Ilkhanate

In this episode, we explore the rise and legacy of the Ilkhanate, the Mongol state founded by Hülegü Khan in the 13th century across lands that now include Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The episode traces how this branch of the Mongol Empire evolved into an independent power, blending steppe traditions with Persian bureaucracy, court culture, and systems of rule. We also examine the Ilkhanate’s major religious transformation, from early Mongol shamanic and Buddhist influences to the adoption of Islam under Ghazan in 1295, as well as its remarkable contributions to architecture, manuscript art, science, and astronomy through achievements like the Maragheh observatory. Finally, the episode considers how internal rivalries and the Black Death weakened the Ilkhanate in the 14th century, while its cultural fusion left a lasting mark on Iranian identity and the wider Islamic world.