The Danishmend dynasty is a Turcoman dynasty that rules in north-central and eastern Anatolia in the 11th and 12th centuries.
The dynasty centers originally around Sivas, Tokat, and Niksar in central-northeastern Anatolia.
Danismend rule extends as far west as Ankara and Kastamonu for a time, and as far south as Malatya, which they capture in 1103.
In the early 12th century, the Danishmends are rivals of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, which controls much of the territory surrounding the Danishmend lands, and they fight extensively with the Crusaders.
