The Mongol Invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire: 1219-1221

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

My thought with this video is for it to act as a general overview of the entire campaign, and in following videos, do shorter, detailed looks at important events and topics. That way, those videos don't need to spend much time 'setting themselves up,' and you can see where they fit into the larger campaign here. Every time I start a new video, I actually think "I'll and get this one short, nice length, quick to do!" and then everytime they get another minute longer. But this is about as long I'd want to do a video in this format. 15 minutes is a lot of hours to edit. And it still ends up being a very broad coverage! Patreon: www.patreon.com/jackmeister Videos mentioned: The Qara-Khitai, Part 3: The Mongol Conquest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIbCgISQiJ6HeKc The Mongol Conquest of Siberia and First Battle with the Khwarezmians: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3ethaF5eKeWqac The Otrar Massacre: Why did the Mongols invade the Khwarezmian Empire? kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpTXXpewlMaXas0 The Campaigns of Mukhali: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5PblZp8qdOaY8k

[@tou291462]

The longer the better 😁

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

A minute for every city taken

[@hardrada51]

Just discovered your channel and I look forward to watching all of your videos. I recommend a book to you, its old but has amazing maps of all military campaigns and detail in the time of Chinggis Khan. Its worth the momney. The author also has an article on the invasions of Xi Xia which is worth getting your hands on. I found it at a State library. The book is "The Rise of Chingis Khan and His Conquest of North China" by Henry Desmond Martin: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374952876/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@Alejandro-te2nt]

poor Juchi, never got the respect he deserved

[@googane7755]

This must be one of the only videos that dedicated a comprehensive and detailed conquest of the Khwarezmian empire and all the little context provided with sources behind everything was perfect.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

That is very much my intent: I figure if I can't make it a big flashy video, I can fill it with as much information and detail as I possibly can. It helps me as well learn the period much better, and hopefully therefore proves useful to some others in their interests.

[@mericanwit]

Appreciate these vids👍keep up the hard work

[@ahmedsyed3001]

Jalal ad din is one of the most impressive guys I've ever learned about. First to defeat the seemingly impossible golden horde, evade capture numerous times, made two comebacks. Resist till the bitter end.

[@blugaledoh2669]

a madlad Chad

[@Geopoliticus]

Khwarezm was one of the greatest cultural centres of the Silk Road Emporium - ‘tis is sad.

[@nomad7843]

Everything has to end or begin. Nature rules.

[@R08R]

One man had a choice,he choose wrong and many innocent people died for it(as always)

[@libertyprime6932]

@@R08R Many men had choices, many chose to rape and murder. There was never a time when people enjoyed being slaughtered, time period is no excuse. A ravenous barbarian horde destroyed a civilization, the same has happened countless times.

[@R08R]

@@libertyprime6932 Haven't spoke about "any time periods" Civilized behaviour isn't executing a whole trade caravan that came baring gifts,when there was a peace treaty. Even after this Genghis was avoiding war by sending 3 diplomats. One was beheaded and the other two publicly humiliated. Muhammad II was the barbarian fool that cost 1.5 million people their lives. Genghis was at war with China at that time,not looking for another war. However Muhammad II behaved like a barbarian and got punished that way. Muhammad II could have avoided all this, but with all of his so called wishdom decided otherwise. Just like an animal he thought,he was the stronger predator,boy was he wrong. What if only he was civilized...imagine.

[@Hawbitten]

@@R08R So all those people deserved to die for one man's folly?

[@jiahaowang736]

Thank you so much for all your efforts and hard work! Every video has been outstanding, can’t wait for the next one!

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

You are much too kind! My ego will get too big with comments like these.

[@tuvshinkhantaishir3910]

Shihi hutag wasnt his adopted son. He was his adopted brother when he subjected Tatars early. Shihi hutag was the only boy left alone in one Tatar settlement. He had very good clothes and some golden jewelry on him when they found him. That child later became the first grand jugde of Mongol empire.

[@dogukan127]

such amazing work. Keep it up man :)

[@chnb517]

Never clicked on a video so fast. Thank you for the uploads my dude

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

I am glad you appreciated it! I will keep doing my part!

