هولاكو و شكست سياست ايلخانان در جبهه شام

Hulagu and the Defeat ofthe Ilkhanate against Syria

Hulaguʹs mission in western Asia consisted of the annexation and coordination of the regions between the Amu River and Egypt. For this purpose, after seizing the Ismaili castles and the occupation of Baghdad, he decided to attack Damascus. Previously, after overtaking Baghdad, he had invited the Ayyubid rulers of Syria to obey the Mongols. The occupation ofSyria and reaching the Mediterranean Sea was done quickly as part of Hulaguʹs mission, thus extending his rule from Amudarya to the Mediterranean in only five years. The Mughal khan was however, still unsatisfied. He wanted to occupy Egypt and dominate the Mediterranean Sea, wholly. The presence ofHulaguʹs army in Syria and his expansionist attempts situated him against the Mamluks of Egypt as well. This resulted in military conflict, and the Mamluk victory in the battlefield. This outcome forced both sides to institute policies that had socio-economic, political and cultural consequences all over the Muslim world. This paper seeks to analyze the reasons for Hulaguʹs defeat in Syria and the shortcomings of the Ilkhanate foreign policy against the Mamluks of Egypt.