan Żzzeddīn I. Keykavus. On the other hand, Ibn-i Bibi Nāsżreddīn Hüseyin
b. Muhammed who had livedin the century XIII had acquired fame with his work titles as
el-Evāmir el-'Alāiye that was written about the history of Turkey Seljuk State. The
Iranian historian, Muhammed b. Ali er-Ravendī had written a work of art titled as Rāhat
üs-sudur ve Ayet üs-Sürūr that was about the history of Seljuk State, and he had
presented his work to Giyaseddhin Keyhusrev (1204-1210) who was the sultan of Turkey
Seljuk State. Kerimüddīn Mahmūd Aksarayī was one of the famous historians that had
lived in Anatolia in the centuries XIII and XIV and his work was titled as Müsāmeretü'l-Ahbār.
Kāni'ī Mahlaslż Ahmed b. Mahmūd el-Tūsī was one of the contemporary poets that had
lived in Anatolia in the century of XIII. This contemporary poet and author of the period
had written the short stories of Kelile and Dimne in Farsi language and in verse genre in
the name of Sultan Izzeddin Keykavus II. Furthermore, the Seljuk Žahname (Seljuk Poetical
History) that was written by him in thirty volumes had been lost. Another poet that had
lived in the same century was Hāce Dehhānī and his work titled as Selēuklular Žahnāmesi
(Poetical History of Seljuk State) is considered among the lost works.
The Turkish-Islam civilisation that developed in Anatolia
in the period of Seljuk State was reinforced with the scientists and artists that had come
from the east. Particularly, there were great mystic intellectuals that were contemporary
with this period that had lived in Anatolia. One of the greatest Muslim mystics that had
lived in Anatolia, Muhyiddīn Arabī (1165-1240) had resided in Konya. His thoughts were
maintained by Sadreddīn Konevī (died in 1274) who was his student and the spiritual son.
Meanwhile, several Muslim mysics who had run away from the Mongolian invasions had come to
Anatolia. Necmeddīn Rāzī (Dāye, died in 1256) was one of these Muslim mystics and he
had compiled a work in the form of history of politics titled as Mirsādü'l-ibād that
was written in the name of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I.
The great mystic, Mevlānā
Celāleeddīn Rūmī (died in 1273) had run away with his father Bahā ed-dīn Veled from
the Mongolian invasions while he was at a very young age. Then, they had come to Anatolia
and settled in Konya. Mevlānā Celāleddīn who was the founder of the Mevlevi religious
order had written his famous works titled as Divān-ż Kebīr, Mesnevī, Fīhi mā fīh,
Mevā'iz mecālis seb'a, Mektubāt, etc. Mevlāna's son, Sultan Veled (died in 1312) had
written his works titled as Divān, Żbtidā-nāme, Veled-nāme and Rebāb-nāme, etc.
Some Turkish poets are observed within his work titled as Divan. The real representative
of the Turkish nation in Anatolia was Yunus Emre and another contemporary Turkish poet,
Ahmed Gülžehrī who had lived in the centuries XIII-XIV. This poet had extended the
scope of the work of Iranian poet, Attar titles as Mantżku't-Tayr and he had translated
it. Gulsehri had shown that he was a very valuable artist in this work of art. He had
written some other works titled as Felek-nāme and Kerāmet-i Ahi Evren. The latter is a
small verse work written in Turkish language.
Meanwhile, the books of epics pertaining to the founders of
the religious orders and the characters that had played an important role in the training
of these people had attained much importance in Anatolia. Some works pertaining to the
Mevlevi celebrities such as Mevlanā, Sultan Veled and Ulu Arif Ēelebi had been written
down. As a matter of fact, the works titled as "Menākib" written by Sipeh-sālār
Ferīdūn b. Ahmed and "Menākżb el-Arīfīn" (Epics of the Wise) written by
Ahmed Eflakī (died in 1360) are of great significance since these works are considered as
a historical resource. Eflaki has four Turkish lyric poems as far as is has been known so
far.
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