[@GehennaNights]

As always this video has been very informative. I enjoy each and every episode. Keep them coming :)

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

I'm glad it did its job! I figure if I can't do flashy animations, I pump full of information like an overstuffed éclair.

[@ElBandito]

Been waiting for this!

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Made it just for you

[@Flow86767]

Yes, just what I needed after school

[@tou291462]

Nice to see a slightly different version of the khwarezm campaign, the one done by kings and general was a bit different, this one feels more in depth, would love it if the video on the great raid was longer then 15 minute, it's a shame that the great raid by jebe is barely talked about all that much

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Part of the reason is that Kings and Generals focuses on battles, and my channel focuses on the Mongol Empire. So I can spend the first five minutes of this video just talking about the build up to the campaign, and reference other aspects I already did, or will do, in their own videos, which lets me focus more on detail here within this video, whereas Kings and Generals has to get right into the campaign for the sake of time. Not a bad thing, as that is an effective way to introduce someone to the topic, but if you're really interested in more detailed aspects, just for time reasons it is difficult to discuss the origins of a conflict, its set up and preparations, the course of the campaign, individual battles and consequences within a few minutes while giving them all the coverage they deserve. I rewatched their video while I was making this, and it also contains a number of errors: for instance, it shows Shah Muhammad taking a much more active role in the campaign, when aside from ordering some forces to help relieve Samarkand and possibly fighting a small engagement in western Iran (which is not even clear if it actually happened or not!) he took no real role at all in the destruction of his empire. Again, since they're focused on covering so many battles and campaigns, they couldn't spend the time researching a single topic like I did here. Although, they are now tending to work with people who specialize in a topic to help with the research, rather than do it all in house. I'm not sure how I am going to split up the expedition of Jebe and Subutai, but I am thinking something like this: one video just on the pursuit of Shah Muhammad, another (or possibly part of the same one, depends on how the writing goes) discussing them in the Caucasus, and then a final one on their actions in the steppe and Kalka River. That way I could go into each section in all the detail I want. I'm actually really excited to look at the Caucasus one, because I found a book focusing just on Mongolian-Armenian (and by extension due to proximity, Georgian) relations which I want to dig into. It is also really surprising it is so unknown, especially compared to the battle on the Kalka River, especially since the Armenian sources tend to be better quality and more numerous than Russian sources from the period. If you are interested in the Armenian sources, Robert Bedrosian translated them all into English and they're all floating around the internet in some form.

[@podcastmachine8617]

Appreciate the video man. From South Africa :)

[@hannibalbarca2928]

The reason why the Kwarazmian Turks could not stand against the Genghis Mongols is that they could not form an alliance with the Seljuk Turks.

[@Nomadicenjoyer31]

Oooo

[@kevlar-y4n]

uydurma

[@hannibalbarca2928]

@@kevlar-y4n Uydurma olan ne?

[@phoenixlegend2921]

Seljuk turk empire was long lost the empire broken up after the battle of qwatawan by the then nascent western xia or khara kitai empire

[@hannibalbarca2928]

@@phoenixlegend2921 During the reign of Sultan Alaaddin Seljuks, the Mongols could not even ride a single horse in Anatolia.A lot would have changed if Celaleddin Kharazmian hadn't been stupid and hadn't fought Sultan Aladdin.because the kwarazmian turks were the richest state of that period. The army of sultan aladdin was also an army that defeated great states such as ayyubid and kwarazmian.Therefore, if they had made an alliance, they would have pushed genghiz very hard.

[@iraqimapper8625]

Great work and maps are good

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Thank you!

