born Nov. 5, 1271, Abaskun, Iran
died May 11, 1304
Most prominent leader of the Mongol Il-Khanid dynasty in Persia.
In 1284 his father, the ruler Arghūn, made him viceroy of northeastern Persia, where he defended the frontier against the Chagatai Mongols. In 1295 he converted from Buddhism to Islam before taking the throne. He successfully fought his family's enemy, the Mamlūk dynasty , in Syria, defeating their army at Ḥimṣ. The Mamlūks reoccupied Syria on his departure. Despite three more attempts to regain the city, he was unable to do so. He spoke many languages and was said to have been learned in a variety of fields. He commissioned his famous vizier, Rashīd al-Dīn, to compose a history of the Mongols, which was later expanded to include information on all those with whom the Mongols had come in contact.