Sectarian Tolerance in Ilkhanid Persia: From the Sunni Challenge to Shi'ism (A Study of the Geopolitical Context)(

Abstract

This study examines the profound geopolitical and religious transformations within the Ilkhanid State in Persia during the 13th and 14th centuries. It focuses specifically on the transition from Mongol paganism (Shamanism and Buddhism) to Islam, and the subsequent pivotal shift toward Imami Shi'ism during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Khodabande (Oljaytu). The research aims to deconstruct the underlying motives of these shifts, moving beyond superficial theological explanations in favor of a "geopolitical" reading that links religious decisions to the Ilkhanate's struggle for survival against its rivals: the Mamluks in Egypt and the Golden Horde in the North. The study concludes that the adoption of Shi'ism was not merely a personal spiritual conviction of the Sultan, but a calculated strategy to forge a distinct national-religious identity for Persia. This identity ensured ideological independence from Mamluk Sunni hegemony and provided a legitimate framework for Mongol absolute authority. Furthermore, the study highlights the central role of the Shi'ite scholarly elite, particularly Al-Hilli, in engineering this transformation, which laid the historical foundation for the later emergence of the Safavid Empire.