[@bosbanon3452]

Oh my god you're have good information

[@SteveM000100]

6:53 - Dude is on the phone to his Mom to see what's for dinner

[@anar24]

5:17 must’ve been an exhilarating adventure

[@michelesherman5660]

Once again I have learned something. I'm 68 yrs old if u don't use it u loose it

[@chn9398]

Jalal ad-Din was one of the greatest warriors in history.He attack georgia and before battle he killed five great georgian warrior single combat

[@jordanrcxd]

This is my favorite war of all time

[@Mongol1232]

Nice

[@sanchez231996]

Very informative and amazing drawing style. Been waiting for this! But I have a question...how did the mongols have soooo many people? Such a Big army...and this apply to many tribes and people of the stepps (turkic khaganates, seljuk...etc). In those regions...the life is so hard, climate conditions are horrible...but despite that they could afford such a Big army... Sorry 4 my bad english

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Good question! For the Mongols, it isn't a case of having a lot of people (estimates vary for the population of Mongolia in this time, but generally hover between 1-2 million. Mongolia today is just over 3 million. For comparison, China in the 1200s had over 160 million people). Rather, it was that a high percentage of the male population was mobilized for war. It is said that any male between 15-60 (exact ages vary in sources) was eligible or required to serve. We can assume for most of this period, almost every able bodied Mongol who could fight, did so. If there were 1 million Mongols, and 10% of them were fighting, that's 100,000 warriors right there. This would be almost certainly applicable to other steppe powers as well. Lots of these societies do not seem to have differentiated between being being a warrior or being a civilian for their own people. If you could ride, you could fight, essentially. Now, some men had to stay for the management of herds and livestock, which women took a greater role in, who also were needed for supplying some of their equipment for war. But steppe societies didn't have the major occupations or social institutions (for example, the many industries you would find in cities or peasant social groupings which prevented people from travelling off for war), which meant most men could be mobilized for war. Another factor is that the Mongol armies weren't paid directly, but received an allotment of loot. So as long as the Mongols kept capturing cities to provide loot for the troops, the 'state' wasn't expending any of its finances. In short, its not that there were a lot of Mongols, but that a large ratio of Mongols were fighting.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

In addition, they also incorporated a lot of Turkic tribes and forced peoples into their armies, which made their forces larger. Especially later in the century, it would be a core of 'true' Mongols, and perhaps many more Turks and other vassal peoples, but who were fighting under Mongol orders and in Mongol formations.

[@legendsson]

@@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory mongolias population was estimated 600,000 at the start of the 20th century.It should be more or less the same amount at 13th century since no industrial rev or agricultural difference exists even at the start of 20th century.They lived the same as their ancestors up until that point.

[@legendsson]

@@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory Mongol discipline and command system as special as it is, actually not their own craft but the tradition of nomads from huns to the turks.Mongols were the to put those institutions the best use.So for you to say turkic tribes fought in mongol formations or orders unrelated to the situation.Turks as well as mongols had those instuitutions and are familiar with it.It is just Mongols were on steroids for being a nomadic menace.What Im trying to convey is that feint retreat or or hit and run or decimal ranking or horse archery aren't indigenous to mongols only.They were of a common heritage called Turco-Mongol tradition.

[@gggggg1279]

Hey Jack, how could I get in contact with you? I have a few questions about the mongols.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

The best would be to message via the Facebook page I have for the channel (same name, The Jackmeister: Mongol History). You can send a message through there, and its convienient for adding articles or images to the conversation. If you don't have a Facebook, I can set up a proper email for the channel, which I've been thinking about doing anyways.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

If you are still interested in doing so, I just put together an email for this channel: [e-mail]

[@joebarron396]

What about the battle with the dogmen who won what were the casualties.😁

[@jaygatsby6272]

That’s a extinction level event 🤭🥶

[@MongolBolgoy]

12:54 mongols believe that if u cry or cry too much after the death of someone their soul wont have a easy way into the afterlife

[@T1000579]

You didn't mention the battle of Fergana between Jebe and Shah Muhammad before the entire campaign. Jebe's army legendary crossed the Tian Shan mountain and entered Fergana Valley, where he met Muhammad and Jalah Al Din army. The battle was fierce, Jebe nearly captured the Shah but then Jalah Al Din strike back and forced the Mongol to retreat.

[@bosbanon3452]

How.cN jalaludin fled.to ghazni without being detected by mongol?

