Hulagu founds the Ilkhanate

1256

Having taken Alamut from the Assassins, Hulagu declared himself Ilkhan, subordinate khan, of the Mongol territories in Persia and Mesopotamia. The new Ilkhanate would administer Iran for nearly a century and become a vector for Chinese-Persian cultural exchange. Under Mongol patronage, Persian miniature painting absorbed Chinese techniques, creating a new visual language that would flower into the masterpieces of Timurid and Safavid art.