هولاكو خان
هولاكو خان
The Tatar commander who took Baghdad in 656, had al-Musta'sim trampled to death, threw off al-Alqami's Alid scheme to a groom's rank — he died of grief — and wrote Damascus's lord the 'answer the king of the earth' letters 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Hulagu Khan, the Tatar commander who entered Baghdad in 656 AH. 2
The fall of Baghdad
Al-Suyuti reports that he came to Baghdad with two hundred thousand men, defeated the caliph's army, and entered it on the day of Ashura, and that the caliph al-Musta'sim was killed. He reports that the vizier al-Alqami did not achieve his aim of setting up an Alid caliph, and died of grief. 2
He also transmits from letters that Hulagu sent to al-Nasir, lord of Damascus, threatening him. 2
Ibn Khaldun's account
In Ibn Khaldun's account, he marched on Iraq in 652 AH, having taken al-Rayy, Isfahan and Hamadhan, pursued the Ismaili fortresses, and made for the fortress of Alamut in 655 AH. Then the letter of Ibn al-Alqami reached him, and he marched to Baghdad; al-Musta'sim came out to him and was killed. After the conquest he marched to Syria in 658 AH. 3
Note: al-Suyuti and Ibn Khaldun differ on some details, such as how the caliph was killed. They have not been reconciled here.
Connections
- Parent of
- Abaga ibn Hulagu
- Sibling of
- Monke Khan ibn Tolui· Qubilai Khan ibn Tolui
- Participated in
- كتب هولاكو المهددة إلى الناصر صاحب دمشق· اجتياح التتار بغداد وقتل المستعصم
People and things also explored
Monke Khan ibn Tolui· Qubilai Khan ibn Tolui· الوزير مؤيد الدين العلقمي· المستعصم بالله عبد الله بن المستنصر آخر خلفاء بغداد· الناصر صاحب دمشق· السلطان المنصور سيف الدين قلاوون· Baghdad· Ilkhanate
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition), p. 715-719
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition), p.715-719
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun, p.900-901
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “هولاكو خان”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/hulagu/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.