Westward Migration of the Seljuk Turks

Timeline

1. 901–960Lower Syr Darya steppe · Central AsiaAmid competition for steppe resources and political pressure, the Seljuk clan within the Oghuz confederation gradually moved west from the Syr Darya–Aral Sea region into Khwarazm and Jand, coming into contact with settled polities and nomadic neighbors.
2. c. 965–985Khwarazm · IranLed by Tughril and other chiefs, the Seljuks continued westward into the Khwarazm frontier, serving as mercenaries for or fighting against polities like the Samanids and Ghaznavids, and gradually absorbing Islamic cultural influence.
3. c. 990–1000Nishapur–Merv region · IranBy the end of the 10th century the Seljuk clan had secured a firm base in Khwarazm, shifting from nomadic raiding to semi-settled rule, with military strength sufficient to challenge local Islamic polities and laying the groundwork for the capture of Baghdad and the founding of a great empire in the early 11th century.