Is this actually possible? Do you need a POD where some Turkic tribes are more drawn to Orthodox Christianity and speaking Medieval Greek rather than Islam and speaking Persian or Turkic languages and actually integrate into Byzantine Empire. I know there were Slavic and Armenian dynasties ruling over the Byzantine Empire. I would imagine the Byzantine Empire at this point would only be Greece and Asia Minor.
AHC: Turkic dynasty of Byzantine Emperors
- Thread starter Timeline Junkie
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Planet of Hats
Donor
My boy Tzachas of Smyrna leans in and suggests a TL in which his play for Constantinople is successful.
Others would know more but I think you need to hamper the spread of Islam into Central Asia. That way most Turkic tribes coming into contact with Rhomania would tend to christianise and some be coopted into it.
Post-Manzikert the Romans successfully reconquer Anatolia. Some of the Turks bend the knee to the Emperor and convert and are allowed to continue ruling in the far eastern parts for ease of administration. One of these minor Turkish ruling families eventually has a kid that amasses military glory, marches on Constantinople, and founds a new dynasty.
There Had been Turkish/ Seljuk families among the leading Byzantine noble families.
Kanatakouzenos family had quite a bid of Turkish Blood I think join vi fits the bill maybe somehow have a surviving Byzantium post civil war and rise of the cantakouzenos rather than paleolgian line.
Edit nvm was from Smyrna the family origin in the 11th century probably Greek not Turkish
Edit nvm was from Smyrna the family origin in the 11th century probably Greek not Turkish
Marc
Donor
Key factor, which also relates the idea of any non-Byzantine becoming Emperor, is that the nature of the society demanded, ah, imperatively, that the Emperor be Byzantine, or become Byzantine.
Which means everything from the Emperor never speaking anything but Greek, even with close friends, to always dressing exactly as a Byzantine ruler should (red buskins on up), to following precisely all the court ceremonies that would occupy their day (the amount of daily ritual truly was vast, up there with Louis XIV, the Sun-King), and of course being publicly absolutely devoted to the True Faith, i.e. firmly Orthodox (at least until the empire had become a desperate farce). It is irrelevant about their background, they all were assimilated - or they wouldn't get the Imperial scepter.
Which means everything from the Emperor never speaking anything but Greek, even with close friends, to always dressing exactly as a Byzantine ruler should (red buskins on up), to following precisely all the court ceremonies that would occupy their day (the amount of daily ritual truly was vast, up there with Louis XIV, the Sun-King), and of course being publicly absolutely devoted to the True Faith, i.e. firmly Orthodox (at least until the empire had become a desperate farce). It is irrelevant about their background, they all were assimilated - or they wouldn't get the Imperial scepter.
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Marc
Donor
Well, that would be as likely as say, having some Armenians join the Gurkha battalions in the 19th century. Besides the very distinctive exclusive recruitment of Northern Europeans, they were extremely valued for their impressive loyalty as much as their fighting skills - you might be confusing them with the Roman Praetorian Guard.