Abu Sa'id (Ilkhanid Dynasty)
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Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan (June 2, 1305 – December 1, 1335; ), also spelled Abusaid Bahador Khan, Abu Sa'id Behauder (Modern , ''Abu sayid Baghatur Khan'', in modern Mongolian), was the ninth ruler (c. 1316 – 1335) of the
Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
, a
division of the Mongol Empire The division of the Mongol Empire began after Möngke Khan died in 1259 in the Siege of Diaoyucheng, siege of Diaoyu Castle with no declared successor, precipitating infighting between members of the Tolui family line for the title of khagan th ...
that encompassed the present day countries of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, and
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
, as well as parts of
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
,
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, and
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. After his death in 1335, the
Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
disintegrated.


Early life

He was born on 2 June 1305, near Ujan,
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
to
Öljaitü Öljaitü, also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name 'Öjaitü' means 'blessed' in the Mongolian language and his last name 'Khod ...
and Hajji Khatun. He became his father's heir after the deaths of his elder brothers. He was assigned to govern Khorasan and
Mazandaran Mazandaran Province (; ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari, Iran, Sari. Located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range and Hyrcanian forests, it is border ...
in 1315 with the Uyghur noble Amir Sevinch as his guardian.


Reign

He was brought back to
Soltaniyeh Soltaniyeh () is a city in the Central District (Soltaniyeh County), Central District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan province, Zanjan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. History Soltaniyeh, located some ...
by Sevinch in December 1316. But his coronation was delayed until April, May, July or August 1317 due to a conflict between
Chupan Amir Chūpān (; died October/November 1327), also spelt Choban or Coban, was a Chupanids, Chupanid noble of the Ilkhanate, and nominal general of the Mongol Empire. He was ennobled by Yesün Temür (Yuan dynasty), Emperor Taiding of Yuan as Duke ...
and Sevinch. Abu Said employed
Rashid-al-Din Hamadani Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb (;‎ 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, ) was a statesman, historian, and physician in Ilkhanate Iran. Amir Sevinch died in January 1318, leaving young Abu Sa'id in the hands of Chupan. Although Chupan recalled Hamadani to serve in court, Gilani accused Hamadani (and his son Ibrahim Izzaddin, the cupbearer) of poisoning the late Ilkhan
Öljaitü Öljaitü, also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name 'Öjaitü' means 'blessed' in the Mongolian language and his last name 'Khod ...
, which led to their eventual execution on 13 July 1318 near
Abhar Abhar () is a city in the Central District of Abhar County, Zanjan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Abhar has historically served as a place of importance due to lying right between the cities of Qazvin ...
. This left the emir
Chupan Amir Chūpān (; died October/November 1327), also spelt Choban or Coban, was a Chupanids, Chupanid noble of the Ilkhanate, and nominal general of the Mongol Empire. He was ennobled by Yesün Temür (Yuan dynasty), Emperor Taiding of Yuan as Duke ...
as the de facto ruler of Ilkhanate, but the following years were tumultuous for Abu Sa'id's reign.


Golden Horde invasion and rebellion of amirs

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...
khan Özbeg invaded
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
in 1319 in coordination with Chagatayid prince Yasa'ur who had pledged loyalty to
Öljaitü Öljaitü, also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name 'Öjaitü' means 'blessed' in the Mongolian language and his last name 'Khod ...
earlier but revolted in 1319. Prior to that, he had Amir Yasaul, governor of Mazandaran, killed by his subordinate Begtüt. Abu Sa'id was forced to send Amir Husayn Jalayir to face Yasa'ur while he himself marched against Özbeg. Özbeg was defeated shortly after thanks to reinforcements by Chupan, while Yasa'ur was killed by
Kebek Kebek (died 1325/1326) was Khan of the Chagatai Khanate from 1309 until 1310, and again from c. 1318 until his death. Early life Kebek was the son of Duwa, who was the Khan from 1282 until 1307. Duwa sent several expeditions to the Delhi S ...
in 1320. Several umara ( plural of amir ) did not come to the aid of Abu Sa'id, therefore they were subject to punishment by Chupan. Yet another revolt started in 1319, this time by
Keraite The Keraites (also ''Kerait, Kereit, Khereid'', Kazakh: керейт; Kyrgyz: керей; Mongolian: Хэрэйд; Nogai: Кереит; Uzbek: ''Kerait''; Chinese: 克烈) were one of the five dominant Turco-Mongol tribal confederations ...
emirs Irinjin, a former governor of Diyarbakir, and Qurumishi, governor of Georgia who were among the emirs rebuked by Chupan. Qurumishi and Irinjin were related in addition to both being from the Keraite tribe – Irinjin was the father of Öljaitü's widow Qutluqshah Khatun and a son-in-law to Tekuder, while Qurumshi's father Alinaq Noyan was also a son-in-law of Tekuder. A 40,000-strong rebel army caught Chupan with his two sons and 2,000-strong entourage unguarded near Georgia and caused him to flee. Chupan arrived in
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
and later went to Abu Sa'id to report. Hearing this news, the Ilkhan moved against rebels and met them near Mianeh. A decisive battle was fought on 20 June 1319 near Mianeh with an Ilkhanate victory. This victory granted young Abu Sa'id the honorific titles of Baghatur (from Mongolian "баатар", meaning "hero, warrior") and al-Sultan al-Adil (the just Sultan). In total 36 emirs and 7 khawateen ( plural of khatun ), including Amir Toqmaq, Qurumishi, Princess Könchek (daughter of Tekuder), her husband Irinjin and their sons Sheykh Ali and Vafadar were executed while Qurumushi's son Abdurrahman fled to Özbeg. Chupan subsequently was given hand of Sati Beg, sister of Abu Sa'id on 6 September 1319, thus growing his family's power greatly. His sons Timurtash, Shaikh Mahmud, Hasan and Demasq Kaja were given governorships of
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, Khorasan and
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
, respectively.


