Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan

He was born on 2 June 1305, near Ujan, Tabriz to Öljaitü and Hajji Khatun. He became his father's heir after deaths of his elder brothers.[3] He was assigned to govern Khorasan and Mazandaran in 1315 with Uyghur noble Amir Sevinch as his guardian.

He was brought back to Soltaniyeh by Sevinch in December, 1316. But his coronation was delayed until April, May, July or August 1317 due to a conflict between Chupan and Sevinch.[4] Abu Said employed Rashid-al-Din Hamadani and Taj Al-Din Ali Shah Gilani as his viziers. However, viziers were at odds and it led to Hamadani's dismissal in October 1317.[5] Amir Sevinch also died in January 1318, leaving young Abu Sa'id to hands of Chupan. Although Chupan recalled Hamadani to serve in court, Gilani accused Hamadani (and his son Ibrahim Izzaddin, the cupbearer) of poisoning the late Ilkhan Öljaitü,[5] which led to their eventual execution on 13 July 1318[6] near Abhar.[7] This left the emir Chupan as the de facto ruler of Ilkhanate. Following years were tumultuous for Abu Sa'id's reign.

Now ruling personally, Abu Sa'id invited Ghiyas al-Din, son of Rashid al-Din to be his vizier. Narin Taghai (a nephew of Taghachar and grandson of Kitbuqa[9]) who was responsible for Chupan's downfall[3] and Abu Sa'id's uncle Ali Padshah were granted governorates of Khorasan and Baghdad respectively. However Ghiyas al-Din's enforcement of central authority didn't coincide with other amirs' plans. Narin Taghai left his post in 1329 to kill Ghiyas al-Din. He was aided by emirs Ali Padshah and Misr Khwaja. Narin Taghay was executed in September[5] or 29 July 1329,[7] ending another serious threat. Later Hasan Buzurg too was accused of treason with Baghdad Khatun in 1332 but reinstated as governor of Anatolia later.[4] However, Abu Sa'id divorced from Baghdad and married to her niece Dilshad Khatun in 1333.

In 1334, Abu Sa'id appointed Amir Musaffar Inaq as governor of Shiraz to the resentment of Sharaf al-Din Mahmudshah Inju, founder of Injuid dynasty, who was ruling Fars region for a while since Chupan's death. He pursued Musaffar to Abu Sa'id's tent, accidentally making attempt on his life. Mahmudshah's rebellious act got him imprisoned.

Abu Sa'id signed a commercial treaty with Venice in 1320, while also granting them to establish oratories throughout the empire. He also improved relations with Mamluk Egypt the same year, signing a treaty. He is also known to have corresponded with Muhammad b. Tughluq of Delhi Sultanate.

Abu Sa'id had to face another invasion by Özbeg in 1335 and left to face him, but died on his way in Karabakh, on night of 30 November to 1 December 1335. His body was taken to Soltaniyeh and buried there. According to Ibn Battuta, he was poisoned by Baghdad Khatun on grounds of jealousy.[5] He may have been a victim to Black Death as well.[10]

Abu Sa'id died without an heir or an appointed successor, thus leaving the Ilkhanate vulnerable. This led to clashes of the major families, such as the Chupanids, the Jalayirids, and new movements like the Sarbadars. On his return to Persia, the great voyager Ibn Battuta was amazed to discover that the realm which had seemed to be so mighty only twenty years before, had dissolved so quickly. The Ilkhanate lost cohesion after the death of Abu Sa'id, and that of his successor, Arpa Ke'un, becoming a plethora of little kingdoms run by Mongols, Turks, and Persians.

• Rashid-al-Din Hamadani (1317)
• Taj Al-Din Ali Shah (1317-1323)
• Rukn al-Din Sa'in (1323-1327)
• Ghiyas al-Din ibn Rashid al-Din (1327-1335)

Consorts

Abu Sa'id married six times from different clans including Borjigin, Oirat and Suldus:

• Uljay Qutlugh Khatun (m. 5 July 1317), daughter of Ghazan and Bulughan Khatun, and widow of his elder brother Bastam;
• Baghdad Khatun (m. 1327 – div. 1333, executed December 16, 1335), daughter of Amir Chupan, and former wife of Hasan Buzurg;
• Malika Khatun, daughter of Tuq b. Sulaimish b. Tengiz Güregen;
• Dilshad Khatun (m. 1333, died 27 December 1351), daughter of Demasq Kaja and Tursin Khatun, daughter of Irinjin Kurkan and Konchak Khatun, daughter of Tekuder;
• Adil Shah Khatun (died 7 May 1332, near Ujan[11]), daughter of Tukal ibn Essen Qutlugh (Governor of Khorasan, d. 10 October 1318);
• Sarqadaq Khatun, daughter of Dawlat Shah Suldus, relative of Amir Chupan;

Daughter

Abu Sa'id had one daughter

• A daughter (born 18 May 1336) - with Dilshad Khatun;

According to Ibn Battuta, Abu Sa'id was one of "the most beautiful of God's creatures". Being a cultured ruler, he was the only Il-Khan to be known to author poetry as well as music.[4]

• Atwood, Christopher P. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. Facts on File, Inc. ISBN 0-8160-4671-9.

• Hope, Michael (2018). "Abū Saʿīd Bahādur Khān". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.
• Jackson, P. (1983). "ABŪ SAʿĪD BAHĀDOR KHAN". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. I, Fasc. 4. pp. 374–377.
• Khatibi, Abolfazl; Gholami, Rahim (2008). "Abū Saʿīd Bahādur Khān". In Madelung, Wilferd; Daftary, Farhad (eds.). Encyclopaedia Islamica Online. Brill Online. ISSN 1875-9831.

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