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I.
THE MONGOLS AND THE END OF THE KHILAAFAH
Weakening of Seljuks from late 11th century
A. Turkic dynastic principle that authority resides in ruling
family →no strong dynasty
B. Influence of ATABEGs (lit., “father of the beg/bey”) =
tutor to crown prince when prince goes to govern
province. If prince dies before adulthood, atabeg can marry
his mother and govern province →Seljuk domain breaks up
into autonomous regional dynasties.
C. SALAH AL-DIN (SALADIN), client of Seljuk atabeg who
ruled N. Iraq and Syria
Baghdad
Cairo
D. Fragmented Seljuk empire can’t defend against continuing
Turkic migrations from C. Asia.
II. Last hurrah of Abbasid caliphs – the caliph al-Nasir
(r. 1180-1225)
A. Used palace troops to displace Seljuks in C. Iraq
B. Sought religious legitimacy by patronizing sufi orders
13th-century Abbasid madrasa, Baghdad
III. MONGOLS were a quasi-Turkic nomadic population from
Mongolia, begin to expand late 12th c. because of
OVERPOPULATION.
A. TEMÜJIN (1162-1227) creates Mongol confederation under rule
of his clan.
B. Receives title CHINGGIS (GENGHIS) KHAN = “Supreme Ruler”
C. His armies sweep across C. Asia and into N. China.
THE FAMILY OF GENGHIS KHAN
GENGHIS (1162-1227)
Jochi
Ögödei
Chagatai
↓
Great Khan
C. ASIA
GOLDEN
HORDE
Möngke
Khubilai
(RUSSIA)
Great Khan CHINA
↓
Yuan dynasty
1270-1368
Tuluy
Hulagu
IRAN/IRAQ
↓
Ilkhanids
c. 1260-1349
Jochi
(son)
Chagatai
(son)
Hulagu
(grandson)
Khubilai
(grandson)
D. Nature of Mongol invasions: armies (hordes) are accompanied by
entire population.
E. Yurts = Mongol mobile homes
F. Mongol “blitzkriegs” and devastation
IV. Hulagu’s invasion of Iran and Iraq
A. Raids and advances →all-out assaults on population centers
B. Anti-Nizari (Assassin) rationale
(1) Chief qadi of Baghdad complains to Mongol Great Khan.
(2) Mongols destroy Alamut, 1256.
Hasani, I’m
frightened!
C. Great Seljuks of Iran and Iraq are destroyed.
D. Seljuk offshoot in Anatolia (cap.: Konya) capitulates and survives
as Mongol vassal till 1307.
Konya
Jalal al-Din Rumi’s tomb, Konya
E. The sack of Baghdad, 1258
(1) Conspiracy theory: Caliph betrayed
(2) Caliph’s army of 10,000 vs. Hulagu’s army of 200,000
(3) Abbasid royal family murdered
V. Mongol epilogue
A. Hulagu’s descendants found
Tabriz, NW Iran)
Ilkhanid dynasty (capital:
B.
Ilkhanid ruler converts to Islam, late 13th c.
C. Ilkhanids adopt Persian court culture.
tomb of Ilkhanid ruler Oljeytu (late 13th c.),
Sulaymaniye, Iran
pages from the Shahname prepared at the Ilkhanid court in Tabriz, c. 1308
VI. Caliphal epilogue
A. Abbasid prince escapes Mongol sack of Baghdad, flees to
CAIRO.
B. Recognized and treated as “shadow-caliph” by MAMLUK
SULTANS, former mamluks of Saladin’s dynasty who take
over govt. in 1250 and stop Mongols in Syria in 1260.
C. When Ottomans conquer Mamluk sultanate in 1517, they take
Abbasi family members to Istanbul, eventually let them return
to Cairo.
D. Ottoman sultan recognized as Sunni Khalifa by 18th c.
E. Ottoman Khilaafah abolished by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (founder
of modern Turkey), 1924.
Atatürk