Why and How the Mongols became Muslim

Summary by Krater

This video explores why so many Mongols converted to Islam in the 13th and 14th centuries, examining how geographic proximity, political expediency, and the influence of Muslim bureaucrats, scholars, and Sufis shaped their religious transitions.

From the video

Answers: Why did the Mongols convert to Islam?

• Mongol conversion to Islam
• Mongol Empire religious policy
• Sufi influence on Mongols
• Ilkhanate Islamization
• Golden Horde Islamization

What it concludes

• Many Mongols in the west of the empire converted to Islam by the end of the 13th century.
• Claims of Mongol religious tolerance have been greatly over-exaggerated, as they persecuted specific beliefs contrary to step custom and the laws of Chingis Khan.
• Islam succeeded in converting the Mongols of Western Asia primarily due to proximity, as the majority of the population in major centers were Muslims.
• The conversion of Mongol rulers was often not a change of identity, but an acceptance alongside their existing beliefs, incorporating into a Chingisid world view.
• Uzbek Khan's conversion was cemented by violent enforcement and the execution of over 100 Chingisid princes and noyans who resisted.