New
New
Year 7

Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire

I can describe the position of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century.

New
New
Year 7

Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire

I can describe the position of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Islamic caliphates existed in the Middle East during this period.
  2. The Seljuk Empire was a powerful Islamic state in the 11th century.
  3. Desert and steppe nomads fought in a similar style, which was effective against sedentary civilisations.
  4. By the 11th century, the Seljuk Empire was expanding into Byzantium's territory.

Common misconception

The medieval Islamic world was a single entity.

The Islamic Empire started as a single entity, but by the 11th century had fragmented into several competing nations.

Keywords

  • Islam - Islam is the religion of Muslims

  • Caliphate - a caliphate is an Islamic state ruled by a single religious and political leader

  • Nomad - a nomad is a person who has no permanent home but moves from one place to another

  • Pastoral - pastoral refers to the raising of cattle and other grazing animals

For the revision wheel exercise, encourage students to prioritise the use of symbols rather than words as the abstract thought required for this task will cause them to think more carefully about the task.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
was the form of Christianity practised in the Byzantine Empire.
Correct Answer: Eastern Orthodox , Eastern Orthodox Christianity, eastern orthodox, eastern orthodox Christianity
Q2.
The destruction of holy images is known as .
Correct Answer: iconoclasm, Iconoclasm
Q3.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened. Use numbers to show the correct order.
1 - City founded as a Greek colony
2 - Constantine converts to Christianity
3 - City renamed Constantinople
4 - Roman Empire splits into East and West
5 - Western Roman Empire collapses
Q4.
Why was Justinian I known as ‘the emperor who never sleeps’?
He struggled to sleep at night.
Correct answer: He had an impressive work ethic.
He enjoyed attending parties.
Q5.
Which two of the following weakened the Byzantine Empire from within?
Correct answer: conflicts over religion
invasions by Germanic tribes
Correct answer: violent changes of rulers
loss of territory in wars
Q6.
Which group posed a new major threat to the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century?
Arabic Muslims
Germanic tribes
Correct answer: Seljuk Turks
Slavic tribes

6 Questions

Q1.
An Islamic state ruled by a single religious and political leader is known as a .
Correct Answer: caliphate, Caliphate
Q2.
This keyword is a person who has no permanent home but moves from one place to another.
Correct Answer: nomad, Nomad
Q3.
To which religion did the Seljuk Turks convert in 985 CE?
Christianity
Correct answer: Islam
Judaism
Q4.
Which of the following were similarities between the fighting style of desert and steppe nomads?
Correct answer: They were both amazing horse riders.
Correct answer: They both delivered fast-ranged attacks with their bows and arrows.
They fought with their cattle.
They fought only in warmer conditions.
Q5.
Into which area was the Seljuk Empire expanding by the 11th century?
Correct answer: Byzantine
The Western Roman Empire
Umayyad Caliphate
Persian Empire
Q6.
Which battle in 1071 opened the way for the Seljuks to advance into Byzantine lands?
Battle of Civetot
Battle of Hattin
Correct answer: Battle of Manzikert

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