Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan (c. 1217–1265) was a Mongol prince who founded the Ilkhanate and led the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258.
Siege of Baghdad (1258): The Mongol siege that captured Baghdad in February 1258 and ended Abbasid rule there. Hulagu’s forces captured the Abbasid capital, a defining event of his campaign.
Mongol Empire: The empire founded by Genghis Khan that became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Hulagu’s western campaign was launched as an imperial expedition under Mongol authority.
Möngke Khan: The fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, who reigned from 1251 to 1259. Möngke commissioned Hulagu’s western expedition and supported his campaign.
Abbasid Caliphate: A Sunni Muslim caliphate founded in 750, whose later rulers governed from Baghdad. Hulagu’s capture of Baghdad ended the Abbasid caliphate’s rule in the city.
Battle of Ain Jalut: A 1260 battle in which Mamluk forces defeated a Mongol army in Palestine. The defeat checked Mongol expansion after Hulagu withdrew much of his army east.
Mongol invasion of the Middle East: The thirteenth-century Mongol expansion into Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus, and neighboring lands. Hulagu led the principal Mongol campaign that established lasting rule in the region.
Berke: A grandson of Genghis Khan who ruled the Golden Horde and converted to Islam. Berke’s conflict with Hulagu exposed divisions among the Mongol ruling houses.
Baghdad: A city on the Tigris that became a major center of Abbasid government and scholarship. Its capture in 1258 transformed the political and cultural landscape of the region.
Siege of Mayyafariqin: A Mongol siege of the Ayyubid city of Mayyafariqin, which fell in 1260 after prolonged resistance. Its fall shows the harsh subjugation of cities during Hulagu’s western campaigns.
Mongol military tactics: The mounted warfare, mobility, intelligence gathering, and siege methods used by Mongol armies. These methods enabled Hulagu’s forces to defeat fortified cities and regional armies.