Black Death Strikes Mesopotamia

Name: Black Death Strikes Mesopotamia
Start: 1348
End: 1349

Type Event Region West Asia Time 1348–1349

In 1348–1349 the Black Death entered Mesopotamia from Syria and Iran, causing severe outbreaks in Baghdad and elsewhere, and continued eastward to af…

Timeline

1348Mosul · MesopotamiaThe plague entered Mesopotamia from Syria via northern trade route nodes such as Mosul; as a hub connecting the Levant and the two river valleys, Mosul was the first to see the epidemic.
1348–1349Baghdad · MesopotamiaThe plague spread downstream along the Tigris to Baghdad, causing mass deaths in the city; irrigated agricultural areas suffered labor shortages, markets and handicrafts stagnated, and the Ilkhanate's taxation and governance systems in Mesopotamia were severely weakened.

Sources

The Black Death in the Middle East — Michael W. Dols (1977)
The Black Death, 1346-1353: The Complete History — Ole J. Benedictow (2004)