GhazanMahmud Ghazan (5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) (غازان خان, Ghazan Khan, sometimes archaically spelled as Casanus by the Westerners) was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of Arghun, grandson of Abaqa Khan and great-grandson of Hulagu Khan, continuing a long line of rulers who were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
Abaqa KhanAbaqa Khan (27 February 1234 – 4 April 1282, Абаха/Абага хан (Khalkha Cyrillic), (Traditional script), "paternal uncle", also transliterated Abaġa), was the second Mongol ruler (Ilkhan) of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hulagu Khan and Lady Yesünčin and the grandson of Tolui, he reigned from 1265 to 1282 and was succeeded by his brother Ahmed Tekuder. Much of Abaqa's reign was consumed with civil wars in the Mongol Empire, such as those between the Ilkhanate and the northern khanate of the Golden Horde.
TekuderAhmed Tekuder (Mongolian: Tegülder, meaning “perfect”; تکودر) (c. 1246 10 August 1284), also known as Sultan Ahmad (reigned 1282–1284), was the sultan of the Persian-based Ilkhanate, son of Hulegu and brother of Abaqa. He was eventually succeeded by his nephew Arghun Khan. Tekuder was born c. 1246 in Mongolia to Hulagu and Qutui Khatun from Khongirad tribe as his seventh son. His birth date is not mentioned elsewhere but according to sources he died aged 37, therefore his birth year must have been around 1246 or 1247.
GaykhatuGaykhatu (Mongolian script:; Гайхат) was the fifth Ilkhanate ruler in Iran. He reigned from 1291 to 1295. His Buddhist baghshi gave him the Tibetan name Rinchindorj (རིན་ཆེན་རྡོ་རྗེ) which appeared on his paper money. He was born to Abaqa and Martai khatun (daughter of Chigu Noyan of Khongirad and Tümelün bekhi, sister of Musa) in c.1259. He was living in Jazira during Tekuder's reign and had to flee to Arghun in Khorasan after Qonqurtai's execution in 1284.
Kublai KhanKublai (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, although after the division of the empire this was a nominal position. He proclaimed the dynastic name "Great Yuan" in 1271, and ruled Yuan China until his death in 1294. Kublai was the second son of Tolui by his chief wife Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan.
ÖljaitüÖljaitü (Öljaitü Qaghan, اولجایتو), also known as Mohammad-e Khodabande (محمد خدابنده, khodābande from Persian meaning the "slave of God" or "servant of God"; 24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name means "blessed" in the Mongolian language. He was the son of the Ilkhan ruler Arghun, brother and successor of Mahmud Ghazan (5th successor of Genghis Khan), and great-grandson of the Ilkhanate founder Hulagu.
Franco-Mongol allianceSeveral attempts at a Franco-Mongol alliance against the Islamic caliphates, their common enemy, were made by various leaders among the Frankish Crusaders and the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Such an alliance might have seemed an obvious choice: the Mongols were already sympathetic to Christianity, given the presence of many influential Nestorian Christians in the Mongol court.
QazvinQazvin (kæzˈviːn; قزوین, ɢæzˈviːn, also Romanized as Qazvīn, Qazwin, Kazvin, Kasvin, Caspin, Casbin, Casbeen, or Ghazvin) is a city in the Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Iran, and serves as capital of the district, county, and province. It is the largest city in Qazvin province. Qazvin was a capital of the Safavid dynasty for over forty years (1555–1598) and nowadays is known as the calligraphy capital of Iran. It is famous for its traditional confectioneries (like Baghlava), carpet patterns, poets, political newspaper and Pahlavi influence on its accent.
KutlushahKutlushah, Kutlusha or Qutlughshah (Кутлугшах, قتلغشاه, Խութլուշահը or Cotlesse in Frank sources), was a general under the Mongol Ilkhanate ruler Ghazan at the end the 13th century. He was particularly active in the Christian country of Georgia and especially during the Mongol invasion of Syria, until his ignominious defeat in 1303 led to his banishment. He was killed during the conquest of Gilan in 1307. Kutlushah was a member of the Manghud tribe.
BayduBaydu (Mongolian script:; Байду) (died 1295) was the sixth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate division in Iran. He was the son of Taraqai, who was in turn the fifth son of Hulagu Khan. He succeeded his cousin Gaykhatu as khan of the Ilkhanate state in 1295. He was born in Mongolia to Taraqai and Qaraqcin. His father was Hulagu's fifth son but he was killed by lightning strike on his way to Iran. Baydu and his mother arrived at Iran with Qutui Khatun's camp alongside Tekuder and other princes in 1269.
