The Mongol Invasions
In the early 13th century another invading horde swept into Persia from the northeast. It consisted mainly of Mongols who, under their leader Genghis Khan, had already conquered northern China. The invaders, joined by Turkish tribes along the way, were known as Tatars (or Tartars) in Persia. They spread utter destruction as they went, passing across Persia and north of Baghdad into the territory of the Russians.
In the 1250's Genghis' grandson Hulagu completed the conquest of Persia. Baghdad was burned. Hulagu's dynasty, the Il-khans, established an empire that extended from the Oxus to Syria and from the Caucasus to the Indian Ocean. The Il-khans established their capital at Tabriz. To the north were Mongol empires founded by other Mongol leaders who had succeeded Genghis.
The Tatar conquest was disastrous for Persia. A large part of the male population was killed, and the overall population of the country was reduced by nearly one-fourth. The economy was left in shambles, and Mongol taxes kept the people impoverished and prevented recovery.
Rebuilding of Persia began with the accession of Ghazan Khan to the throne in 1295. To make Mongol rule more acceptable to the Persians, he converted to Islam and restored Persian officials to positions of authority. With their help, he codified the laws, reduced taxes, rebuilt and extended irrigation works to raise agricultural productivity, and made caravan routes safe to encourage trade. Italian merchant colonies in Persia opened up trade with the Mediterranean area. Shiraz, near the site of Persepolis, became a center of literature and art. With the Chinese influence introduced by the Tatars, exquisite pottery and illuminated manuscripts were produced.
In 1335 the Il-khan empire splintered into a number of virtually independent states. In 1381 Tamerlane (or Timur), a Muslim descendant of the Tatars and ruler of Samarkand, conquered Persia and created a large empire. His successors, the Timurids, ruled until 1500, when the Persians regained control.
