دانشگاه شهید بهشتی مجله تاریخ ایران 2008-7357 18 2 2025 09 23 The Muslim Ilkhanate's campaigns towards the Mediterranean and their impact on the rise and fall of the Choupan̕s Family لشکرکشی‌های ایلخانان مسلمان به سمت مدیترانه و تاثیر آن بر فراز و فرود خاندان چوپانی 1 29 106249 10.48308/irhj.2025.237772.1383 FA نسرین استواری دانشجوی دکتری تاریخ ایران اسلامی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شیراز، ایران. عبدالرسول خیراندیش استاد گروه تاریخ، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شیراز، ایران. احمد فضلی نژاد گروه تاریخ،دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی ،دانشگاه شیراز. شیراز. ایران. Journal Article 2024 12 02 Introduction In line with the rise of military emirs, including the Choupani family, it should be acknowledged that, normally in the Ilkhanate government, each of the Mongol emirs who played a more effective role in placing the Ilkhan on the throne received the title of Amir al-Amrai and, of course, took over the administration of the country's affairs. In the government of Ghazan Khan, the defeat of Amir Nowruz and Qatlogh Shah paved the way for Amir Choupan to become Amir al-Amrai. This process of influence continued during the Al-Jaito period until, during the reign of Abu Saeed, Amir Choupan became a source of important services in the three main and controversial borders of the Ilkhanate, especially in military and even diplomatic policies, to advance towards the eastern Mediterranean. His courage, skill, and the great effort he showed in consolidating the Islamization of the Ilkhanate were the main factors in his successes. In general, during most of the Ilkhanate period of Al-Jaito and Abu Saeed, Amir Choupan maintained his full authority by eliminating his rivals. Until the internal conflicts of the Ilkhanid state and the enviable power of this family finally brought them down. However, the peace between the two Muslim states, the Ilkhanids and the Mamluks, which had been achieved through the efforts of Amir Choupan, was not damaged even after the massacre of this family. In this regard, what made the present article necessary is the answer to the main research question: what role did the advance towards the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean have in the relations between the Ilkhans and their commanders, especially the rise and fall of the Choupan family? Therefore, considering the importance of the developments of the western borders of the Ilkhans and their relations with the Mamluks of Egypt and the Levant, it is necessary to recognize the power of the emirs (case study: Amir Choupan) in the light of the Mongols' expansion towards the west and the eastern gates of the Mediterranean. Materials And Methods The present study, employing a descriptive-analytical approach, aims to collect data from primary sources and new research, while briefly examining the importance of the Ilkhanate's expeditions to the Mediterranean and their battles with the Mamluks, and to assess the impact of these expeditions on the political and military position of the Choupani dynasty. In this regard, what makes the present article necessary is to answer the main research question: what role did the advance towards the lands of the eastern Mediterranean have in the relations between the Ilkhanate and their commanders, especially the rise and fall of the Choupani dynasty? Therefore, given the importance of the developments of the western borders of the Ilkhanate and their relations with the Mamluks of Egypt and the Levant, it is necessary to recognize the power of the emirs (case study: Amir Choupan) in the light of the Mongols' expansion towards the west and the eastern gates of the Mediterranean. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach to organize historical findings thematically and chronologically, drawing on both primary sources and recent scholarship. The data are evaluated using established historical research criteria, emphasizing document authenticity and narrator reliability. The research also incorporates the perspectives of other historians, applying rational selection and constructive critique to ensure a balanced and critical analysis. Result and Discussion If we trace the sequence of events and consider Hulagu’s objectives at the conclusion of his campaigns, it becomes evident that reaching the Mediterranean was a central goal. Even before the dust had settled from the conquest of Baghdad, Mongol armies moved toward the Levant in pursuit of this aim. Throughout the eighty-year rule of the Ilkhans, Mongol rulers adopted various policies to advance toward the eastern Mediterranean, which led to the rise of powerful statesmen and military leaders such as Amir Choupan. The defense of