Chupanid rebellion

However, Timurtash rose in rebellion in 1322, claiming to be the
Mahdi The Mahdi () is a figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad, and will appear shortly before Jesu ...
. Chupan went to obtain his surrender personally and even managed to get his reappointment to the post by Abu Sa'id. Abu Sa'id sometime fell in love with Baghdad Khatun, one of Emir Chupan's daughters. The emir's efforts to keep Abu Sa'id from marrying his daughter, who was still married to
Hasan Buzurg Shaikh Hasan (), also known as "Hasan Buzurg" ("Hasan The Great"), Hassan the Jalair or Hassan-e Uljatâï was the first of several de facto independent Jalayirid rulers of Iraq and central Iran. Early years He was born to Amir Husain Jalayir ...
(another powerful kingmaker of the era), did not help the situation. Abu Said approached Chupan in 1325, claiming her unsuccessfully. Chupan sent his daughter and son-in-law to
Karabakh Karabakh ( ; ) is a geographic region in southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and Aras. It is divided into three regions: Highland Kara ...
instead while himself went against Özbeg and Tarmashirin who invaded Azerbaijan and Khorasan respectively. Using this opportunity, on 25 August 1327, Abu Sa'id had one of Chupan's sons, Demasq Kaja, killed, apparently for his activities with one of Öljaitü's former concubines. Hearing this, Chupan marched against Abu Sa'id seeking revenge. But many emirs including Muhammad Beg, uncle of Abu Sa'id deserted him near Ray, taking 30.000 soldiers with them, leaving Chupan no choice but to retreat to
Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...
. However he was soon strangled by Kartid ruler Ghiyath-ud-din under orders of Abu Sa'id in 1327. His daughter was soon forced to divorce Hasan Buzurg and marry Abu Sa'id. In compensation, Hasan was awarded Chupan's former post, rising to be a new commander-in-chief of the Ilkhanid army.


Later years

Now ruling personally, Abu Sa'id invited Ghiyas al-Din, son of Rashid al-Din to be his vizier. Narin Taghai (a nephew of Taghachar and grandson of
Kitbuqa Kitbuqa Noyan (died 1260), also spelled Kitbogha, Kitboga, or Ketbugha, was an Eastern Christian of the Naimans, a group that was subservient to the Mongol Empire. He was a lieutenant and confidant of the Mongol Ilkhan Hulagu, assisting him ...
) who was responsible for Chupan's downfall and Abu Sa'id's uncle Ali Padshah were granted governorates of Khorasan and
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
respectively. However Ghiyas al-Din's enforcement of central authority didn't coincide with other umara's plans. Narin Taghai left his post in 1329 to kill Ghiyas al-Din. He was aided by emirs Ali Padshah and Misr Khwaja. Narin Taghay was executed in September or 29 July 1329, ending another serious threat. Later
Hasan Buzurg Shaikh Hasan (), also known as "Hasan Buzurg" ("Hasan The Great"), Hassan the Jalair or Hassan-e Uljatâï was the first of several de facto independent Jalayirid rulers of Iraq and central Iran. Early years He was born to Amir Husain Jalayir ...
too was accused of treason with Baghdad Khatun in 1332 but reinstated as governor of Anatolia later. However, Abu Sa'id divorced Baghdad and married her niece
Dilshad Khatun Dilshad Khatun (; died 27 December 1351), also Delshad, was a Chobanid princess. She was the wife of Ilkhan Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, and after him Hasan Buzurg, the first ruler of the Jalayirid Sultanate, and the mother of his son and successor Sh ...
in 1333. In 1334, Abu Sa'id appointed Amir Musaffar Inaq as governor of
Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
to the resentment of Sharaf al-Din Mahmudshah Inju, founder of Injuid dynasty, who was ruling Fars region for a while since Chupan's death. He pursued Musaffar to Abu Sa'id's tent, accidentally making attempt on his life. Mahmudshah's rebellious act got him imprisoned.


Foreign relations

Abu Sa'id signed a commercial treaty with Venice in 1320, while also granting them to establish oratories throughout the empire. He also improved relations with
Mamluk Egypt The Mamluk Sultanate (), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz from the mid-13th to early 16th centuries, with Cairo as its capital. It was ruled by a military caste of mamluks ...
the same year, signing a treaty. He is also known to have corresponded with Muhammad b. Tughluq of
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.
.


