Hulagu (or Hüle'ü) was a Mongol ruler of Iran and the grandson of Genghis Khan. He was also the brother of Mangu (Möngkë), Arik Boke, and Kublai. He founded the Il-Khanid (or Ilkhanate) Dynasty. Hulagu expanded the southwestern part of the Mongol Empire to a great extent. He destroyed Baghdad's influence on the Islamic world, through the siege of Baghdad in1258. His forces weakened Damascus, causing the Islamic influence to shift to the Mamluks of Egypt. Though his army was defeated in the Battle of Ayn Jalut, he is remembered as one of the forefathers of modern-day Iran.
