Armenia Under the Mongols: Surviving the Ilkhanate

After the fall of Ani and the Bagratid golden age, Armenia faced a new and formidable power from the steppes: the Mongol Empire. This episode explores the intricate dance of survival under the Ilkhanate, from the initial devastating invasions under Genghis Khan's grandson Baiju to the fragile alliance with Hulagu and the catastrophic battle of Wadi al-Khaznadar. We examine how Armenian kings like Hetum I of Cilician Armenia navigated Mongol politics, the cultural exchange that flourished under the Pax Mongolica, and the eventual collapse into oppression under Ghazan and the rise of the Turkic Qara Qoyunlu. Featuring the fortresses of Lori and Amberd, the historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi, and the Mongol yam system. #ArmenianHistory #MongolEmpire #Ilkhanate #HetumI #CilicianArmenia #Baiju #Hulagu #BattleOfWadiAlKhaznadar #PaxMongolica #KirakosGandzaketsi #YamSystem #AmberdFortress #LoriFortress #QaraQoyunlu #MongolInvasions #MedievalHistory #Caucasus #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo