Hulagu Khan

1
Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan
IlKhan of Persia
Painting of Hulagu Khan by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, early 14th century.
Reign 12561265
Born 15 October 1218
Died 8 February 1265
Buried Shahi Island, Lake Urmia
Consort Doquz Khatun
Royal house Borjigin
Father Tolui
Mother Sorghaghtani Beki
Religious beliefs Buddhism
This article is about the founder of the Ilkhanate. For the head of the Chagatai khanate, please see Qara
Hlg
Hulagu Khan, also known as Hleg or Hulegu (Mongolian: Hleg Khaan, "Warrior"; Mongolian Cyrillic:
; Turkish: Hlag Han; Chagatai/Urdu: Hulaku; Persian: ; Arabic / ; Chinese:
; c. 1218 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Southwest Asia. Son of Tolui and the
Kerait princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ariq Bke, Mngke Khan,
and Kublai Khan.
Hulagu's army greatly expanded the southwestern portion of the Mongol Empire, founding the Ilkhanate of Persia, a
precursor to the eventual Safavid dynasty, and then the modern state of Iran. Under Hulagu's leadership, the Mongols
destroyed the greatest center of Islamic power, Baghdad, and also weakened Damascus, causing a shift of Islamic
influence to the Mamluks in Cairo. Under Hulagu's dynasty, Iranian historians began writing in Persian rather than
Arabic.
Hulagu Khan
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Background
Hulagu was born to Tolui, one of Genghis Khan's sons, and Sorghaghtani Beki, an influential Kereyid princess.
Sorghaghtani successfully navigated Mongol politics, arranging for all of her sons to become Mongol leaders. She
was a Nestorian Christian, and Hulagu was friendly to Christianity. Hulagu's favorite wife, Dokuz Khatun, was also
a Christian, as was his closest friend and general, Kitbuqa. It is recorded however that he was a Buddhist as he
neared death,
[1]
against the will of Dokuz Khatun.
[2]
Hulagu had at least three children: Abaqa, Teguder Ahmad, and Taraqai. Abaqa was second Ilkhan of Persia from
126582, Teguder Ahmad was third Ilkhan from 128284, and Taraqai's son Baydu became Ilkhan in 1295.
[3]
Mirkhond mentions two more children, given as Hyaxemet and Tandon in an early translation; Hyaxemet initially
served as governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan, while Tandon was given Dyarbekir and Iraq.
[4]
The order of birth is
listed as Abaqa, then Hyaxemet, then Tandon, and then Teguder and Taraqai.
Military campaigns
The siege of Alamt in 1256
A Mughal miniature painting of Hulagu's siege of
Alamut.
Hulagu's brother Mngke had been installed as Great Khan in 1251. In
1255, Mngke charged Hulagu with leading a massive Mongol army to
conquer or destroy the remaining Muslim states in southwestern Asia.
Hulagu's campaign sought the subjugation of the Lurs of southern Iran,
the destruction of the Hashshashin sect, the submission or destruction
of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the submission or destruction of
the Ayyubid states in Syria based in Damascus, and finally, the
submission or destruction of the Bahri Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt.
[5]
Mngke ordered Hulagu to treat kindly those who submitted and
utterly destroy those who did not. Hulagu vigorously carried out the
latter part of these instructions.
Hulagu marched out with perhaps the largest Mongol army ever
assembled by order of Mngke, two-tenths of the empire's fighting
men were gathered for Hulagu's army.
[6]
He easily destroyed the Lurs,
and the Assassins (the Hashshashin) surrendered their impregnable
fortress of Alamut without a fight, accepting a deal that spared the lives
of their people.
Siege of Baghdad
Main article: Siege of Baghdad (1258)
Hulagu's Mongol army set out for Baghdad in November 1257. Once
near the city he divided his forces to threaten the city on both the east
and west banks of the Tigris. Hulagu demanded surrender, but the
caliph, Al-Musta'sim, refused. The caliph's army repulsed some of the
forces attacking from the west but were defeated in the next battle. The
attacking Mongols broke dikes and flooded the ground behind the
caliph's army, trapping them. Much of the army was slaughtered or
drowned.
Hulagu Khan
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The Mongols under Chinese general Guo Kan laid siege to the city on January 29, 1258, constructing a palisade and
a ditch and wheeling up siege engines and catapults. The battle was short by siege standards. By February 5 the
Mongols controlled a stretch of the wall. The caliph tried to negotiate but was refused. On February 10 Baghdad
surrendered. The Mongols swept into the city on February 13 and began a week of destruction. The Grand Library of
Baghdad, containing countless precious historical documents and books on subjects ranging from medicine to
astronomy, was destroyed. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantity
of books flung into the river. Citizens attempted to flee but were intercepted by Mongol soldiers.
