Which empire sacked Baghdad in 1258, causing the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate?

Which empire sacked Baghdad in 1258, causing the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate?

• A. Persians
• B. Byzantines
• C. Mongols
• D. Seljuks

Answer: (C)

The event hinges on the rise of the Mongol Empire into the Islamic world. In 1258, Hulagu Khan led a Mongol army into Iraq and captured Baghdad, unleashing a brutal sack that destroyed much of the city and killed the Abbasid caliph, al-Musta'sim. This effectively ended the Abbasid Caliphate’s political authority, even though a caliphate lingered on in name for a time. The other groups mentioned did not perform this act in that year or in that region, whereas the Mongols orchestrated the decisive conquest that marked the fall of Abbasid political power.