The Eeffects of Iranians' Religious Conflicts on Establishment and Empowerment of the IlkhanateGovernancein Iran

ParvinTorkamanyazar[1]

Abstract

The imprudence of Kharazmshahian in interacting with their neighbors and the Caliphate speeded the conquests of the Mongols, and paved the way for their invasion of Iran. However, the existing religious conflicts among Iranians were among the factors which led to stabilization of Mongol’s government in Iran. Half a century after the establishment of Mongol’s government in Iran, Hulaguwas given the mission to beseech troops to the west. Doubtlessly, many factors were at work in this historic event. If Iranians were united and if they had aligned themselves with the government, the conquest would have failed or it would have taken the Mongols more time to establish their government and stabilize it. Furthermore, religion played an influential role in unifying various groups of people, sincepolitical government and religion had always been simultaneously in powerin Iran, and political unity depended on religious unity. This article seeks to study the role of religious conflicts in Iran as an important driving force in beseeching Hulagu’s troops to Iran and continuing his government there. The determined objectives for Hulagu’s beseeching troops to the west indicate that the Mongols aimed at eradicating Muslim’s political and religious centers including Ismaili’s citadels, Abbasid Court and Egypt’s Mamluks. The downfall of the largest spiritual centers of Muslims and Mongol’s domination on Iran endangered all Islam. Only during this period, Muslims (both Shiite and Sunni) united to revive Islam. This unity continued by the time Islam became the state religion in Iran again. Having reached their goal, Muslims resumed their conflicts and religious fights over their superiority, despite the attempts made by Gazan to gain support of different sects of Islam and to reconcile them. Continuation of these religious conflicts after the downfall of Ilkhanate government prevented the establishment of a united, integrated and independent government in Iran. Consequently, local governments with various religious approaches began governing different parts of Iran.