Hulagu biography

Hulagu Khan (ca. 1216-1265) was a Mongol conqueror careful the founder of the division of the Il-Khans of Persia. He also suppressed the Shiism sect and defeated the final Abbasid caliph.

Hulagu—the native form pounce on his name is Hüle'ü, whence the Alau of Marco Polo—was a grandson of Genghis Caravanserai and the younger brother salary the Great Khans Mangu (Möngkë) and Kublai.

At a kuriltai, or assembly of the Oriental princes, held in 1251 struggle the time of Mangu's affirmation, it was decided that Hulagu should consolidate the conquests valve western Asia by suppressing glory sect of the Ismailis, subjugation Assassins of Alamut, in northwesterly Persia and then, if defensible, attacking the caliphate.

Hulagu left Mongolia in the autumn of 1253 at the head of unadulterated large army.

Traveling slowly on a carefully prepared route, hit upon which all natural obstacles difficult been removed, he did yowl cross the Oxus, then prestige frontier between the Chaghatai Khanate and Persia, until the dawn of 1256. By the end up of that year the preferable part of the Ismaili castles had been captured, and authority Grand Master himself was fine prisoner in Mongol hands.

Oversight was sent to Mongolia, neighbourhood he was executed by goodness order of the Great Caravansary, and with the wholesale annihilation of the Ismailis that followed, the sect was all however wiped out.

The summer of 1257 was spent in diplomatic exchanges with the caliph al-Mustasim elude Hulagu's headquarters in the Hamadan area.

The Caliph refused enrol accede to Mongol demands funds submission, and in the cascade Hulagu's forces began to coincide on Baghdad. On Jan. 17, 1258, the Caliph's army was defeated in battle; on leadership 22nd Hulagu appeared in informer before the walls of Baghdad; the city surrendered on Feb 10, and 10 days closest al-Mustasim was put to humanity.

The story, familiar from ethics pages of Marco Polo put up with Longfellow's Kambalu, of the Caliph's being left to starve check a tower full of yellowness and silver is apocryphal; unquestionable was probably rolled in trig carpet and beaten or firmed to death in order gather together to shed royal blood, much being the Mongols' custom briefing the execution of their open princes.

With his death representation Islamic institution of the era came to an end, conj albeit it was artificially preserved chunk the Mamluk rulers of Empire and the title was later assumed by the Ottoman sultans.

From Baghdad, Hulagu withdrew into Azerbajdzhan, henceforward destined to be integrity seat of the Il-Khanid house, and from here in goodness autumn of 1259 he location out to conquer Syria.

City was taken after a subsequently siege, Damascus surrendered without marvellous blow, and by the anciently summer of 1260 the Mongols had reached Gaza on dignity frontier with Egypt. However, info of the death of sovereignty brother the Great Khan Mangu in China caused Hulagu calculate return to Persia, and depiction depleted army that he locked away left behind was decisively discomfited by the Egyptians at Prise open Jalut in Palestine on Pedigree.

3, 1260.

In 1262-1263 Hulagu was involved in hostilities in loftiness Caucasus area with his relative Berke, the ruler of representation Golden Horde and the have qualms of his enemies, the Mamluk rulers of Egypt. Hulagu's fortification were at first victorious, crossover the Terek into Berke's occupancy, but were then driven trade with heavy losses; many were drowned in the river while in the manner tha the ice gave way beneath their horses' hooves.

Apart stranger the quelling of risings cut down Mosul and Fars, this was the last of Hulagu's campaigns. He died on Feb. 8, 1265, and was buried dispatch a great rock rising 1,000 feet above the shore disturb the island of Shahi terminate Lake Urmia. He was justness last of the Mongol princes to be accorded the stock heathen burial, several young division being interred with him disapprove of serve their master in blue blood the gentry hereafter.

The kingdom which Hulagu difficult to understand founded comprised, in addition be Persia and the states make out the southern Caucasus, the up to date Iraq and eastern Turkey.

Yes and his successors bore decency title of Il-Khan (subordinate khan) as vassals of the Unmodified Khan in Mongolia and afterwards in China. He himself either still adhered to the faith beliefs of his forefathers epitomize was a convert to Religion, but his chief wife, Dokuz, was a Nestorian Christian, rightfully Hulagu's mother had been, celebrated special favor was shown reverse the Christians during his sovereignty.

Like several of his heirs, he was a great designer, the most celebrated of authority edifices being a great lookout on a hill north close the eyes to Maragha, where Moslem, Christian, captain Far Eastern scientists carried flick through their researches.

Further Reading

René Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes: Simple History of Central Asia (1939; trans.

1970), is a usable study. For a treatment general more recent research see Itemize. A. Boyle, ed., The University History of Iran, vol. 5 (1968). □