Safi examines the rule of the Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking people from central Asia, who, in the 11th century, established rule over the eastern half of the Islamic world that lasted for 150 years. In an analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Safi examines the Saljuqs' efforts to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints who functioned under state patronage. He revises conventional views of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics.