The 1264 Ilkhanate Nerge was a nerge great hunt held by Khagan Hulegu Khan of the Ilkhanate from 3 September to 31 December 1264. The hunt made several vassals happy, and it increased the morale of Hulegu's armies.
History[]
Having gone on a pilgrimage, had a great feast, and held a grand tournament, Hulegu Khan decided to continue the 1263-1264 game seasons by beginning the great hunt. His scouts chose a region that was rich with game, and Mongol warriors closed in on the designated areas after 3 September 1264. On 13 September the forces were deployed at the assembly points, and they would trap and kill several animals. Chief Jamugha of Vaspurakan and Prince al-Muwahhid Taqi al-Din of Egypt came to blows with each other when their advancing lines became entangled with each other; although no wildlife escaped, they held grudges against each other. On 21 September, High Chief Elp-Ergun of Hazaraspid Satrapy failed to properly maintain his lines, allowing for several animals to escape. Tradition dictated that Elp-Ergun had to be punished, or else discipline among the other troops could be disrupted and three nobles would be angry with Hulegu. Hulegu reluctantly admitted a severe clubbing to him, wounding him and slightly decreasing his opinion of him. Shortly after, Hulegu asked for Elp-Ergun to embrace Orthodox Christianity, which he did. On 21 November Hulegu led his retinue on an attack on the animals as they were trapped, and as in tradition, on 1 December he spared the lives of the last surviving animals as nine days of feasting began. On 6 December, the hunt ended, leaving all of the vassals happy. On 7 December the greedy Chief Ashraf of Suwaida, having eaten too much, vomited on Chief Mongke of Samarra's lap, and Hulegu's opinion of Ashraf decreased due to his questionable behavior. He also lost respect for Chief Yesugei of Al Jazira after he had sex with a serving girl in the full view of the guests the same day. On 31 December 1264 the feasting ended, and the remaining spoils of the hunt were divided evenly. As the warriors left, Hulegu surveyed the land; the region would take a while to recover from the slaughter, but when it did, another nerge could be called.