From the rise of islam to the fall of baghdad, 571 a. The last caliph of baghdad ascended to his throne in 1242. The city became progressive in terms of economy, trading and religion. This was the fall of the muslim golden age where the mongols were able to take baghdad.
Hulagus troops began their siege of baghdad on january 29th, 1258, with the combat engineers setting up their siege engines and beginning. It was then the biggest, richest city in the world. The fall of baghdad 29 january 10 february 1258 by 1258 the mongol horde had swept from china through persia and was threatening the middle eastern kingdoms of the islamic caliphates. The mongol capture of baghdad in 1258 came at a time when persian influence was on the rise but the city as a whole in decline. The abbasid caliphs were the second of the islamic dynasties. The sack of baghdad in 1258 one of the bloodiest days in. This page ought to be moved to either fall of baghdad 1258 or sack of baghdad. There was so much destruction in the area that includes the agriculture. The caliph at the time believed that baghdad could not be conquered and refused to meet the mongols demands. Behind them was a trail of destruction, slavery and horrifying stories of unbeatable mounted warriors on small warhorses laying waste to civilization. Nor was the rest of the muslim world about to rush to his rescue. On february, 1258 a mongol army entered the city of baghdad, capital of the.
The siege of baghdad, which lasted from january 29 until february 10, 1258, entailed the investment and sack of baghdad, the capital of the abbasid caliphate, by ilkhanate mongol forces and allied troops. Fall of baghdad 1258 the fall of baghdad is rarely studied in the west. The most terrible, deadliest sieges before the 19th century. Less known, is the situation of the jews in that period. They also came under the control of the mamluks, the ottoman turks. What effect did the burning of baghdad in 1258 have on the. How abbasid khalifa asked to eat diamond and jewelry. When i began researching the mongol conquest of baghdad, i came across an account by an iraqi writer from the early. I have no preference but believe that battle of baghdad 1258 is peculiar to wikipedia. Official dispatch about the operations leading to the fall of baghdad, general maude. The most significant of these is the abassid empire 7501258 ad, which ruled in baghdad. Arriving at the walls of the great city on the 29th of january 1258, the khan and his mongol forces started to lay siege to the wall. The abbasid caliphate that thrived in baghdad for threehundred years was destroyed by the mongols led by hulagu khan in 1258 which is where it is recorded on the biblical timeline chart with world history. Baghdad has fallen to a nonmuslim army only one other time.
The fall of baghdad signaled the end of the abbasid caliphate. The fall of baghdad, mongol invasions timeline index. The city fell on february 10, 1258, and almustaim was executed shortly thereafter. Public domain on 30 january 1258, the hulegu gave the order to commence the bombardment of the city walls. The position had been powerless for a long time during the turkish migrations, ruling in name while the cities were virtually independent, but then a series of energetic caliphs had begun to assert military might in the. Constantinople was probably the single most defensible city in the middle ages anywhere in the world. Polarized discourses have been growing since the fall of baghdad in 2003. Baghdad was the seat of the abbasid caliphs from the eighth century. Distracted by their own dynastic politics, the mongols made a halfhearted attempt to conquer egypt but. The siege of baghdad, which lasted from january 29 until february 10, 1258, entailed the investment, capture, and sacking of baghdad, the capital of the abbasid caliphate, by ilkhanate mongol forces and allied troops.
Upon his death, his vast empire was divided up into five parts. Ok, thats only part of the answer, but it points in that direction. In less than two weeks baghdad had surrendered and the caliph was put to death. No description can do justice to the horrors that followed. The siege of baghdad, which occurred in 1258, was an invasion, siege and sacking of the city of baghdad, the capital of the abbasid caliphate at the time and the modernday capital of iraq, by the ilkhanate mongol forces along with other allied troops under hulagu khan the invasion left baghdad in a state of total destruction. In the face of imminent mongol invasion, the foolish caliph. Our course will cover the rise of the early muslim community in arabia through the fall of baghdad to the mongols.
