(Sultanate of Iconium, Sultanate of Rum, or Seljuk Sultanate), a feudal state in Asia Minor from the end of the 11th to the beginning of the 14th century.
Originally Nicaea was the center of the sultanate, and later Konya (Iconium) became the center. The sultanate was formed as a result of the Seljuk conquest of Byzantine lands in Asia Minor, which were known as Rum in Arabic and Persian sources. It reached its greatest prosperity under Sultan Ala alDin Kay-Qubad, who ruled from 1219 to 1236. The main cities were Konya, Kayseri, and Sivas, all of which were centers for artisans. After 1243 the Sultanate of Konya became a vassal state of the Mongol Il-Khans of Iran. By 1307 it had disintegrated into petty principalities. One of these, the beylik or district of Osman, became the nucleus of the Ottoman state which was formed at the beginning of the 14th century.