Ilkhanate kingdom

Upon conquering vast regions of West Asia, Hulagu Khan, one of Genghis Khan’s grandsons, established the Ilkhanate in 1256 so as to rule his conquered territories as part of the Mongol Empire.

The name Ilkhan refers to Hulagu’s initial recognitions of the greater Mongol empire and Mongke as his superior. Mongke was the last Khan to rule from Mongol capital at Qara Qorum, in the steeps, he was succeeded by another brother, Qublai Khan.

The Ilkhanate encompassed as great part of West Asia, reaching the Amu Darya in the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the West, the Caucasus region to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the south.

These lands largely coincided with the Khwarezmian empire, conquered by Genghis Khan after the mistreatment of his envoys in the 1220s.

From its establishment onward, the Ilkhanate maintained friendly relations with Christian kingdoms of Europe, with frequent ambassadorial meetings and back-and-forth traffic, thus greatly facilitating exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations.

In 1370, Timur or Tamerlane from the west replaced Ilkhanate with the Timurid dynasty for another 156 years.
Ilkhanate kingdom