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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
The Ilkhanids (1256-1335 CE) were a Mongol dynasty that ruled over present-day Iran, most of Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and western Pakistan. Founded by Hulegu, a grandson of Genghis Khan, the Ilkhanids (meaning subordinate khan which refers to their early dependancy upon the Golden Horde) converted to Islam late in the 13th century CE although the Crusaders had hoped that they would become Christians (Hulegu’s mother was a Nestorian).
In their reign the Ilkanids virtually ended the Abbasid Caliphate, controlled the Seljuks as a vassal state, waged war with the Mamluks, and unified Persia as a territorial and political entity, paving the way for the Safavids. The Il-khans were enthusiastic patrons: during their rule there was a proliferation of arts and architecture (which had Far Eastern influences) as well as in the sciences. Furthermore, ancient trade routes, notably the Silk Road, reopened in this period as the 14th century saw the reemergence of world systems.