Persian Ilkhanate Administration

Timeline

1. 1256–1280Maragha · MaraghaAfter being granted the title of Ilkhan, Hulegu established rule through military conquest and appanages to imperial princes; the khan's court preserved the Mongol jarlghu consultative tradition while employing Persian-secretaries to manage local taxation and civil affairs, forming a dual administrative structure.
2. 1295–1304Tabriz · TabrizKhan Ghazan converted to Islam and carried out currency, tax, and legal reforms; ministers such as Rashid al-Din oversaw the compilation of the Jami' al-Tawarikh and the organization of archives, strengthening Persian-secretarial administration and central control over the provinces.
3. 1335–1370Tabriz · TabrizAfter the last Ilkhan Abu Sa'id died without an heir, appanage princes' partitioning caused the khanate's administrative system to collapse; local warlords and powers such as the Jalairids and Chobanids replaced central authority, but the Persian civil-service tradition and the postal-relay tax model persisted.
4. 1461–1470Herat · HeratBetween 1461 and 1470, Timurid successor states continued the Ilkhanate-era system of provincial governors, Persian secretaries, and postal-relay taxation; court administration was still jointly run by Islamic-Persian bureaucrats and military nobles, demonstrating the long-term influence of the Ilkhanate administrative model.