# Conquests of Genghis Khan

The Conquests of Genghis Khan were military engagements of the first Great Khan, Genghis Khan. Temujin, who emerged in Mongolian steppes around 1162-1227, was a strong leader of the late 12th century in unifying the diverse and often-warring Mongol tribes. With consummate military talent, astute alliances, and political reform, he forged together a powerful and highly mobile army that was sufficiently effective to transform Eurasia.
Starting in the early 13th century, Genghis Khan began his series of military campaigns that resulted in the conquest of some of the most powerful states of the time in both China and Central Asia: the Western Xia and the Jin Dynasties in northern China, and the Khwarazmian Empire in Central Asia, as well as several smaller polities. His armies were impeccable on the battlefield, known for their cavalry tactics, strategic use of siege warfare, adaptability, and willingness to employ diplomacy and psychological warfare against their enemies. While these campaigns have caused a great deal of destruction, they opened up vast territories for commerce, communication, and cultural exchanges.
At the time of his death in 1227, his empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea, covering much of northern China, Central Asia, and what is now Iran. His successors, including Ögedei Khan, his son, continued his expansion, finally bringing Mongol rule over most of Eurasia. The conquests of Genghis Khan had momentous political, cultural, and demographic effects, influencing the development of states, trade networks, and societies for centuries. His legacy is a topic of heated debate among historians, with perspectives extending from the time-honored glorifications of military genius and state-building accomplishment to the chastisements visiting destruction and loss of life on his campaigns.

## Early Conquests
### Conflict against Keraites

The Battling of the Khalakhaljid Sands was fought between Temüjin, later known as Genghis Khan, and the forces of Toghrul, Khan of the Kereit. The nobles of the Kereit, alarmed at the growing influence and alliances Temujin had built around Toghrul, turned against him. Temujin was advised of the impending ambuscade by two herdsmen and evaded capture, only to be outdone by a superior Kereit force. With the help of his Mongol friends, he fought against Toghrul's troops at Khalakhaljid Sands and was defeated. During the battle, his 17-year-old son, Ögedei, suffered wounds. After the battle, Temüjin and his close followers engaged in an oath of loyalty known as the Baljuna Covenant.

### Conflict against Naimans

The battle at Chakirmaut was the last battle in Genghis Khan's campaigns to unify the Mongol tribes. Temujin was the name he had during the battle, where he fought against the coalition of tribes under the Naimans headed by Tayang Khan and his son Küchlüg, plus his rival and former ally, Jamukha. Tayang Khan was killed in battle; Kuchlug escaped but lost forces in their responsibility. Jamukha retreated; he was later captured and executed.

## Conquest of Western Xia

From 1205 to 1227, the Mongol Empire initiated different campaigns against the Western Xia dynasty, ruled by the Tangut southern Mongols, in northwestern China. After plunder and the establishment of vassal status, Genghis Khan launched his first grand invasion in 1209, besieging the capital Yinchuan. After almost a year, Emperor Xiangzong finally surrendered in January 1210, placing the Western Xia under Mongol rule.
Western Xia remained a dominion subject to the Mongols for the next decade while assisting the latter against Jin. However, in 1219, when Genghis Khan was warring against Khwarazmian Empire, the Western Xia initiated moves for an alliance to free itself. This put, in the second invasion by Genghis Khan, aimed at devastating national destruction in 1225. He besieged Yinchuan in 1227, but during the campaign, Genghis Khan died. Shortly afterward, the city tore itself apart, having been massacred for its huge population; as this, the Western Xia dynasty is brought to an end.

## Conquest of Jin dynasty

The Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty began with raids from 1207 to 1209 and escalated into a full-fledged invasion by Genghis Khan in 1211. Ala Qush, chief of the Ongut, supported the Mongols by providing a secure route into Jin territory. The first major battle the Mongols fought against the Jin dynasty was at the Battle of Yehuling in 1211, where Genghis Khan's forces defeated the Jin army following the defection of a key Jin commander, Shimo Ming'an. As Genghis Khan moved to the south, his general Jebe went into Manchuria, took Mukden (modern-day Shenyang), and gained the allegiance of the Khitan leader Liu-ke.
In 1213, while besieging Zhongdu (Beijing), the Mongols were resisted by a militia led by Jin generals Li Ying and Li Xiong. Having sustained numerous defeats, they broke through crucial passes and laid waste to northern China. Genghis I Khan temporarily lifted the siege when the Jin government assured he would not press any further as the Jin emperor put an end to the ambush due to the fear of the possible provocation of the Mongols. 1215 saw the return of the Mongols, and Zhongdu fell due to internal Jin defections and additional forces provided by Khitan generals.
After the fall of Zhongdu, the Jin government moved to Kaifeng. From 1217 to 1223, the Mongols, despite steadfast resistance, methodically swept through Jin provinces. In 1219, Genghis Khan turned his attention toward Central Asia. Later Liao fell with Jin dynasty.

