WI: The Selujiks break-up less

I'm thinking of finally getting off my ass and writing a mini-TL, and was thinking of what might happen if the Selujik sucessor states are larger and stronger, particularly the Sultanate of Rum. Would it be possible to have the Rum Sultans wind up with Syria, the Levant, and OTL Georgia and Armenia? More importantly, would that benefit or harm the Rum Sultanate?
 
I'm thinking of finally getting off my ass and writing a mini-TL, and was thinking of what might happen if the Selujik sucessor states are larger and stronger, particularly the Sultanate of Rum. Would it be possible to have the Rum Sultans wind up with Syria, the Levant, and OTL Georgia and Armenia? More importantly, would that benefit or harm the Rum Sultanate?

I wouldn't say it would happen right away - and the SoR did fairly well by itself: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/677/Rum-Seljuq-sultanate (map)

Benefit or harm...depends on how things play out in regards to other things.
 
Hmm-I was thinking of killing off one of the heirs of Malik Shah I on the logic that if there are fewer claimants it'd give Kilij Arslan time and space to take some of the lands mentioned in the OP, but that may just wind up with another claimant stronger. Upon some reflection, it seems like tamping down the Byzantine-Selujik wars might be a good option-maybe have Manuel Komnenos decide to focus on his western frontier? That would keep him distracted enough to not campaign against the Turks and if his policy involves a strong defensive posture on his Turkish frontier(which it will have to), that might push one of the Sultans of that period to look southwest.
 
I'm thinking of finally getting off my ass and writing a mini-TL, and was thinking of what might happen if the Selujik sucessor states are larger and stronger, particularly the Sultanate of Rum. Would it be possible to have the Rum Sultans wind up with Syria, the Levant, and OTL Georgia and Armenia? More importantly, would that benefit or harm the Rum Sultanate?

Pretty difficult for the Rum Turks to do it- they're surrounded on all fronts by Komnenid Rhomania, plus the Danishmend Turks to their east. Plus, controlling the Levant from central Anatolia without much access to the sea is difficult, and getting rid of East Roman, Armenian and Crusader positions on the coast is tough too.

So, Rum Turks, I don't think so. But the idea of a powerful Caucasian based Turkish state is doable, I think.
 
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