in the 1240s the Mongols still ruled a gigantic area of the world’s landmass. During the fourteen years of Ögödei’s reign they had added relentlessly to their dominions, deploying new siege technology they had adopted from their Chinese and Muslim subjects.25 Azerbaijan, northern Iraq, Georgia, and Armenia were all under Mongol overlordship, as was Kashmir. Seljuk Asia Minor was being lined up for invasion.
