Unit 6: The Mongol Invasions
The Mongols—nomads of central Eurasia—dominated world history during
the thirteenth century. The Mongols invaded many postclassical empires
and built an extensive cultural and commercial network. Led by Chinggis
Khan and his successors, the Mongols brought China, Persia, Tibet,
Eurasia Minor, and southern Russia under their control. The Mongol
Empire also opened trade routes—primarily along the Silk Road—as well as
lines of communication between Asia and the Middle East. Under Hulegu
Khan, the Mongols sacked the Abbasid capital at Baghdad and decimated
much of the Islamic civilization. They killed the last Abbasid
caliphate and established the Ilkhanate, which ruled Persia until the
fourteenth century. The Ilkhans embraced many religions, particularly
Christianity, in their quest to create an alliance with Europe.
However, beginning in 1295, the Ilkhans converted to Islam.
In this unit, we will study the end of the Abbasid era and the invasion
of the Mongols. We will also examine the effect of Buddhist and
Christian Mongol rule over predominantly Muslim peoples.
Unit 6 Time Advisory
This unit will take you approximately 6 hours to complete.
☐ Introduction: 6 hours*
*This reading covers all subunits in this unit.
Unit6 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Identify and describe the impact of the Mongol invasions on the Middle East.
Reading: The University of Calgary: The Applied History Reaserch Group’s The Islamic World to 1600: The Mongol Invasions: “Introduction,” “The Chagatai Khanate,” “The Golden Horde,” “The Il-Khanate,” “The Timurid Empire.” Link: The University of Calgary: The Applied History Reaserch Group’s The Islamic World to 1600: The Mongol Invasions: “Introduction,” “The Chagatai Khanate,” “The Golden Horde,” “The Il-Khanate,” “The Timurid Empire”
Note: All websites are in HTML.
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage, which offers a comprehensive overview of the Mongols’ spread of Islam into Central Asia. These links address subsections 6.1 through 6.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.Web Media: The History Channel’s Barbarians: “The Mongols” The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
6.1 Rise of the Mongols 6.1.1 Chinggis Khan 6.1.2 The Nomadic Mongols 6.1.3 Asian Conquests 6.2 The Mongols in the Middle East 6.2.1 Conquest of the Abbasids 6.2.2 The Battle of Baghdad 6.2.3 Suppression of the Seljuk Turks 6.2.4 Establishment of the Ilkhanate 6.2.5 Conversion to Islam 6.2.6 End of Mongol Rule