## Conquest of Qara Khitai

In 1218, after Genghis Khan had requested Muhammad II of Khwarazm to refrain from aiding Kuchlug, Jebe was dispatched with two tumens (20,000 soldiers) to annihilate the Qara Khitai threat. His companion included the Uyghur ruler Barchuk, the son-in-law of Genghis Khan, and, possibly, Arslan Khan, ruler of Karen City of Qayaliq and another son-in-law of Genghis Khan. At the same time, Subutai led the other two tumens with a separate offensive against the Merkits.
On their way to Almaliq, the two Mongol armies went together through the Altai and Tarbagatai Mountains before parting there. Subutai turned southwest to defeat the Merkits, and at the same time, secured Jebe's flank against Khwarazm. Jebe freed Almaliq and moved south of Lake Balkhash into Qara Khitai territory, where he besieged the capital city of Balasagun. Under siege, he defeated a Qara Khitai force of 30,000 men, forcing Kuchlug to flee to Kashgar.
Jebe capitalized on the local occupants' exasperation with Kuchlug's rule by assuring the local Muslim population that Kuchlug's policy of religious persecution was history. When Jebe's army marched into Kashgar in 1217, the people revolted against Kuchlug, causing him to flee. Jebe pursued Kuchlug across the Pamirs to Badakhshan, in present-day Afghanistan. The historian Ata-Malik Juvayni describes how Kuchlug was taken by a party of hunters and delivered into the hands of the Mongols, who executed him by beheading.

## Conquest of Khwarazmian Empire
### Early Movements

In the fall of 1219, after crossing rivers and receiving reinforcements from allied groups, the Mongol army arrived at the Syr Darya. Genghis Khan instructed his second and third sons, Chagatai and Ögedei, to besiege Otrar while he remained across the river to draw out the Khwarazmian Shah for combat. His game plan was to wait for Shah Muhammad to find him alongside his besieging forces, and he would cross the river and destroy the Khwarazmian army in stand-up combats. But the bait was rejected by the Shah, and Genghis modified his postures.
As the siege of Otrar dragged on, he split his forces. His eldest son, Jochi, was sent north to capture cities along the Syr Darya, while generals Subutai and Jebe led a smaller force southward into the Fergana Valley. In the meantime, Genghis Khan, accompanied by his youngest son, Tolui, and guided by local informants, led a force through the Kyzyl Kum Desert, launching a surprise attack on Bukhara.

### Siege of Bukhara

The Shah was unprepared; he had anticipated that Genghis Khan would strike at Samarkand to allow some semblance of coordination for the defense. Instead, the unexpected march of the Mongols through the Kyzylkum Desert rendered the Khwarazmian forces unable to respond effectively.Historian Ata-Malik Juvayni mentions Gür-Khan in charge of Bukharan garrison although the unconvincing speculation linking him with Jamukha has gained currency, Garcia[which shade of Garcia confused me, changed to Paul Buell rather, was executed in 1206.
Authentic accounts cited the key battle as being on the second or the third day, in which 2,000 to 20,000 of the sultan's auxiliary cavalry attempted a sort of battle but were routed by the Mongols. Paul Buell suggests that they were planning a flight, given that Bukhara had only recently come under Khwarazmian dominion.
The city surrendered on 10 February, leaving only the citadel in resistance. Strongly fortified, the Mongol siege experts took only 10 days to breach the defenses using fire and gunpowder weapons, this happened on the 13th day.

