Editing Baghdad (section)

===Stagnation and invasions (10th–16th centuries)===
[[File:AlKhulafa Mosque in Baghdad 46.jpg|thumb|233x233px|[[Al-Khulafa Mosque|Al-Khulafa mosque]] retains an Abbasid-era minaret]]
[[File:Zubaida tomb.JPG|thumb|[[Zumurrud Khatun Mosque|Zumurrud Khatun Tomb]] in Baghdad (built in 1202&nbsp;AD)|left]]
By the 10th century, the city's population was between 1.2&nbsp;million<ref name=Modelski>[[George Modelski]], ''World Cities: –3000 to 2000'', Washington, D.C.: FAROS 2000, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0-9676230-1-6}}. See also [http://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/ Evolutionary World Politics Homepage] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520065457/http://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/ |date=20 May 2007}}</ref> and 2&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite book |title=International dictionary of historic places, Volume 4: Middle East and Africa |author1=Trudy Ring |author2=Robert M. Salkin |author3=K. A. Berney |author4=Paul E. Schellinger |year=1996 |publisher=[[Taylor and Francis]] |page=116}}</ref> Baghdad's early meteoric growth eventually slowed due to troubles within the [[Caliphate]], including relocations of the capital to [[Abbasid Samarra|Samarra]] (during 808–819 and 836–892), the loss of the western and easternmost provinces, and periods of political domination by the [[Iran]]ian [[Buwayhid]]s (945–1055) and [[Seljuk Turks]] (1055–1135). The [[Seljuks]] were a clan of the [[Oghuz Turks]] from Central Asia that converted to the [[Sunni]] branch of Islam. In 1040, they destroyed the [[Ghaznavids]], taking over their land and in 1055, [[Tughril Beg]], the leader of the Seljuks, took over Baghdad. The Seljuks expelled the [[Buyid dynasty]] of Shiites that had ruled for some time and took over power and control of Baghdad. They ruled as [[Sultans]] in the name of the Abbasid caliphs (they saw themselves as being part of the Abbasid regime). Tughril Beg saw himself as the protector of the Abbasid Caliphs.<ref>''Atlas of the Medieval World'' pg. 170</ref>

Baghdad was captured in [[Capture of Baghdad (1394)|1394]], [[Capture of Baghdad (1534)|1534]], [[Capture of Baghdad (1624)|1623]] and [[Capture of Baghdad (1638)|1638]]. The city has been sieged in [[Siege of Baghdad (812–813)|812]], [[Abbasid civil war (865–866)|865]], [[Battle of Baghdad (946)|946]], [[Siege of Baghdad (1157)|1157]], [[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|1258]] and in 1393 and 1401, by [[Tamerlane]]. In 1058, Baghdad was captured by the [[Fatimids]] under the Turkish general Abu'l-Ḥārith Arslān al-Basasiri, an adherent of the [[Ismailis]] along with the 'Uqaylid Quraysh.<ref>Virani, Shafique N. ''The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation'', (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 6.</ref> Not long before the arrival of the Saljuqs in Baghdad, al-Basasiri petitioned to the Fatimid Imam-Caliph [[Al-Mustansir Billah|al-Mustansir]] to support him in conquering Baghdad on the Ismaili Imam's behalf. It has recently come to light that the famed Fatimid ''[[da'i]]'', al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi, had a direct role in supporting al-Basasiri and helped the general to succeed in taking [[Mosul|Mawṣil]], [[Wasit, Iraq|Wāsit]] and [[Kufa]]. Soon after,<ref name="Daftary, Farhad 1990">Daftary, Farhad. ''The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, 205-206.</ref> by December 1058, a Shi'i ''[[adhān]]'' (call to prayer) was implemented in Baghdad and a ''[[khutbah]]'' (sermon) was delivered in the name of the Fatimid Imam-Caliph.<ref name="Daftary, Farhad 1990" /> Despite his Shi'i inclinations, Al-Basasiri received support from Sunnis and Shi'is alike, for whom opposition to the Saljuq power was a common factor.<ref>Daftary, Farhad. ''The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, 206.</ref>

