Under Ghazan, the Ilkhanate reached its cultural and economic peak. J. A. Boyle, in The Cambridge History of Iran, calls him “without question the greatest of the Il-Khans, a remarkably gifted man by the standards of any age.” Ghazan promoted the arts and education, and constructed many grand public buildings. He also continued reforms begun under Arghun to create a centralized tax system. Historians are not sure how many of these reforms actually took place, but at least on paper he was doing his best to improve the government.
Through his actions, Ghazan sometimes showed two sides. He tried to make life easier and fairer for the common people, and he ordered Mongol officials to stop beating and killing the peasants’ wives and children. The Mongols sometimes used these violent tactics to convince the local people to pay their taxes. Yet at times Ghazan could be ruthless as he enforced the laws of his land. Official records show that in just one month, he executed 43 high-ranking officials, including Mongol princes.
During Ghazan’s reign, more Mongols began to convert to Islam. Ghazan’s reign began with a wave of persecution against Christians and Buddhists, but he later stopped these forced conversions. Some Mongols also gave up their nomadic lifestyle and began marrying local peoples, especially the Turks. Their distinct Mongol culture began to blend with the native Turkic and Persian cultures. This process continued for decades. Ghazan, however, always remained proud of his Mongol heritage and his family ties to Chinggis Khan. He studied the history of his family and their rule, and he continued to respect the authority of Temur, Khubilai Khan’s successor in China.
Following Mongol tradition, Ghazan looked beyond his borders for lands to conquer. First on the list was Mamluk Syria, and the Ilkhanate managed to seize the city of Aleppo in 1299. A second invasion in 1303 ended horribly for the Mongols. After their defeat, Mongol prisoners were forced to march through Cairo. Around their necks they carried the heads of other Mongols which the Mamluks had chopped off. Ghazan died the following year, with the Mongol dream of spreading their empire to Egypt still unfulfilled. The end of his rule also marked the end of a strong Mongol presence in the Ilkhanate. The realm would take on greater Persian and Muslim influence in the years to come.
World History
