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GRADUATE INSTITUTE of SOCIAL SCIENCES / DEPARTMENT of HISTORY
Masters With Thesis
Course Catalog
www.ktu.edu.tr/fakulte/fenedb/index.php; www.sbe.ktu.edu.tr/index_files/tarih_abd.htm
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SBE
GRADUATE INSTITUTE of SOCIAL SCIENCES / DEPARTMENT of HISTORY / Masters With Thesis
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TRHL5034The Seljuks and Islam3+0+0ECTS:7.5
Year / SemesterSpring Semester
Level of CourseSecond Cycle
Status Elective
DepartmentDEPARTMENT of HISTORY
Prerequisites and co-requisitesNone
Mode of Delivery
Contact Hours14 weeks - 3 hours of lectures per week
LecturerDr. Öğr. Üyesi Eyyüp YILMAZ
Co-LecturerAsst. Prof. Dr. Banu ÇETİN ÜNAL
Language of instructionTurkish
Professional practise ( internship ) None
 
The aim of the course:
The aim of the course is to examine the fundamental elements that shaped the religious policy of the Seljuk Empire. Within this scope, the course addresses the state's policies supporting Sunni Islam, its stance and practices against Shiite structures, its strategies in the struggle against the Batini movement, and its relations with Sufi groups. The aim is for students to gain the ability to evaluate the intellectual foundations, institutional arrangements, and social impacts of Seljuk religious policy from a comparative perspective.
 
Programme OutcomesCTPOTOA
Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be able to :
PO - 1 : Can explain the fundamental concepts and approaches of Seljuk religious policy.1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 51,
PO - 2 : The relationship between political authority and religion can be interpreted through the example of the Seljuks.1,
PO - 3 : It can evaluate orthodox and heterodox movements.1,
CTPO : Contribution to programme outcomes, TOA :Type of assessment (1: written exam, 2: Oral exam, 3: Homework assignment, 4: Laboratory exercise/exam, 5: Seminar / presentation, 6: Term paper), PO : Learning Outcome

 
Contents of the Course
The course aims to analyze the historical background of the relationship between political authority and religion by examining the fundamental concepts and approaches that shaped the Seljuk Empire's religious policy. Within this framework, the formation process of Sunni policies, strategies developed against heterodox movements such as Batiniyya and Ismailism, and the institutionalization of religious institutions such as madrasas, qadis, sheikh al-Islam, and waqf organizations are examined in detail. Furthermore, the social position of Sufi movements in Seljuk society and their relations with the state are evaluated. Throughout the course, students are expected to understand both the intellectual and institutional dimensions of religious politics in the Seljuk period and to interpret the reflections of these policies in historical writing in light of primary and secondary sources.
 
Course Syllabus
 WeekSubjectRelated Notes / Files
 Week 1Introduction, Concepts, and Theoretical Framework
 Week 2The Origins of the Seljuks and Their Entry into the Islamic World
 Week 3The Era of Tughril Bey: The Caliph-Sultan Relationship
 Week 4The Tradition of Siyasetnâme and Nizâmülmülk
 Week 5The Development of Madrasas: Nizâmiye Madrasas
 Week 6The Seljuks' Policy of Sunni Islamization
 Week 7The Seljuks and Batiniyya / Ismailiyya
 Week 8 Religious Groups in the Seljuks: Ulema, Fukaha, Mudaris
 Week 9Midterm Exam
 Week 10The Seljuks' Sufi Policy
 Week 11The Seljuks and the Turkmen Groups
 Week 12Midterm Project
 Week 13The Babaï Revolt and Its Religious and Social Repercussions
 Week 14Religious Politics Under Mongol Rule
 Week 15Seljuk Historiography and the Representation of Religious Politics
 Week 16Final Exam
 
Textbook / Material
1Osman Turan (2014), Selçuklular Zamanında Türkiye (Siyasî Tarih Alp Arslan?dan Osman Gâzi?ye 1071-1318), Ötüken Neşriyat, İstanbul.
 
Recommended Reading
1Osman Turan (2012), Selçuklular ve İslâmiyet, Ötüken Neşriyat, İstanbul.
2Osman Turan (2013), Selçuklular Tarihi ve Türk-İslam Medeniyeti, Ötüken Neşriyat, İstanbul.
3Claude Cahen (2014), Osmanlılardan Önce Anadolu, Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yayınları, İstanbul.
 
Method of Assessment
Type of assessmentWeek NoDate

Duration (hours)Weight (%)
Mid-term exam 9 2026 1 30
In-term studies (second mid-term exam) 12 2026 1 20
End-of-term exam 16 2026 2 50
 
Student Work Load and its Distribution
Type of workDuration (hours pw)

No of weeks / Number of activity

Hours in total per term
Yüz yüze eğitim 3 14 42
Sınıf dışı çalışma 8 14 112
Arasınav için hazırlık 9 2 18
Arasınav 2 1 2
Kısa sınav 8 2 16
Dönem sonu sınavı için hazırlık 7 1 7
Dönem sonu sınavı 3 1 3
Total work load200