Which caliphate overlapped with the Mongol Ilkhanate in the Middle East?

• A. Abbasid Caliphate
• B. Umayyad Caliphate
• C. Fatimid Caliphate
• D. Rashidun Caliphate

Answer: (A)

In this era, the caliphate continued to function as a religious and symbolic authority even under new rulers. The Mongol Ilkhanate swept into the Middle East and conquered Baghdad in 1258, but the Abbasid line persisted as a recognized caliphate in title and spiritual leadership, with its influence carried on from Cairo under the Mamluks. This creates an overlap in the region between Mongol rule and Abbasid caliphal legitimacy. The Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates existed earlier in history and were not ruling in the Middle East during the Ilkhanate period, and the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt had already ended by Saladin’s time in the late 12th century. Thus, the Abbasid Caliphate is the one that overlaps with the Mongol Ilkhanate.