Hulagu
Mongol commander whose army took Baghdad in 1258. Founded the Ilkhanate in Persia.
Era 6 of 12 · Station six
The Mongols & the Mamluks
In February 1258 a Mongol army enters Baghdad, and the city that had been the capital of the caliphs for five centuries is sacked. Two years later, at Ain Jalut in Palestine, an army from Egypt halts the Mongol advance. The victors were the Mamluks, former slave soldiers, who would rule from Cairo for more than two centuries.
Who led, and when
Six who shaped the era
The rulers who shaped the era, in order.
Qutuz
Mamluk sultan who led the army of Egypt to victory at Ain Jalut.
Baibars
Mamluk sultan and a leading commander at Ain Jalut. Built a strong state and a network of fortresses and roads.
Qalawun
Mamluk sultan whose family kept the throne for generations.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Qalawun's son, with a long reign, remembered for building in Cairo.
Ghazan
Mongol ruler of Persia who accepted Islam in 1295.
The lands of the era
From Egypt to Hijaz
Mongol rule covered Persia and Iraq, while the Mamluk sultanate held Egypt and Syria. Between them ran a frontier on the Euphrates that stayed contested for generations.
- EgyptHeart of the Mamluk sultanate
- SyriaAin Jalut and the city of Damascus
- IraqBaghdad, sacked in 1258
- PersiaIlkhanate, under Mongol rulers
- HijazMakkah and Madinah, under Mamluk care
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
At a glance
The era in six facts
The years, the people, the places, and what the era left behind.
- Years
- 1258–1517 CE1258–1517 CE, which is 656–922 AH, a span of about two and a half centuries.
- Rulers
- The Mongol Ilkhans in Persia and Iraq, and the Mamluk sultans in Egypt and Syria.
- Capital
- Cairo for the Mamluks. The Ilkhans ruled from Maragha and later Tabriz.
- Lands
- Persia and Iraq under the Mongols, and Egypt, Syria and the Hijaz under the Mamluks.
- Turning points
- The fall of Baghdad in 1258, the victory at Ain Jalut in 1260, the conversion of Ghazan in 1295 and the Ottoman conquest in 1517.
- Legacy
- Cairo became a leading centre of Islamic learning, Mamluk buildings still fill its streets, and many Mongol rulers became Muslims.
Key moments
Six stops on the road
- 1The Mongols invade KhwarazmGenghis Khan's armies move into Central Asia, and great cities fall.
- 2The Mamluks take power in EgyptFormer slave soldiers take the sultanate of Egypt.
- 3The fall of BaghdadHulagu's army takes the city, and the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad is killed.
- 4Ain JalutQutuz and Baibars halt the Mongol advance in Palestine.
- 5Ghazan accepts IslamThe Mongol ruler of Persia becomes a Muslim, and many of his people follow.
- 6The Ottomans take CairoThe Mamluk sultanate ends and Egypt joins the Ottoman Empire.
The chapters
Read the era, in six parts
Six short chapters take you through the era in order.
- 01The Mongol storm1219–1258Mongol armies sweep through Khwarazm and Khurasan, and great cities fall.Read
- 02The fall of Baghdad1258Hulagu's army besieges Baghdad, and the caliphate in Baghdad comes to an end.Read
- 03From slaves to sultans: the rise of the Mamluks1250–1260Mamluk soldiers, bought as boys and trained for war, take the sultanate of Egypt.Read
- 04Ain Jalut and Baibars1260–1277Qutuz and Baibars halt the Mongols, and Baibars builds a strong state.Read
- 05The Mongols turn to Islam13th–14th centuriesRulers of the Golden Horde and the Ilkhanate accept Islam, among them Berke and Ghazan.Read
- 06Cairo, the capital of learning1260–1517Scholars, schools and libraries make Cairo a leading centre of learning under the sultans.Read
Rihla · a journey to play
A journey for this era is on the way
No Rihla journey covers this era yet.
Sources
Sources for this era
The books, lectures and maps behind this page are listed on our Sources page.
- Classical history
- Modern study
- Lecture series
- Map & atlas
How we choose sources
Classical histories first, checked against trusted modern scholarship. Approximate dates carry a “c.”
Athar’s sources