Nawrūz

Who was Nawrūz?

Nawrūz was a son of governor Arghun Agha, and was a powerful Mongol Oirat emir of the 13th century who played an important role in the politics of the Mongol Ilkhanate. He was a convert to Islam; the history of Bar Sawma's voyages and Mar Yaballaha III's Patriarchal tenure portrays him as a ferocious enemy of Nestorian Christians.

In 1289–1290, Nawrūz led a revolt against the Mongol Ilkhan ruler Arghun. Arghun defeated him, and forced Nawruz to take refuge in the area of Transoxonia where he joined Kaidu.

In 1295, Ghazan managed to annex power from Baydu with the help of Nawrūz. Ghazan was convinced to convert to Islam by Nawrūz, and, along with his conversion, changed his first name to the Arab name Mahmud.

Ghazan eliminated the partisans of Nawrūz for treason in May 1297. He then marched against Nawrūz, then commander of the army of Khorassan, in 1297, and vanquished him near Nishapur. Nawrūz took refuge at the court of the malik Fakhr al-Din of Herat, in northern Afghanistan, but the latter actually betrayed him and delivered him to Ghazan, who had him executed immediately on August 13.