Which group were nomadic invaders from central Asia, staunch Sunnis, who ruled from the 11th century in the name of the Abbasids?

• A. Mongols
• B. Seljuk Turks
• C. Ulama
• D. Mamluks

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is the rise of the Seljuk Turks and how they reshaped political power in the Islamic world during the 11th century. The Seljuks were nomadic groups from Central Asia who adopted Sunni Islam and built a powerful sultanate that operated in real terms, while the Abbasid caliphs remained as spiritual figureheads. This arrangement—Turkish rulers exercising political authority “in the name of” the Abbasids—captures exactly why the group described fits: Central Asian origins, staunch Sunni orientation, and 11th-century rule under Abbasid nominal leadership. Their conquests bridged Persia, Mesopotamia, and later Anatolia, setting the stage for interactions with the Byzantines and the Crusades.

The other groups don’t fit this combination of origin, creed, and political arrangement. Mongols came later in the 13th century and ruled in a different manner; Ulama are religious scholars rather than political rulers; Mamluks were rulers in Egypt and Syria who arose from slave-soldier origins, not Central Asian invaders ruling in the Abbasids’ name.