Death

Abu Sa'id had to face another invasion by Özbeg in 1335 and left to face him, but died on his way in
Karabakh Karabakh ( ; ) is a geographic region in southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and Aras. It is divided into three regions: Highland Kara ...
, on the night of 30 November to 1 December 1335. His body was taken to Soltaniyeh and buried there. According to Ibn Battuta, he was poisoned by Baghdad Khatun on the grounds of jealousy. He might have been a victim of bubonic plague instead. Abu Sa'id died without an heir or an appointed successor, thus leaving the Ilkhanate vulnerable. This led to clashes between the major families, such as the Chupanids, the
Jalayirid The Jalayirid Sultanate () was a dynasty of Mongol Jalayir origin, which ruled over modern-day Iraq and western Iran after the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p. 3: "From then until ...
s, and new movements like the
Sarbadars The Sarbadars (from ''sarbadār'', "head on gallows"; also known as Sarbedaran ) were a mixture of religious dervishes and secular rulers that came to rule over part of western Greater Khorasan, Khurasan in the midst of the disintegration of ...
, Muzzafarids. On his return to Persia, the great voyager
Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...
was amazed to discover that the realm which had seemed to be so mighty only twenty years before, had dissolved so quickly. The Ilkhanate lost cohesion after the death of Abu Sa'id, and that of his successor, Arpa Ke'un, becoming a plethora of little kingdoms run by
Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...
, Turks,
Persians Persians ( ), or the Persian people (), are an Iranian ethnic group from West Asia that came from an earlier group called the Proto-Iranians, which likely split from the Indo-Iranians in 1800 BCE from either Afghanistan or Central Asia. They ...
, and
Arabs Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
.


Viziers

*
Rashid-al-Din Hamadani Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb (;‎ 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, ) was a statesman, historian, and physician in Ilkhanate Iran.Ghiyas al-Din ibn Rashid al-Din (1327–1335)


Family

;Consorts Abu Sa'id married six times from different clans including
Borjigin A Borjigin is a member of the Mongol sub-clan that started with Bodonchar Munkhag of the Kiyat clan. Yesugei's descendants were thus said to be Kiyat-Borjigin. The senior Borjigids provided ruling princes for Mongolia and Inner Mongolia u ...
, Oirat and Suldus: * Uljay Qutlugh Khatun (m. 5 July 1317), daughter of
Ghazan Mahmud Ghazan (5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) (, Ghazan Khan, sometimes westernized as Casanus was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of Arghun, grandson of Abaqa K ...
and Bulughan Khatun, and widow of his elder brother Bastam; * Baghdad Khatun (m. 1327 – div. 1333, executed December 16, 1335), daughter of Amir
Chupan Amir Chūpān (; died October/November 1327), also spelt Choban or Coban, was a Chupanids, Chupanid noble of the Ilkhanate, and nominal general of the Mongol Empire. He was ennobled by Yesün Temür (Yuan dynasty), Emperor Taiding of Yuan as Duke ...
, and former wife of
Hasan Buzurg Shaikh Hasan (), also known as "Hasan Buzurg" ("Hasan The Great"), Hassan the Jalair or Hassan-e Uljatâï was the first of several de facto independent Jalayirid rulers of Iraq and central Iran. Early years He was born to Amir Husain Jalayir ...
; *Malika Khatun, daughter of Tuq b. Sulaimish b. Tengiz Güregen; *
Dilshad Khatun Dilshad Khatun (; died 27 December 1351), also Delshad, was a Chobanid princess. She was the wife of Ilkhan Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, and after him Hasan Buzurg, the first ruler of the Jalayirid Sultanate, and the mother of his son and successor Sh ...
(m. 1333, died 27 December 1351), daughter of Demasq Kaja and Tursin Khatun, daughter of Irinjin Kurkan and Konchak Khatun, daughter of Tekuder; *Adil Shah Khatun (died 7 May 1332, near Ujan), daughter of Tukal ibn Essen Qutlugh (Governor of Khorasan, d. 10 October 1318); *Sarqadaq Khatun, daughter of Dawlat Shah Suldus, relative of Amir
Chupan Amir Chūpān (; died October/November 1327), also spelt Choban or Coban, was a Chupanids, Chupanid noble of the Ilkhanate, and nominal general of the Mongol Empire. He was ennobled by Yesün Temür (Yuan dynasty), Emperor Taiding of Yuan as Duke ...
; ;Daughter Abu Sa'id had one daughter *A daughter (born 18 May 1336) – with Dilshad Khatun;


Personality

According to
Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...
, Abu Sa'id was one of "the most beautiful of God's creatures". Being a cultured ruler, he was the only Il-Khan to be known to author poetry as well as music.


Ancestry


References


Sources

* Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire''. Facts on File, Inc. .


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Said Bahadur Khan 1305 births 1335 deaths Il-Khan emperors Mongol Empire Muslims 14th-century monarchs in Asia 14th-century deaths from plague (disease)