Abaqa KhanAbaqa Khan (27 February 1234 – 4 April 1282, Mongolian: Абаха/Абага хан (KhalkhaCyrillic), ᠠᠪᠠᠭ ᠠᠬᠠᠨ(Traditional script), "paternal uncle", also transliterated Abaġa), was the second Mongol ruler (Ilkhan) of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hulagu Khan and Lady Yesünčin and the grandson of Tolui, he reigned from 1265 to 1282 and was succeeded by his brother Ahmed Tekuder.
Ilkhanate1256–1335 Post-Mongol Empire khanate in IranThe 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 (Persian: ایلخانان, romanized: Īlkhānān), and known to the Mongols as Hülegü Ulus (lit. 'people / state of Hülegü'). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known as the Land of Iran (Irānzamin) or simply Iran.
GhazanMahmud Ghazan (also Ghazan Khan, sometimes westernized as Casanus; 5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) was the seventh ruler of the Ilkhanate from 1295 to 1304, division of the Mongol Empire based in modern-day Iran. He was the son of Arghun, grandson of Abaqa Khan and great-grandson of Hulegu Khan, continuing a long line of rulers who were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
Mongol EmpireThe Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the medieval empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe, extending northward into Siberia and east and southward into the Indian subcontinent, mounting invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquering the Iranian Plateau; and reaching westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains.
Franco-Mongol allianceSeveral attempts at a military alliance between the Frankish Crusaders and the Mongol Empire against the Islamic caliphates, their common enemy, were made by various leaders among them during the 13th century. Such an alliance might have seemed an obvious choice: the Mongols were already sympathetic to Christianity, given the presence of many influential Nestorian Christians in the Mongol court.
KököchinKököchin, also Kökejin, Kūkājīn, Cocacin or Cozotine (Mongolian: ᠬᠥᠬᠴᠢᠨХөхчин; Chinese: 闊闊真; pinyin: kuò kuò zhēn), was a 13th-century princess of the Mongol-led Chinese Yuan dynasty, belonging to the Mongol Bayaut tribe. In 1291, she was betrothed to the IlkhanatekhanArghun by the Yuan founding emperor Kublai, but eventually was married to his son Ghazan when Arghun died by the time she arrived in Persia in 1293.
Kublai KhanKublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the dynastic name "Great Yuan" in 1271, and ruled Yuan China until his death in 1294. Kublai was the second son of Tolui by his chief wife Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He was almost 12 when Genghis Khan died in 1227.
Marco PoloMarco Polo (c. 1254 – 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.
Mongolian Cyrillic alphabetThe Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet (Mongolian: Монгол Кирилл үсэг, Mongol Kirill üseg or Кирилл цагаан толгой, Kirill tsagaan tolgoi) is the primary writing system used for the Mongolian language in modern Mongolia.
IranIran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and historically 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 northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. With a population of over 92 million, Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population.
Mongolian scriptThe traditional Mongolian script, also known as the Hudum Mongol bichig, was the first writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most widespread until the introduction of Cyrillic in 1946. The script is a co-official script in Mongolia since 2025, alongside the Cyrillic script for the language.
Mamluk SultanateState in Egypt, Hejaz and Syria (1250–1517)
Holy LandThe term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.