The relationship between sufism-power in the first century of the Seljuqs

The search for legitimacy of two groups, one political and the other social, cause a splash the 11th century Islamic society. One of these two groups, the Seljuks, who had just converted to Islam a generation ago, gained power in an ancient civilization basin governed by Islamic rules and attempted to establish legitimacy in such an environment. Another group was the Sufis, who could not complete the formation process due to the criticisms they faced from different circles and hoped to accelerate this process with the support of the Seljuks. The Seljuks needed Sufis for the establishment of social order and the approval of their religious obligations in the Islamic lands they conquered. The Sufis, on the other hand, tried to overcome the exclusion they had experienced in the Islamic society for more than two centuries with the support of the Seljuk rulers. When the relations among the Seljuk rulers and the Sufis and the anecdotes about these relations are examined, it is seen that these two groups were successful in their aims. To this respect, while almost every source emphasized the religiousness of the Seljuk rulers in various ways, it was reported that the Sufis made a significant compromise with the groups with they disagreed. Thanks to their cooperation with the Sufis, the Seljuk dynasty gained an important supporter in the establishment of the social order. In addition to political successes, the Seljuks, who united scholars and Sufis under the umbrella of Sunnism, ensured the victory of Sunnism with the institutional structures (masjid, madrasah, khankah and foundations), financial supports and incentives they provided to them, while at the same time ensuring the revival of their state. Thanks to the support they received, the Sufis spread almost all over the Islamic world, and towards the last years of the Seljuk greatness, they became an important part of the Islamic society with the formation of tariqats.