[[File:Fall Of Baghdad (Diez Albums).jpg|thumb|left|[[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|Conquest of Baghdad]] by the Mongols in 1258 CE|220x220px]]
On 10 February 1258, Baghdad was captured by the [[Mongols]] led by [[Hulegu]], a grandson of [[Genghis Khan]] (''Chingiz Khan''), during the [[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|siege of Baghdad]].<ref>[https://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/CAWC.htm Central Asian world cities] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118121401/https://faculty.washington.edu/modelski/CAWC.htm |date=18 January 2012}}, George Modelski</ref> Many quarters were ruined by fire, siege, or looting. The Mongols massacred most of the city's inhabitants, including the caliph [[Al-Musta'sim]], and destroyed large sections of the city. The [[canal]]s and [[Levee|dykes]] forming the city's [[irrigation]] system were also destroyed. During this time, in Baghdad, Christians and Shia were tolerated, while Sunnis were treated as enemies.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Bosworth |editor1-first=C.E. |editor2-last=Donzel |editor2-first=E. van |editor3-last=Heinrichs |editor3-first=W.P. |editor4-last=Pellat |editor4-first=Ch. |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume VII (Mif-Naz) |date=1998 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-09419-2 |page=1032|title-link=Encyclopaedia of Islam}}</ref> The sack of Baghdad put an end to the Abbasid Caliphate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/baghdad-sacked-mongols |title=Baghdad Sacked by the Mongols {{!}} History Today|website=historytoday.com |access-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910014525/https://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/baghdad-sacked-mongols |archive-date=10 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> It has been argued that this marked an end to the Islamic Golden Age and served a blow from which Islamic civilization never fully recovered.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3qwuhK3BBH8C&pg=PA215 |title=Challenges of the Muslim World: Present, Future and Past |last1=Cooper |first1=William W. |last2=Yue |first2=Piyu |date=15 February 2008 |publisher=Emerald Group Publishing |isbn=978-0-444-53243-5 |access-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909223531/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3qwuhK3BBH8C&pg=PA215 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Timur reconstruction03.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Timur]] sacked the city and spared almost no one]]
At this point, Baghdad was ruled by the [[Ilkhanate]], a breakaway state of the Mongol Empire, ruling from Iran. In August 1393, Baghdad was occupied by the Central Asian Turkic conqueror [[Timur]] ("Tamerlane"),<ref>{{Citation |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, US |editor1=Michael R.T. Dumper |editor2=Bruce E. Stanley |chapter=Baghdad |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa |date=2008}}</ref> by marching there in only eight days from [[Shiraz]]. Sultan [[Ahmad Jalayir]] fled to Syria, where the Mamluk Sultan [[Barquq]] protected him and killed Timur's envoys. Timur left the [[Sarbadar]] prince Khwaja Mas'ud to govern Baghdad, but he [[Capture of Baghdad (1394)|was driven out]] when [[Ahmad Jalayir]] returned.

In 1401, Baghdad was again sacked, by Timur, a [[Central Asia]]n Turko-Mongol figure.<ref>Ian Frazier, [https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/04/25/050425fa_fact4?currentPage=5 Annals of history: Invaders: Destroying Baghdad] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607053406/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/04/25/050425fa_fact4?currentPage=5 |date=7 June 2011 }}, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' 25 April 2005. p.5</ref> When his forces took Baghdad, he spared almost no one, and ordered that each of his soldiers bring back two severed human heads.<ref>[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav042806.shtml New Book Looks at Old-Style Central Asian Despotism] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118203132/http://eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav042806.shtml |date=18 January 2009 }}, EurasiaNet Civil Society, Elizabeth Kiem, 28 April 2006</ref> Baghdad became a provincial capital controlled by the Mongol [[Jalayirid]] (1400–1411), Turkic [[Kara Koyunlu]] (1411–1469), Turkic [[White Sheep Turkmen|Ak Koyunlu]] (1469–1508), and the Iranian [[Safavid]] (1508–1534) dynasties.