Il-Khanate
Also called: Il-Khanid state · Topic: Nomadic Empires: The Mongols · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
The Il-Khanate was the Mongol state in Iran, set up by Hulegu after he captured Baghdad in 1258. Its rulers came from the Toluyid line (the descendants of Toluy, Genghis Khan's youngest son). It ruled a settled world of farms and cities, so it relied on Persian administrators. Its Persian chroniclers shaped how later people saw Genghis Khan: they made the old killings look even bigger while still praising him.
Example
Ghazan Khan (1295–1304) was the first Il-Khanid ruler to convert to Islam, from Buddhism. His wazir (chief minister) Rashiduddin drafted a speech in which Ghazan told his commanders to stop looting the peasants.
Don't confuse with
- Golden Horde: the Jochid Mongol state in the Russian steppes. It was the Il-Khanate's enemy and allied with Egypt against it.
- Yuan dynasty: also Toluyid, but it ruled China, not Iran.
Related concepts
- Hulegu
- Sack of Baghdad
- Abbasid caliphate
- Battle of Ain Jalut 1260
- Ulus
- Golden Horde
- Karakorum
- Kublai Khan
- Yuan dynasty