The Reflections of Mongol Domination on Persian Poetry: The Anatolian Example

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The Mongol invasion, which impacted the Near East in the thirteenth century, had not only significant political and military consequences but also led to profound cultural, social, and demographic changes. This situation began to have a profound impact on Anatolia after the Battle of Kösedağ in 1243. Following the Mongol invasion, the Ilkhanate's domination and oppression in Anatolia disrupted the financial, political, and social order, and this disruption began to manifest itself in various fields, from trade to the arts. This period, which caused widespread destruction in Anatolia, was also reflected in the works of poets who sought refuge in Anatolia, lived there, and composed Persian poetry. In this context, poets such as Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi, Sultan Veled, Seyfi Ferghani, and Kani-yi Tusi provided important information about the social and political situation of Anatolia through their poetic language. Their poems reveal the deteriorating social, political, and economic crisis in Anatolia. These will be compared with the historical information the aforementioned poets conveyed regarding Anatolian society, its moral state, its relations with state officials, and its economic life. In this context, our study aims to examine the thirteenth century in Anatolia through the eyes of poets living in Anatolia and writing Persian poetry, taking into account the historical context and the prevailing political and social conditions.