Hulagu (left) imprisons the Caliph among his
treasures to starve him to death. Medieval
depiction from "Le livre des merveilles", 15th
century.
Death counts vary widely and cannot be easily substantiated: A low
estimate is about 90,000 dead;
[7]
higher estimates range from 200,000
to a million.
[8]
The Mongols looted and then destroyed. Mosques,
palaces, libraries, hospitals grand buildings that had been the work
of generations were burned to the ground. The caliph was captured
and forced to watch as his citizens were murdered and his treasury
plundered. Il Milione, a book on the travels of Venetian merchant
Marco Polo, states that Hulagu starved the caliph to death, but there is
no corroborating evidence for that. Most historians believe the Mongol
and Muslim accounts that the caliph was rolled up in a rug and the
Mongols rode their horses over him, as they believed that the earth was
offended if touched by royal blood. All but one of his sons were killed. Baghdad was a depopulated, ruined city for
several centuries. Smaller states in the region hastened to reassure Hulagu of their loyalty, and the Mongols turned to
Syria in 1259, conquering the Ayyubids and sending advance patrols as far ahead as Gaza.
A thousand northern Chinese engineer squads accompanied the Mongol Khan Hulagu during his conquest of the
Middle East.
Conquest of Syria (1260)
See also: Mongol raids into Palestine
Hulagu and Queen Doquz Qatun depicted as the
new "Constantine and Helen", in a Syriac
Bible.
[9][10]
In 1260 Mongol forces combined with those of their Christian vassals
in the region, including the army of Cilician Armenia under Hetoum I
and the Franks of Bohemond VI of Antioch. This force conquered
Muslim Syria, a domain of the Ayyubid dynasty. They took the city of
Aleppo and, under the Christian general Kitbuqa, took Damascus on
March 1, 1260.
[11][12][13]
A Christian Mass was celebrated in the
Grand Mosque of the Umayyads, and numerous mosques were
profaned. Many historical accounts describe the three Christian rulers
Hetoum, Bohemond, and Kitbuqa entering the city of Damascus
together in triumph,
[14]
though some modern historians such as David
Morgan have questioned this story as apocryphal.
[15]
The invasion effectively destroyed the Ayyubid Dynasty, theretofore
powerful ruler of large parts of the Levant, Egypt, and Arabia. The last
Ayyubid king An-Nasir Yusuf was killed by Hulagu in 1260.
[16]
With
the Islamic power center of Baghdad gone and Damascus weakened,
the center of Islamic power transferred to the Egyptian Mamluks in
Cairo.
Hulagu intended to continue south through Palestine towards Cairo to engage the Mamluks. He sent a threatening
letter to Mamluk Sultan Qutuz in Cairo. He demanded that Qutuz open Cairo or it would be destroyed like Baghdad.
Hulagu Khan
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At that moment Mongke Khan died, recalling Hulagu, as an heir and potential Great Khan, to Mongolia in order to
elect a new Khan. Hulagu left behind only two tumens (20,000 men) under the leadership of his favorite general
Naiman Kitbuqa Noyan, a Nestorian Christian. Upon receiving news of Hulagu's departure, Qutuz quickly
assembled a large army at Cairo and invaded Palestine. Qutuz allied with a fellow Mamluk, Baibars, who wanted to
defend Islam after the Mongols capture of Damascus, sacking of Baghdad, and subjugation of Bilad al-Sham.
The Mongols, for their part, attempted to form a Franco-Mongol alliance with (or at least, demand the submission of)
the remnant of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, now centered on Acre, but Pope Alexander IV had forbidden
this. Tensions between Franks and Mongols had also increased when Julian of Sidon caused an incident resulting in
the death of one of Kitbuqa's grandsons. Angered, Kitbuqa had sacked Sidon. The Barons of Acre, contacted by the
Mongols, had also been approached by the Mamluks, seeking military assistance against the Mongols. Although the
Mamluks were traditional enemies of the Franks, the Barons of Acre recognized the Mongols as the more immediate
menace. Instead taking sides, the Crusaders opted for a position of cautious neutrality between the two forces. In an
unusual move, however, they agreed that the Egyptian Mamluks could march north through the Crusader territories
unmolested and even camp to resupply near Acre.
Battle of Ayn Jalut (1260)
Main article: Battle of Ayn Jalut
Hulagu Khan leading his army.
When news arrived that the Mongols had crossed the Jordan River,
Sultan Qutuz and his forces proceeded southeast toward the 'Spring Of
Goliath' at Ayn Jalut in the Jezreel Valley. They met the Mongol army
of about 20,000 in the Battle of Ayn Jalut and fought relentlessly for
many hours. Mamluk leader Baibars mostly implemented hit-and-run
tactics in an attempt to lure the Mongol forces into chasing him.
