How did the Ilkhanate govern Persia and Iraq?

The Ilkhanate governed Persia and Iraq by establishing a centralized administration based in Azerbaijan, with Tabriz serving as its primary capital before the construction of Soltaniyeh.12

Their governance was characterized by several key features:

• Administrative Structure: In regions like Baghdad and Mosul, the Mongols employed a condominium system, pairing a civilian administrator—often of Muslim, Christian, or Jewish background—with a Mongol garrison commander.2
• Legal Framework: The Il-Khans applied the yasa (Mongol tribal law) alongside the sharia (Islamic law), though the initial collapse of the caliphate created significant legal and administrative instability.1
• Religious Policy: Early rulers practiced religious eclecticism and tolerance, which allowed Christians and Jews to hold positions of influence. However, this shifted significantly after the conversion of Mahmud Ghazan to Islam in 1295, which facilitated the assimilation of Mongol and Turkic elites into Iranian society.31
• Economic Challenges: The government struggled with fiscal stability, exacerbated by heavy taxation and a failed attempt to introduce paper currency. Later, reforms under Ghazan and his minister Rashid al-Din sought to regulate taxes, encourage agriculture, and restore order, though the region faced long-term economic decline.312