The Mongols, in the 13th century, established an empire in Central Asia which later, starting from their base, spread worldwide, bringing devastation and chaos. Under the leadership of Genghis Khan in 1209, various Mongol and Turkic tribes joined forces to create this empire, transforming into a formidable war machine that burned and destroyed everything in its path.
During this period, the Khwarazmian Empire, an important state in the Islamic Turkic world, was ruling in Central Asia under its ruler Alaaddin Muhammad. Although Alaaddin Muhammad had intentions to invade China, he postponed this plan upon realizing the impending Mongol threat.
In response to the looming Mongol threat, Sultan Alaaddin reached out to the Mongols to propose a trade agreement with the intention of establishing friendly relations and maintaining peace. Genghis Khan, deeming trade beneficial, accepted the agreement and even sent a large Trade Caravan to the Khwarazmian capital.
However, an unexpected event transpired. Specifically, the governor of Otrar, Inalchik, arrested the caravan on false charges of espionage and seized their goods. Not stopping there, he went on to execute several of them. Upon hearing this, Genghis Khan sent envoys to Khwarazmian ruler Alaaddin Muhammad, demanding restitution and the surrender of Inalchik. However, Alaaddin Muhammad, considering the Mongols weakened, mutilated the envoys by burning their faces and sent them back. He also had the Chief Envoy beheaded.
Considering this an affront, Genghis Khan set his colossal war machine in motion and sent a massive army against the Khwarazmians.
Leaving a portion of his forces to continue the China campaign, Genghis Khan prepared an army of around 200 thousand to head towards the Otrar Valley. Personally leading the expedition, he divided the army into three columns, each commanded by his own powerful sons, and launched an attack on Otrar. Upon reaching the Otrar valley, they unleashed a force unseen by the Khwarazmians, equipped with war experts, large explosive cannons, and various war machines brought from China. After a five-month siege, the city fell. Although Governor Inalchik resisted to the end, he was captured and drowned in molten silver.
Genghis Khan, along with his army, then moved towards Samarkand, swiftly capturing Bukhara along the way. Subsequently, he attacked Samarkand, where the Khwarazmian army numbered around 400 thousand. Despite this, Genghis Khan's colossal war machine, coupled with skillful tactics and the effective use of weaponry, decimated the massive but less mobile Khwarazmian army and plundered the cities. It is said that mountains were formed from the bodies.
Seeing his army defeated, Alaaddin Muhammad fled towards the Caspian Sea, seeking refuge on an island. Eventually, he succumbed to starvation on the island.
As a result of the event known in history as the Otrar Massacre or Otrar Incident, the Khwarazmians were wiped from the historical stage. The remaining faction went to Anatolia and clashed with the Anatolian Seljuks. With the defeat of the Khwarazmians by the Anatolian Seljuks in the Battle of Yassi Chemen, the Khwarazmians were once again erased from history.
Due to the ill-fated struggle the Khwarazmians waged against Genghis Khan, their massive armies were easily defeated and scattered. Beautiful cities like Samarkand were laid to waste by the Mongols, leaving not a stone standing. Following this swift victory, the Mongols' sphere of influence expanded, and their path forward was clear. As a result, successors like Hulagu and Kublai, children of Genghis Khan, continued to threaten the Islamic world, advancing as far as Baghdad.
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