Abaqa
Ilkhan of the Ilkhanate
Biography
Abaqa was born in Mongolia in 1234, the son of Hülegü, founder of the Ilkhanate. Before becoming khan he governed Khorasan, learning at first hand the eastern frontier he would later have to defend.
When his father died in 1265, Abaqa was chosen as the second Ilkhan and was later confirmed by Kublai Khan. He made Tabriz his capital and set about organizing the state.
His reign was one long series of frontier wars. To the north he faced the Golden Horde over the Caucasus, and in 1270 he threw back a large Chagatai invasion under Baraq near Herat, using the classic Mongol feigned retreat against a Mongol army.
He also campaigned repeatedly against the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria. Judging the task too great alone, he sent envoys again and again to the pope and to the kings of France and England, proposing a joint attack; his representatives even appeared at the Council of Lyon in 1274. Their interests never lined up, and his push into Syria ended in defeat at the Battle of Homs in 1281.
Although he ruled a largely Muslim population, Abaqa remained a Buddhist all his life and was tolerant toward Christians and Muslims alike. He died suddenly at Hamadan in 1282, and his brother Tegüder, who had accepted Islam, succeeded him — opening a new struggle within the Ilkhanate over faith.