Baibars and Qutuz had hidden the bulk of their forces in the hills to
wait in ambush for the Mongols to come into range. The Mongol
leader Kitbuqa, already provoked by the constant fleeing of Baibars
and his troops, decided to march forwards with all his troops on the
trail of the fleeing Mamluks. When the Mongols reached the highlands,
Mamluks appeared from hiding, and the Mongols found themselves
surrounded by enemy forces as the hidden troops hit them from the sides and Qutuz attacked the Mongol rear.
Estimates of the size of the Mamluk army range from 24,000 to 120,000. The Mongols broke free of the trap and
even mounted a temporarily successful counterattack, but their numbers had been depleted to the point that the
outcome was inevitable. When the battle finally ended, the Mamluk army had accomplished what had never been
done before, defeating a Mongol army in close combat. Almost the whole Mongol army that had remained in the
region, including Kitbuqa, were either killed or captured that day. The battle of Ayn Jalut established a high-water
mark for the Mongol conquest. The Mongol invasion east and south came to a stop after Ayn Jalut.
Hulagu Khan
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Civil War
See also: BerkeHulagu war
Coin of Hulagu, with the symbol of a hare.
After the succession was settled and his brother Kublai Khan was
established as Great Khan, Hulagu returned to his lands by 1262. When
he massed his armies to attack the Mamluks and avenge the defeat at
Ain Jalut, however, he was instead drawn into civil war with Batu
Khan's brother Berke. Berke Khan, a Muslim convert, had promised
retribution in his rage after Hulagu's sack of Baghdad and allied
himself with the Mamluks. He initiated a series of raids on Hulagu's
territories, led by Nogai Khan. Hulagu suffered a severe defeat in an
attempted invasion north of the Caucasus in 1263. This was the first
open war between Mongols and signaled the end of the unified empire.
Communications with Europe
See also: Franco-Mongol alliance
Temgha of Hulagu.
Hulagu sent multiple communications to Europe in an attempt to
establish a Franco-Mongol alliance against the Muslims. In 1262, he
sent his secretary Rychaldus and an embassy to "all kings and princes
overseas". The embassy was apparently intercepted in Sicily by King
Manfred, who was allied with the Mamluks and in conflict with Pope
Urban IV, and Rychaldus was returned by ship.
[17]
On April 10, 1262, Hulagu sent a letter, through John the Hungarian, to
the French king Louis IX, offering an alliance.
[18]
It is unclear whether
the letter ever reached Louis IX in Paris the only manuscript known
to have survived was in Vienna, Austria.
[19]
The letter stated Hulagu's
intention to capture Jerusalem for the benefit of the Pope and asked for
Louis to send a fleet against Egypt:
"From the head of the Mongol army, avid to devastate the
perfidious nation of the Sarasins, good-willing support of the Christian faith (...) so that you, who are the rulers
of the coasts on the other side of the sea, endeavor to deny a refuge for the Infidels, your enemies and ours, by
having your subjects diligently patrol the seas."
Letter from Hulagu to Saint Louis.
[20]
Despite many attempts, neither Hulagu nor his successors were able to form an alliance with Europe, although
Mongol culture in the West was in vogue in the 13th century. Many new-born children in Italy were named after
Mongol rulers, including Hulagu: names such as Can Grande ("Great Khan"), Alaone (Hulagu), Argone (Arghun),
and Cassano (Ghazan) are recorded.
[21]
Hulagu Khan
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Death
The funeral of Hulagu Khan.
Hulagu Khan died in 1265 and was buried in the Shahi Island in Lake
Urmia. His funeral was the only Ilkhanate funeral to feature human
sacrifice.
[22]
He was succeeded by his son Abaqa, thus establishing his
line.
Legacy
Hulagu Khan laid the foundations of the Ilkhanate State and thus paved
the way for the later Safavid dynastic state, and ultimately the modern
country of Iran. Hulagu's conquests also opened Iran to both European
influence from the west and Chinese influence from the east. This,
combined with patronage from his successors, would develop Iran's
distinctive excellence in architecture. Under Hulagu's dynasty, Iranian
historians began writing in Persian rather than Arabic.