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

After he fled Gurganj, Jalal al-Din's small party did actually run into a small group of Mongols, I think on the road to Nishapur. However, Jalal al-Din immediately attacked with such ferocity that they immediately broke and fled from him. This was his first victory over the Mongols, but is so minor it is often left out (and did not have any consequences, like his victory at Parwan did) After that, he was at Nishapur for a short time, trying to raise support but then moved on to Ghazna. By the time he was moving directly to Ghazna from Nishapur, there wasn't a major Mongol presence south of the Hindu Kush yet, so it was possibly for him to have the time to gather his army.

[@unbiased786]

Berke Khan leader of the Golden Horde, became Muslim. Responsible for breaking up the most vicious Empire that he helped build.

[@angelandsoulsoul2924]

My own research many years ago on this subject showed that apart from being an obvious coward. The Shah was actually a tyrant who ruled with an iron fist commonly executing all who he saw as a threat, and that there was alot of hate for him, And although its widely accepted he technically had one of the the largest armie if not the largest army in the world numbering some 4-500 000. he had to employ incredibly heavy taxes on the populace so he had to keep huge garrisons to encourage the populations to stay loyal. Also most of his army was formed by mercenaries only there for the gold he could offer and that apart from not wanting his territories to rebel the main reason he didnt assemble 400 000 odd grand army to pitch up against the mongols was that he could not trust his army completely not to overthrow him and probably with good reason. There is a good chance some general or relative would have made a move against him with such a huge army present thats mainly loyal to gold and not the shah! however i believe even if he had assembled this grand army the mongols would have blitzkreiged him and just gone round him and start to sack cities with their superior mobility, their only chance was if he made jalal u din the commander if his forces. but then again Jalal u din wasnt one who didnt dabble in politics himself how he managed to lose half his army after his greatest triumph at parwaan over 2 of his cheifs arguing over a horse in booty! A great leader would have resolved this matter.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Well said. In hindsight, of course we know the Mongols could take cities by 1220, but Shah Muhammad did not know that, and trusting in the city walls would have seemed reasonable based on what he knew. Of course, had his army been defeated in the field in a single pitched battle, perhaps lives would have been saved. Rather than forced to fight through every single city, perhaps those cities would have immediately surrendered. Still suffering some, they would at least have avoided the utter destruction the actually did suffer in our history.

[@isabelmac3165]

@@TheJackmeisterMongolHistoryhb

[@fatifarzam955]

I'm a Persian. Thank you very much for enlightening my knowledge about my own nation's history 🙏 Amazing video but absolutely horrendous pronunciations 😂

[@barreloffun10]

Well, no one is perfect.

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

Love your drawings. If you were able to make animations like Kings And Generals do you would have even better videos.

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

Thank you! I wish I could as well, but that would probably kill my poor laptop to try and run the necessary programs for that.

[@epicbenshapirobro4263]

Poor Khwarezm

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

This is why, as the saying goes, "you don't kill the messenger."

[@TheJackmeisterMongolHistory]

But that was very close though, and it wasn't certain the Mamlukes would have victory. Later in the thirteenth century, it starts to become more common to kill Mongol envoys: the Japanese, one of the Vietnamese kingdoms and even the Chagatai Khanate all get away with killing envoys without being defeated by the Yuan.

[@kpcakiltutmus3609]

@Baghatur Tarkhan Kutuz was not kharezmian or nephew or jalaladdin .He was a kıpchak like other kıpchak bahri mamluks.

[@azizbey4334]

@@kpcakiltutmus3609 no he was khwarezmian his name was mahmud ibn mamdoud. He was the grandson of muhammad shah

[@Nomadicenjoyer31]

Very sad for Turks :(((

[@a_l7515]

Masked chainmailed Mamelukes likes mongol for dinner

[@sincybhoy1]

Thank god for genghis

[@muzharali3904]

Plz improve the sound quality. It's not so good.

[@patriot4786]

Killing a diplomat is just wrong.. khwarezmian got what they deserved

[@Hawbitten]

All of them?

[@zkumar6263]

changez khan was the punishment god sent for the followers of allah...........god will again sent someone as punishment for this community.....

[@TheNEOverse]

So why did a whole bunch of them go on to adopt Islam?