Sack of Baghdad House of Wisdom
As far as damage done, the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols made the Sack of Rome (410) sack of Rome by Alaric look kindly. The House of Wisdom Grand Library of Baghdad, containing countless precious historical documents and books on subjects ranging from medicine to astronomy, was destroyed. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books flung into the river. Citizens attempted to flee, but were intercepted by Mongol soldiers who raped and killed with abandon.
Although death counts vary widely and cannot be easily substantiated, a number of estimates do exist. Martin Sicker writes that close to 90,000 people may have died (Sicker 2000, p. 111). Other estimates go much higher. Muslim historian Abdullah Wassaf claims the loss of life was several hundred thousand or more. Ian Frazier of The New Yorker estimates of the death toll have ranged from 200,000 to a million.
The Mongols looted and then destroyed. Mosques, palaces, libraries, hospitals — grand buildings that had been the work of generations were burned to the ground. The caliph was captured and forced to watch as his citizens were murdered and his treasury plundered. The caliph was trampled to death. Marco Polo reports that Hulagu starved the caliph to death, but there is no corroborating evidence for that. Most historians believe the Mongol accounts (and Muslim) that the Mongols rolled the caliph up in a rug, and rode their horses over him, as they believed that the earth was offended if touched by royal blood. All of his sons but one were killed. Prior to this, the Mongols destroyed a city only if it had resisted them. Cities that capitulated at the first demand for surrender could usually expect to be spared. Cities that surrendered after a short fight, such as this, normally could expect a sack, but not complete devastation. The utter ferocity of the rape of Baghdad is the worst example of Mongol excess known. (It is said some Chinese cities suffered a similar fate, but this is not documented).
Baghdad was a depopulated, ruined city for several centuries and only gradually recovered something of its former glory. Of all the Mongol Khans, he is, for obvious reasons, the most feared and despised.
Even today, Baghdad residence invoke Hulagu Khan's name as the war and occupation wage on. Several terrorist, militant and insurgent groups refer to U.S. President George W. Bush as a modern day Hulagu Khan.
Facebook
Twitter