Mongolian Invasion of Egypt and North Africa

The Mongolians invaded the Levant several times, include taking Damascus and ending the local dynasty. Unlike other areas of the world (Russia, the Ottoman, Persia, India, China), they did not stay long and suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Mamluks near Galilee.

What if the Mongolians decided to move further south into Egypt around 1300, where many of the Abbassid Princes had fled after the fall of Baghdad?

Egypt and North Africa (maybe as far south as Ethiopia) were wealthy and would make as good a tribute state as any.

How would this affect the Islamic Wars with Europe, particularly in Spain and the Balkans (Byzantium)?

Would unifying the area under Mongol rule improve anything or merely be parasitic?

Would it be a given that the local Mongol Khans would convert to Islam or would this be a constant cause of friction?

If the Muslim population resisted, would this be seen as a reason for the Mongols to wipe out large segments of local North African and Levantine populations?

Take it any direction you like. Thanks.
 
they did not stay long and suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Mamluks near Galilee.
Their defeat against Mameluks is arguably something that could have been relatively easily reversed at Ain Jalut, in the mid XIIIth century, rather than later attempts (Mameluks having build up more military).

That said, Hulagu may not have been able to really use this defeat to enter in Africa in the immediate aftermath of the battle : inner conflicts between Mongols pretender to khaganate were building up, and his forces were already partially looking for eastern matters.

Tough, conquest of Syria is more than probable, as well (at the very least), a devastating campaign in Egypt proper (think of what happened in Bagdad) which would certainly allow Hulagu to build up forces and ressources in the incoming fight with Kubliai, maybe forcing remaining Abassid to be under its thumb (making Egypt acknowledging Hulagu's dominance, at least for a time).

The consequences, IMO, would be less a conquest of Egypt or North Africa, than Hulagu having more chances to impose himself against his rivals, in the last great revival of the Great Khanate.

It could interestingly mean a deeper and more widespread Islamisation of Mongols, ITTL.

How would this affect the Islamic Wars with Europe, particularly in Spain and the Balkans (Byzantium)?
Hard to say, giving you didn't have such things as "Islamic Wars", that is a constant warfare between Christians from a side, and Muslims from another. At this point, conflicts weren't defined by religion, or rather not religion alone.
 

scholar

Banned
Unfortunately zebras aren't domesticable and probably can't support a rider like a horse can.
They are, but domestication is a process that takes many dozens, if not hundreds, of generations. Modern Wolves aren't domesticable either, yet we know for a fact that they were in order to create modern canines. Attempts to domesticate the Zebra have often been half-hearted, and did not have significant long-term African attempts at breeding. There were some famous people who tried, either failed or had small success, and then the attempts were abandoned. Ironically it was the European colonizers that tried the longest, and even had some success, but these were abandoned a few decades before the empires fell.

That said, there are a number of examples of domesticated animals one wouldn't expect. The Emperors of Ethiopia were famed for being able to tame one or two lions as a symbol of their power, and there is enough evidence to think this is true - even if this is owed more to socialization of the animals than breeding.
 
The Mongolians invaded the Levant several times, include taking Damascus and ending the local dynasty. Unlike other areas of the world (Russia, the Ottoman, Persia, India, China), they did not stay long and suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Mamluks near Galilee.

What if the Mongolians decided to move further south into Egypt around 1300, where many of the Abbassid Princes had fled after the fall of Baghdad?

Egypt and North Africa (maybe as far south as Ethiopia) were wealthy and would make as good a tribute state as any.

How would this affect the Islamic Wars with Europe, particularly in Spain and the Balkans (Byzantium)?

Would unifying the area under Mongol rule improve anything or merely be parasitic?

Would it be a given that the local Mongol Khans would convert to Islam or would this be a constant cause of friction?

If the Muslim population resisted, would this be seen as a reason for the Mongols to wipe out large segments of local North African and Levantine populations?

Take it any direction you like. Thanks.

Maybe the Mongols follow the Nile, conquer Sudan on it´s way, finally reaching the Congo and exploring the rainforests.
 
Islaisation isn't inevitable. There were already Nestorian Mongols. Going into Egypt could start a Coptic Mongol branch, especially when they were fighting Islam for so long.
Ghengis Khan had the tradition of freedom of religion...until they start rioting, then he'd order both temples burnt to the ground, read that somewhere. If that was followed through, the Mid East could be 'calmer' than Europe.
Mongol Camelry would be interesting.
What would they make of the Pyramids? Probably tear them down for low income housing. They are pragmatic.:D

Coptic Mongols along the Nile. They could rescue Gordon at Khartoum all by themselves.
 
They are, but domestication is a process that takes many dozens, if not hundreds, of generations. Modern Wolves aren't domesticable either, yet we know for a fact that they were in order to create modern canines. Attempts to domesticate the Zebra have often been half-hearted, and did not have significant long-term African attempts at breeding. There were some famous people who tried, either failed or had small success, and then the attempts were abandoned. Ironically it was the European colonizers that tried the longest, and even had some success, but these were abandoned a few decades before the empires fell.

That said, there are a number of examples of domesticated animals one wouldn't expect. The Emperors of Ethiopia were famed for being able to tame one or two lions as a symbol of their power, and there is enough evidence to think this is true - even if this is owed more to socialization of the animals than breeding.

Dogs not domesticated grey wolves as proven in the last few years through genetic testing. Dogs are domesticated from a now extinct cousin to the modern wolf. Dogs and wolves are both descended from a common ancestor. Domesticating a wolf (which no, is not really possible) would no more give you a dog than domesticating a chimpanzee will give you a human. Difference between a wolf and a dog- dogs can understand the concept of "no", whereas wolves cannot. Unless a lucky genetic abnormality not ever seen, or breeding with our dogs, you can't domesticate wolves into understanding the concept of no. Socialization (eg- Ethiopian tamed lions, or Siegfried and Roy's tigers) are not domestication under any definition; domestication of foxes by Russian scientists is in fact domestication because it has actually physically over generations changed mental and physical attributes (eg-wagging tails and running TO humans as default, floppy ears instead of pointy, juvenile features in adults). Zebras are not domesticatable.
 

Taming/breaking in an individual and domesticating a species are two different things.

They are, but domestication is a process that takes many dozens, if not hundreds, of generations. Modern Wolves aren't domesticable either, yet we know for a fact that they were in order to create modern canines. Attempts to domesticate the Zebra have often been half-hearted, and did not have significant long-term African attempts at breeding. There were some famous people who tried, either failed or had small success, and then the attempts were abandoned. Ironically it was the European colonizers that tried the longest, and even had some success, but these were abandoned a few decades before the empires fell.

With a long enough and intense enough process it may eventually be possible, but I don't know if the Mongols or their successors would be able to sustain their power long enough to support it, especially if they already have horses, donkeys, and camels. Even then, though, the result just might not be good enough to be worth the switch.

EDIT: A good example would be the onager that has had thousands of years to be domesticated, but was never nearly as successful as horses or donkeys.
 
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