Empire · 1256–1335 · Middle East & South Asia
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate was the Mongol khanate in Iran, founded by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, who was sent west by his brother, the Great Khan Möngke. Hulagu destroyed the fortresses of the Assassins and sacked Baghdad in 1258, ending the Abbasid caliphate, but his advance into Syria was stopped by the Mamluks in 1260.
The Ilkhans ruled Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus and Anatolia, fought the Golden Horde and the Mamluks, and exchanged embassies with the pope and European kings. In 1295 Ghazan converted to Islam and, with his vizier Rashid al-Din, reformed taxation and patronised learning; Rashid al-Din's world history is a landmark. Ilkhanid Tabriz became a hub of trade and art linking China and the west. When Abu Sa'id died without an heir in 1335, the khanate collapsed into rival successor states.
- Years
- 1256–1335
- Capital
- Maragheh, then Tabriz and Soltaniyeh
- Greatest extent
- 1310, about 3.75 million km²
- Region
- Middle East & South Asia
Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus and much of Anatolia; c. 3.75M km² in 1310 (Taagepera 1997; Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006)
Legacy
The Ilkhanate reconnected Iran with China, blending Persian and Chinese art and shaping the later tradition of Persian miniature painting.
Rulers
- Hulagu 1256 – 1265
Founder; sacked Baghdad in 1258
- Abaqa 1265 – 1282
Fought the Mamluks and the Golden Horde
- Arghun 1284 – 1291
Sought alliances with European kings
- Ghazan 1295 – 1304
Converted to Islam and reformed the state
- Öljaitü 1304 – 1316
Built the great dome of Soltaniyeh
- Abu Sa'id 1316 – 1335
Last effective Ilkhan
Realms on the map
- Ilkhanate 1294–1343
- Allegiance of Ilkhanate to Yuan Dynasty 1294–1343