Iran’s borders against threats from the Golden Horde and the Egyptian Mamluks was entrusted to the most capable military emirs. The Golden Horde and the Mamluk Sultanate, through an informal alliance in which the recognition of the Abbasid Caliphate in Cairo played a vital role, posed significant threats to the western territories of the Ilkhanate. After Ghazan Khan’s conversion to Islam, the rivalry between the Ilkhanids and the Mamluks intensified, now entangled with religious competition for leadership of the Islamic world. Notably, the Muslim Ghazan fought the most frequent and extensive battles against the Muslim Mamluks. A revealing point about the Ilkhans’ intentions is that while they were usually defensive on the Caucasus and Khorasan frontiers, they consistently took the offensive on the Levantine border. However, the Mamluks, by launching invasions west of the Euphrates and successfully repelling Ilkhanid attacks, eventually forced the Ilkhans into a defensive posture. Amir Choupan, who led campaigns to the west during the reigns of Ghazan Khan and Öljeitü, later became a leading figure in establishing peace with the Mamluks during Abu Said’s rule, particularly as central authority weakened. In regions like the Hejaz, the competition between the Ilkhans and the Mamluks also assumed a religious dimension. Thus, the Ilkhanids’ failed military policy to open routes to the eastern Mediterranean gradually shifted to a more complex religious policy, again spearheaded by Amir Choupan. However, with the loss of Amir Choupan’s support and leadership, the Ilkhanids’ military and administrative structures in the eastern Mediterranean quickly destabilized. Internal disputes and reduced coordination further weakened the Ilkhanid response to the Mamluks, ultimately resulting in the loss of key territories in the Levant. Conclusions The rise of the Choupan dynasty began at the outset of Ghazan Khan’s reign, marked by Amir Choupan’s significant influence on the battles along the Levant front. With Ghazan Khan’s conversion to Islam and Amir Choupan’s reputation as a Muslim, a path was paved for the ascendancy of the Choupan dynasty, which would shape the last thirty years of the Ilkhanate government. Throughout his political career, Amir Choupan played a role that extended beyond military leadership; he was also a prominent politician and diplomat. He sought to expand Ilkhanate influence in the region by cultivating connections with the Crusaders and Mediterranean states. From the death of Oljaito in 1316 AD until his own downfall in 1327 AD, Amir Choupan was the de facto ruler of the Ilkhanate, wielding such authority that Abu Said retained little more than the title of ruler in name only. The Baghdad Khatun affair, the Timurtash rebellion, and the anxieties of Abu Said and rival emirs regarding the Choupans’ unchecked power all contributed to the dynasty’s rapid decline. Consequently, the fall of Choupan was not merely a domestic setback for the Ilkhanate but also led to a diminished role in regional politics, the loss of its western territories, and the abandonment of efforts to reach the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. لشکرکشی به سرزمین‌های شرق مدیترانه که در تصرف دولت مملوکان مصر و شام بود، در طول تاریخ هشتاد سالۀ دولت ایلخانان همواره پیگیری شده است. هرچند می‌توان در این عرصه سرانجام ایلخانان را طرف ناکام دانست و در نهایت، این کشمکش‌ها توازن قدرت در دو سوی فرات را با تغییری اساسی روبه‌رو نکرد، اما در درون دولت و ارتش ایلخانان زمینه‌هایی را برای رقابت میان امیران مغول به‌ وجود آورد؛ چنان‌که بالا رفتن خاندان چوپانی در هرم قدرت با توجه به نقش آنها در جنگ با مملوکان، از دورۀ غازان‌خان و مقارن با موج اسلام‌پذیری مغولان ایران بوده است. در زمان الجایتو نیز لشکرکشی به شام با پیش‌قدمی امیرچوپان صورت گرفت. بالطبع با این اقدام، بر قدرت وی و خاندانش افزوده شد؛ تا اینکه در دوره ابوسعید به اوج خود رسید، اما تعارضات درونی دولت ایلخانی و نفوذ و قدرت رشک‌برانگیز این خاندان، سرانجام آنان را به زیر کشید. با قتل عام آل چوپان، گرچه طومار سلسله ایلخانیان نیز پیچیده می‌شد، اما پناه بردن آخرین بازماندگان این خاندان (تیمورتاش) به رقیب دیرینۀ ایلخانان نیز نتوانست صلح میان دو دولت مسلمان ایلخانی و مملوک را خدشه‌دار کند؛ صلحی که با مساعی امیر چوپان به دست آمده بود و پس از ناامیدی از تمام راه‌های رفته و نرفته برای رسیدن به مدیترانه، به منزلۀ تسلیم در برابر سد ممالیک بود. این پژوهش بر آن است با روش تاریخی و رویکرد توصیفی-تحلیلی، به تأثیر لشکرکشی‌های نظامی به سمت مدیترانه، بر جایگاه خاندان چوپانی در دوره ایلخانان بپردازد. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که فراز و فرود خاندان چوپانی با نقش آنان در مناسبات میان ایلخانان و مملوکان، به‌ویژه عوامل و نتایج لشکرکشی‌های آنان به سمت مدیترانه ارتباط مستقیم داشته است.

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