U368 Mongol Conquest
Week 13, Monday:  The Il-qans:  Formation of a new Qanate

 

  1. Formation of the Qanate
    1. Title of Il-qan:  "Obedient qan"
      1. Subject ot Qubilai:  qa'an mentioned in coinage; Chinese calendar
      2. Bolad chingsang/cheng-xrang (representative of Yuan in Persia); princesses
    2. Tension with Jochids and Cha'adaids
      1. Berke invades in 1262, demands Georgia; defeated
      2. Cha'adaids under Baraq invade Khorasan in 1269; defeated by Abagha
    3. Qara'una Mongols:  dissidents from Il-qanate plus troops assigned to India
      1. No single head, reputation as extremely fierce, lawless men
      2. Pure light cavalry, parallel to Qaidu's army
  2. Forming a khanate:  Mongol tribes and Persian tax-farmer-bureaucrats
    1. The imperial household and tribal chiefs
      1. Keshig, on Chinggisid model, heads of keshig include jarguchis "judges"
      2. 4 lineage heads called ulus emirs; head of 4:  beylerbeyi "chief of chiefs"
        1. Leading beys:  led qan to throne
        2. Act as quda (in-laws; marriage exchange partners) with qan
      3. Ordos (camps) of queens, major tribes, assigned tribal grounds
    2. Vizier/Sahib-Divan:  usually Persian Sunni Muslim, bright client of big family
      1. Under the vizier:  governors of provinces, tax farmers
    3. Vizier or beylerbeyi gets red seal,  ulus emirs gets black one
    4. Strong il-qans would try to keep viziers and ulus emirs separate
  3. Geography:  Tripartite:  center (Il-qan), east (crown prince), west (great noyan or prince)
    1. Direct ruled area:  Azerbaijan, Armenia, two Iraqs and Khorasan
      1. Khorasan for crown prince; special vizier & keshig against Chaghatai raids
    2. Vassal states:  SE:  Fars, Kerman, Herat; NW:  Lesser Armenia, Rūm, Georgia
    3. Vassals integrated; by 1305 only Herat, Lesser Armenia, Georgia left
  4. War with the Mamelukes; continuation of the Crusades (or maybe not)
    1. Egypt (under Mameluks) adapt to Crusaders' heavier cavalry
      1. After 1260 conquers whole Levant; periodic Mongol counterattacks
      2. Il-qans secure heavier cavalry from Georgia and Lesser Armenia
      3. Mamluks combine disciplined core, pressure from steady defections, raids
    2. From Arghun on, actively seek European assistance to regain Levant
      1. Religious affiliations of early qans used from diplomacy
        1. Rabban Sawma's mission to the Franks
      2. Alliance with Franks continued under Muslim Il-qans
  5. Relations with Christian and Islamic populations
    1. Abagha, Argun:  eclectic, patrons of Buddhism, (Syriac) Christianity
    2. 1281-4:  1st attempt at Islamization:  Ahmad's reign
      1. Chief advisers:  Sufi sheilrhs; peace with Egypt; religious policy unchanged