### Siege of Samarkand

Having conquered Bukhara, Genghis Khan had consequently divided Khwarazmian Shah's forces stationed between Samarkand, Balkh, and Urgench.
The Mongols besieged Samarkand, where they confronted Turko-Iranian defenders. Against the Mongols were sent the fiercest counterattack with twenty war elephants and a great cavalry, which were ambushed and turned back. Soon afterward, a large part of the garrison of the city surrendered and was then put to death. However, as in Bukhara, the citadel held out and was taken by storm. After a month within its walls, it was breached by a small force that managed to escape the Mongol lines and across the Amu Darya. The few surviving elephants were let loose in the countryside, where they all eventually perished for lack of fodder.

### Siege of Gurganj

The Siege of Gurganj was conducted in April 1221 during the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire. Genghis Khan invaded the empire ruled by Shah Muhammad II, capturing Otrar, Bukhara, and Samarkand in quick succession, and then heading towards Gurganj. Marshy delta of the Amu Darya presented a rich, yet inefficient position to siege. The soldiers did not possess projectiles made from stones, so they invented the usage of water-hardened mulberry tree trunks, which were wielded to serve not only as battering rams but also as missiles.
The siege had been jointly led by Jochi and Chagatai, though their disagreements led to Genghis Khan making Ögedei the only commander. After much effort, the city fell, leading to one of history's bloodiest massacres. Thousands of civilians were herded to the moats, with corpses used to fill the moats to form a ramp for the final assault. The Mongols destroyed the Oxus River dams, flooding the city and enslaving artisans and skilled workers, with probably around 100,000 people not making it. The dams were never repaired, which diverted the course of the river for centuries.

### Battle of Parwan

Buoyed by the successes of the prior Mongol campaigns, Shigi Qutuqu underestimates the Khwarazmian forces and soon finds himself facing disadvantageous odds, being greatly outnumbered. The battle takes place in a narrow valley, poor terrain for maneuvering Mongolian cavalry.
On foot, Jalal al-Din deployed his mounted archers to hammer the Mongols with a volley of arrows. He left the command of the left flank for Saif al-Din Ighraq and the right for Malik Khan, for a combined number of 10,000 soldiers. On the first day, Malik Khan's division was able to push back the Mongol left flank to their camp, with little opportunity to use traditional Mongol tactics given the cramped battlefield.
On the second day, Shigi Qutuqu attempted a most infamous tactic of deceiving the Khwarazmian forces into believing that the Mongols were retreating by riding wooden dummies on spare horses, but Jalal al-Din was not fooled. The following day, the Mongol right marched against Ighraq's division. His men dismounted and retaliated. The Mongols pretended to retreat, drawing Ighraq's half into hot pursuit, thus allowing the Mongols to strike suddently from the rear, killing 500 of Ighraq's men. Jalal al-Din, however, clearly not a coward, led an attack which drove the Mongols from the battlefield. Many a Mongol was captured and afterwards torturously impaled through the ear canal. Shigi Qutuqu was defeated and henceforth lost over half of his fighting force.

### Battle of the Indus

At dawn on the 24 of November, the battle began with the engagement of both wings. The Khwarazmian left stood resolutely firm despite reinforcement to the Mongols, while on the left the Mongols suffered defeat. Thereupon, seeing that the ridge was powerful-an account which has come down from the biographer of Genghis Khan-he sent Bela Noyan and a select tumen of bahadur to scale it and flank the Khwarazmians. Meanwhile, Jalal al-Din attacked the Mongol center; his biographer al-Nasawi relates that he reached and put Genghis to flight. And although in the close fighting the Mongols tended to stop the Khwarazmian advance with their arrows, they slew Temur Malik.
Bela Noyan's force scaled the ridge and struck the Shah's left flank and rear; in spite of terrible losses, this was partially successful. The Khwarazmian left fell apart, Amin Malik was slaughtered as he fled. The battle was lost, but Jalal al-Din fought on until midday, when he finally managed to punch through the Mongol lines and leap thirty feet down a cliff into a river, which he crossed to the other bank. Genghis Khan saw this and commanded that his archers should shoot no more, crying: "Let him be blessed, he has a bright son.
By this time, Jalal al-Din managed to cross at the expanse leaving a large number of his men who were shot by the Mongol archers; only about 4000 made it across. Almost all of the rest were killed; camp, harem, and treasure were taken, and the execution of all his male relatives of royal blood, even the young princes, was ordered.