After Genghis Khan's death, the empire was inherited by his successors. However, its vast territory was difficult to maintain, and it eventually divided into four major states, known as the Four Khanates.
Succession of the Empire
- 1227: Genghis Khan died → his third son Ogedei became his successor (Great Khan)
- During Ogedei's reign, the Jin Dynasty was destroyed (1234), and the European campaign took place (Batu's invasion of Poland and Hungary in 1241)
- From around 1259, internal conflicts over succession to the Great Khan expanded → leading to de facto division
The Four Khanates
- Yuan Dynasty (Great Yuan Ulus): Kublai ruled China, the Mongolian Plateau, and East Asia. Capital: Dadu (Beijing)
- Chagatai Khanate: Central Asia (present-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). It later became Islamic
- Ilkhanate: Iran, Iraq, and Anatolia. Founded by Hulagu, who conquered Baghdad in 1258 and destroyed the Abbasid Dynasty
- Golden Horde (Kipchak Khanate): Southern Russia and the Kazakh Steppe. Founded by Batu; it became Islamic and ruled the Russian principalities
Example ①
Name the Mongol leader who conquered Baghdad in 1258 and destroyed the Abbasid Dynasty, and name the khanate to which he belonged.
Answer: The Ilkhanate led by Hulagu (Hulegu). In the conquest of 1258, the last Abbasid caliph was executed, temporarily ending the caliphate system that had continued for more than 500 years. (Later, the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt installed a nominal caliph.)
Name the Mongol leader who conquered Baghdad in 1258 and destroyed the Abbasid Dynasty, and name the khanate to which he belonged.
Answer: The Ilkhanate led by Hulagu (Hulegu). In the conquest of 1258, the last Abbasid caliph was executed, temporarily ending the caliphate system that had continued for more than 500 years. (Later, the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt installed a nominal caliph.)
Key Points
- The Four Khanates: Yuan, Chagatai, Ilkhanate, and Kipchak
- 1258: The Ilkhanate conquered Baghdad → the Abbasid Dynasty was destroyed
- Each khanate gradually became Islamic and assimilated into local cultures
- Golden Horde rule became Russia's "Tatar Yoke"
Practice Questions
- Name all four khanates and state the regions each ruled.
- State the historical significance of the conquest of Baghdad in 1258.
- Explain what the "Tatar Yoke" was.
Answers and Explanations
- Answer: Yuan Dynasty (East Asia and the Mongolian Plateau), Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia), Ilkhanate (Iran and Iraq), and Kipchak Khanate (southern Russia and the Kazakh Steppe)
Explanation: Each was ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan. - Answer: The Ilkhanate led by Hulagu conquered Baghdad and executed the last Abbasid caliph. The caliphate system that had continued for more than 500 years ended, and Baghdad's academic and cultural institutions also suffered severe damage.
Explanation: It was a major event described as the "destruction of civilization" for Islamic civilization. - Answer: In Russian history, the period from the 13th to the 15th century when the Mongol Kipchak Khanate placed the Russian principalities under its control and imposed tribute is called the "Tatar Yoke."
Explanation: It is considered one factor that delayed Russia's political and social development, although assessments vary among scholars.