[23]
Notes
[1] Hildinger, Erik. Warriors of the Steppe: a military history of Central Asia, p. 148
[2] [2] Jackson, p. 176
[3] David Morgan, The Mongols, p. 225
[4] Stevens, John. The history of Persia. Containing, the lives and memorable actions of its kings from the first erecting of that monarchy to this
time; an exact Description of all its Dominions; a curious Account of India, China, Tartary, Kermon, Arabia, Nixabur, and the Islands of
Ceylon and Timor; as also of all Cities occasionally mention'd, as Schiras, Samarkand, Bokara, &c. Manners and Customs of those People,
Persian Worshippers of Fire; Plants, Beasts, Product, and Trade. With many instructive and pleasant digressions, being remarkable Stories
or Passages, occasionally occurring, as Strange Burials; Burning of the Dead; Liquors of several Countries; Hunting; Fishing; Practice of
Physick; famous Physicians in the East; Actions of Tamerlan, &c. To which is added, an abridgment of the lives of the kings of Harmuz, or
Ormuz. The Persian history written in Arabick, by Mirkond, a famous Eastern Author that of Ormuz, by Torunxa, King of that Island, both of
them translated into Spanish, by Antony Teixeira, who liv'd several Years in Persia and India; and now render'd into English.
[5] Amitai-Preiss, Reuven. The Mamluk-Ilkhanid War
[6] [6] Saunders 1971
[7] [7] Sicker 2000, p.111.
[8] New Yorker, April 25, 2005, Ian Frazier, "Invaders - Destroying Baghdad" (http:/ / www. newyorker. com/ archive/ 2005/ 04/ 25/
050425fa_fact4?currentPage=all)
[9] "In May 1260, a Syrian painter gave a new twist to the iconography of the Exaltation of the Cross by showing Constantine and Helena with
the features of Hulagu and his Christian wife Doquz Khatun" in Cambridge History of Christianity Vol. 5 Michael Angold p.387 Cambridge
University Press ISBN 0-521-81113-9
[10] Le Monde de la Bible N.184 JulyAugust 2008, p.43
[11] Saudi Aramco World "The Battle of Ain Jalut" (http:/ / www. saudiaramcoworld. com/ issue/ 200704/ history. s. hinge. ain. jalut. htm)
[12] [12] Grousset, p.581
[13] [13] "On 1 March Kitbuqa entered Damascus at the head of a Mongol army estimated to have been over 300,000 strong. With him were the King
of Armenia and the Prince of Antioch. The citizens of the ancient capital of the Caliphate saw for the first time for six centuries three Christian
potentates ride in triumph through their streets", Runciman, p.307
[14] [14] Grousset, p.588
[15] David Morgan, The Mongols (2nd ed.); Peter Jackson, Mongols and the West
[16] [16] Atlas des Croisades, p.108
[17] [17] Jackson, p.173
[18] [18] Jackson, p.178
[19] [19] Jackson, p.166
[20] Letter from Hulagu to Saint Louis, quoted in Les Croisades, Thierry Delcourt, p.151
[21] Peter Jackson, The Mongols and the West, p.315
[22] [22] Morgan, p. 139
[23] Francis Robinson, The Mughal Emperors And The Islamic Dynasties of India, Iran and Central Asia, pages 19 and 36
Hulagu Khan
7
References
Boyle, J.A., (Editor). The Cambridge History of Iran: Volume 5, The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. Cambridge
University Press; Reissue edition (January 1, 1968). ISBN 0-521-06936-X. Perhaps the best overview of the
history of the il-khanate. Covers politics, economics, religion, culture and the arts and sciences. Also has a section
on the Isma'ilis, Hulagu's nemesis.
Encyclopdia Iranica' has scholar-reviewed articles on a wide range of Persian subjects, including Hulagu.
Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell Publishers; Reprint edition, April 1990. ISBN 0-631-17563-6. Best for
an overview of the wider context of medieval Mongol history and culture.
Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. Facts on File, Inc. ISBN
0-8160-4671-9.
Robinson, Francis. The Mughal Emperors And the Islamic Dynasties of India, Iran and Central Asia. Thames and
Hudson Limited; 2007. ISBN 0-500-25134-7
External links
A long article (http:/ / www. newyorker. com/ fact/ content/ articles/ 050425fa_fact4) about Hulagu's conquest of
Baghdad, written by Ian Frazier, appeared in the April 25, 2005 issue of The New Yorker.
An Osama bin Laden tape (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ middle_east/ 2455845. stm) in which Osama bin
Laden compares Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell to Hulagu and his attack on
Baghdad. Dated November 12, 2002.
Precededby
none
Ilkhan
Emperors
12561265
Succeededby
Abaqa
Article Sources and Contributors
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File:Hulagu Khan.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hulagu_Khan.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: TRAJAN 117
File:Prise d'Alamt (1256).jpeg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Prise_d'Alamt_(1256).jpeg License: Public Domain Contributors: Sayf al-Vhid. Hrt. Afghanistan
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Image:Hulagu and Doquz-Qatun in Syriac Bible.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hulagu_and_Doquz-Qatun_in_Syriac_Bible.jpg License: Public Domain
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File:Hleg et son arme.jpeg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hleg_et_son_arme.jpeg License: Public Domain Contributors: Sayf al-Vhid. Hrt. Afghanistan
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