Editing Islam in Iran (section)

===Sunni dynasties in Iran===
In 962 a Turkish governor of the Samanids, [[Alptigin]], conquered [[Ghazna]] (in present-day Afghanistan) and established a dynasty, the [[Ghaznavids]], that lasted to 1186.<ref name="Islamic Conquest"/> Later, the [[Seljuks]], who like the Ghaznavids were Turks, slowly conquered Iran over the course of the 11th century. Their leader, [[Tughril Beg]], turned his warriors against the Ghaznavids in Khorasan. He moved south and then west, conquering but not wasting the cities in his path. In 1055 the caliph in Baghdad gave Tughril Beg robes, gifts, and the title King of the East. Under Tughril Beg's successor, [[Malik Shah I|Malik Shah]] (1072–1092), Iran enjoyed a cultural and scientific renaissance, largely attributed to his brilliant Iranian vizier, [[Nizam al Mulk]]. These leaders established the [[Isfahan Observatory]] where [[Omar Khayyám]] did much of his experimentation for a new calendar, and they built [[Nizamiyya|religious schools]] in all the major towns. They brought [[Abu Hamid Ghazali]], one of the greatest Islamic theologians, and other eminent scholars to the Seljuk capital at Baghdad and encouraged and supported their work.<ref name="Islamic Conquest"/>

A serious internal threat to the Seljuks during their reign came from the [[Hashshashin]]- [[Ismailis]] of the [[Nizari]] sect, with headquarters at [[Alamut]] between [[Rasht]] and [[Tehran]]. They controlled the immediate area for more than 150 years and sporadically sent out adherents to strengthen their rule by murdering important officials. Several of the various theories on the etymology of the word ''[[assassination|assassin]]'' derive from this group.<ref name="Islamic Conquest"/>

Another notable Sunni dynasty were the [[Timurid dynasty|Timurids]]. [[Timur]] was a [[Turco-Mongol tradition|Turco-Mongol]] leader from the [[Eurasian Steppe]], who conquered and ruled in the tradition of [[Genghis Khan]]. Under the [[Timurid Empire]], the [[Turco-Persian tradition]] which began during the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] period would continue. [[Ulugh Beg]], grandson of [[Timur]], built an [[Ulugh Beg Observatory|observatory]] of his own, and a [[Ulugh Beg Madrasa, Samarkand|grand madrassah]] at [[Samarkand]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Álvarez |first=Jorge |date=2025-02-14 |title=The Fabulous Observatory of Ulugh Beg, Tamerlane's Grandson, in Samarkand |url=https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/02/the-fabulous-observatory-of-ulugh-beg-tamerlanes-grandson-in-samarkand/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=LBV Magazine English Edition |language=en}}</ref>