Ilkhanate
Origins
The Ilkhante is a khanate founded by Halagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan. Ilkhanate is
centered in Persia and includes Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Turkey, and Pakistan. Hulego and his successors ruled Ilkhanate for about 100 years. They started off as
Shamanists, and then became Buddhists, and eventually Muslims. The Chagatai Khanate and the Golden
Horde threatened the Ilkhanate from expanding westward.
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Halagu Khan
Ilkhanate Map
Major Events and Culture
The Ilkhanate drew upon the different customs and ideas of its conquered peoples to make many
cultural and artistic innovations and achievements. Literature became increasingly important in Ilkhanate
culture. New and revised religious texts were made, motifs and other literary terms were integrated into
poetry, and new forms and mediums of writing were invented. Some other forms of decorative arts
include textiles, pottery, metalwork, and jewelry.
The people of the Ilkhanate were also good builders, and over time many religious temples and
mosques were built. Some famous pieces of architecture include the summer palace at Takht-i Sulayman
and the Tomb of Uljaytu. The first rulers of the Ilkhanate increasingly adopted Buddhism, causing tension
between them and their mostly Muslim population. Future rulers of the Ilkhante converted to Islam and
made it the official state religion starting with the seventh ruler, Mahmud Ghazan.
Decline
After Abu Sa'id's (an Ilkhanate ruler) death, the Ilkhanate rapidly began to decline and fall. The
Ilkhanate split up into several states who were always at war with each other. They Jalayirids were the
most important successor state. The emergence of the Ilkhanate had an important historical impact in the
Middle Eastern region. The establishment of the unified Mongol Empire had significantly eased trade and
commerce across Asia, which continued between the Ilkhante and the Yuan Dynasty. Hulagu's conquests
had also opened Iran to Chinese influence from the east, and ultimately led to the development of modern
Iran.