User:Vamsi20/Turkification of Anatolia

The Turkification of Anatolia (Anadolu'nun Türkleşmesi) was a process in which the diverse and largely Greek-speaking region of Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor) was Turkified. This happened largely during the time of the Seljuk Empire and the Sultanate of Rum.

Background
Anatolia was inhabited by many peoples before Turkification, including Armenians, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Arameans, and Assyrians.

Persian Anatolia
After the Median Empire fell in a Persian rebellion in 553 BC, the area was subject to the rule of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Most of the peninsula would remain that way until the fall of the Persian Empire.

Greek Anatolia
The Macedonian Empire under the rule of Alexander the Great would conquer the entirety of Persia by 330 BC, and Anatolia's population would largely remain Greek until the 11th century. The peninsula would mostly fall under the rule of the Seleucid Empire after the death of Alexander and the partition of Macedonia, and the Ptolemaic Kingdom would also establish a presence in the region. This led to multiple wars between the Ptolemaics and Seleucids, collectively known as the Syrian Wars. The last of these wars stripped the former of its territories in Anatolia. During this period following Alexander's death, Anatolia was Hellenized, with much of the population influenced by or being Greek.

Founding and Battle of Manzikert
Turks began appearing at the fringes of Anatolia in the 11th century, then controlled mostly by the Byzantine Empire and Armenia. These Turks founded the Seljuk Empire in 1037 in Central Asia. The new state would expand through the Middle East and bordered the Byzantine Empire at the edge of Anatolia by the 1060s. Meanwhile, the Byzantines conquered Armenia in 1045. The Seljuks frequently raided across the border. In 1071, Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes moved 40,000 troops to the border, which led to the Battle of Manzikert. The Byzantines would be defeated decisively, and it would lead to the establishment of Turkish power in Anatolia. After this battle, much of the local population converted to Islam, and major migrations and ethnic changes commenced.

Expansion into Anatolia and Mongol invasion
During the Battle of Manzikert, Emperor Diogenes was captured, offered generous peace terms, and sent back home. However, a civil war began in the Byzantine Empire shortly after. Anatolia was left undefended, and the Seljuks occupied it. The Byzantines along with Crusaders would go on to recapture some territories, but most of the peninsula would remain under the rule of the Turks.