The siege train carrying the needed stones was three days journey away. Under hulagu, the mongols attacked the abbasids and sacked baghdad in 1258, but with the succession crisis looming he returned to. Baghdad was surrounded, and almustasim realised too late that the mongol army was far larger and stronger than hed been told. The fall of baghdad, april 2003during the first two weeks of the 2003 iraq war, the u. The mongols were under the command of hulagu khan or hulegu khan, brother of the khagan mongke khan, who had intended to further extend his rule into mesopotamia but not to. This army was no match for such a large and formidable force and the mongols continued their march into baghdad. Baghdad was captured, sacked, and over time burned baghdad was the capital of the abbasid empire. The siege of baghdad, which lasted from january 29 until february 10, 1258, entailed the investment, capture, and sack of baghdad, the capital of the later abbasid caliphate, by ilkhanate mongol forces and allied troops. How the mongols took over baghdad in 1258 thoughtco. Our exploration will focus on the political, social, and cultural history of islamic civilization during this perioda. In 1253 the mongol empire was ruled by mongke khan, grandson of. For centuries after the prophet muhammad trod the earth, the caliph had stood as a unifying principle in the islamic world, conferring moral authority on the sultans and amirs who in turn gave the caliph temporal security.
Many people were killed during the siege of baghdad, and it took several years before the city recovered. The coalition also launched an intensive bombing campaign designed to create shock and awe among enemy forces and persuade them to surrender. This quarter was visited in 1169 by benjamin of tudela, a jewish traveler and historian who traveled from spain through the islamic world to baghdad. Zenith of empire siege of baghdad 1258 and battle of. It was also the high point of mongol conquest in the middle east. When approaching the city al mustasim sent an army of around 20 000 soldiers to meet the mongols. You might know genghis khan and kublai khan, but what about hulagu khan. The khagan gave his brother, hulagu, authority over a subordinate khanate and army, the ilkhanate, and instructions to compel the submission of various muslim states, including the abbassid caliphate. How would you assess the effects of the fall of baghdad of. The siege of baghdad, which lasted from january 29 until february 10, 1258, entailed the investment, capture, and sack of baghdad, the capital of the abbasid caliphate, by ilkhanate mongol forces and allied troops. Distracted by their own dynastic politics, the mongols made a halfhearted attempt to conquer egypt but were defeated at the battle of ayn jalut in 1280. In 1258, the mongols arrived at baghdad, the capital city of the abbasid caliphate. Was the fall of baghdad in 1258 inevitable answers. The fall of the ottoman empire and the creation of the modern middle east.
The mongols quickly built a palisade and ditch, and brought siege engines, such as covered. Despite political conflicts, rival claimants, and contested successions. The siege of baghdad happened relatively quickly and violently, primarily as a. The leader of the mongols, hulagu khan, then set siege to the city. Battle of baghdad 1258 simple english wikipedia, the. The battle of baghdad in 1258 was a victory for the mongol leader hulagu khan, a grandson of genghis khan. The fall of baghdad in 1258 ad was a blow to the islamic civilization, a major event in islamic history marking the end of an era of learning and culture.
Not only was it the cultural center of islam in the middle ages, but its destruction marked the end of the last arab caliphate it would soon be replaced by the turkic ottoman empire. In baghdad, jews had a thriving quarter, which remained so until the fall of baghdad under the mongol invasion in 1258. But in the islamic world, it is akin to what the fall of constantinople is to the world of christendom. The murderous reign of saddam hussein effectively ended yesterday as downtown baghdad slipped from the grip of the iraqi regime and citizens streamed into the.
The siege of baghdad, which lasted from january 29 until february 10, 1258, entailed the investment, capture, and sack of baghdad, the capital of the later. It caused a renewal in islam which caused it to turn inward causing the rise of tasawwuf. Report about the capture of baghdad, manchester guardian. The mongol army, led by hulagu also spelled as hulegu khan and the chinese commander guo kan in vicecommand, set out for baghdad in november of 1257.
417 509 1024 703 867 1339 105 902 768 1223 855 1436 640 813 754 520 683 244 877 1507 440 1026 240 1197 116 1415 489 844 22 122 436