Khwarezmian Empire
Encyclopedia
The Khwarazmian dynasty or Khwarezmian dynasty, also known as Khwarezmids, dynasty of Khwarazm Shahs or Khwarezm-Shah dynasty (and spelling variants, from Persian
, "Kings of Khwarezmia") was a Persianate Sunni Muslim
dynasty of Turkic
mamluk
origin.
They ruled Greater Iran
in the High Middle Ages
, in the period of about 1077 to 1231, first as vassals of the Seljuqs, Kara-Khitan, and later as independent rulers, up until the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
The dynasty was founded by Anush Tigin Gharchai
, a former Turkish slave of the Seljuq sultans, who was appointed the governor of Khwarezm
. His son, Qutb ad-Din Muhammad I
, became the first hereditary Shah
of Khwarezm
.
was a province of the Ghaznavid Empire
from 1017 to 1034. In 1077 the governorship of the province, which since 1042/43 belonged to the Seljuqs, fell into the hands of Anush Tigin Gharchai
, a former Turkic
slave of the Seljuq sultan. In 1141, the Seljuq Sultan Ahmed Sanjar
was defeated by the Kara Khitay at the battle of Qatwan
and Anush Tigin's grandson Ala ad-Din Atsiz
became a vassal to Yelü Dashi
of the Kara Khitan.
Sultan Ahmed Sanjar died in 1156. As the Seljuk state fell into chaos, the Khwarezm-Shahs expanded their territories southward. In 1194, the last Sultan of the Great Seljuq Empire, Toghril III, was defeated and killed by the Khwarezm ruler Ala ad-Din Tekish, who conquered parts of Khorasan
and western Iran. In 1200, Tekish died and was succeeded by his son, Ala ad-Din Muhammad
, who initiated a conflict with the Ghurids and was defeated by them at Amu Darya(1204). Following the sack of Khwarizm, Muhammad appealed for aid from his suzerain, the Kara Khitai who sent him an army. With this reinforcement, Muhammad won a victory over the Ghorids at Hezarasp(1204) and forced them out of Khwarizm. Muhammad's gratitude towards his suzerain was short-lived. He again initiated a conflict, this time with the aid of the Kara-Khanids, and defeated a Kara-Khitai army at Talas
(1210), but allowed Samarkand
(1210) to be occupied by the Kara-Khitai. He overthrew the Karakhanids (1212) and Ghurids
(1215). Thus Muhammad II incorporated nearly the whole of Transoxania and what is now Afghanistan into his empire, which after further conquests in western Persia (by 1217) stretched from the Syr Darya
to the Zagros Mountains
, and from the Indus Valley to the Caspian Sea
.
sent a trade mission to the state, but at the town of Otrar
the governor, suspecting the Khan's ambassadors to be spies, confiscated their goods and executed them. Genghis Khan demanded reparations, which the Shah refused to pay. Genghis retaliated with a force of 200,000 men, launching a multi-pronged invasion. In February 1220 the Mongolian army crossed the Syr Darya
, beginning the Mongol invasion of Central Asia
. The Mongols stormed Bukhara
, Samarkand
, and the Khwarezmid capital Gurganj
. The Shah fled and died some weeks later on an island in the Caspian Sea.
In Great Captains Unveiled of 1927, B.H. Liddell Hart gave details of the Mongol campaign against Khwarezm, underscoring his own philosophy of "the indirect approach," and highlighting many of the tactics used by Genghis which were to be subsequently included in the German Blitzkrieg
tactics, inspired in part by Liddell Hart's writings.
The son of Ala ad-Din Muhammad, Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu
became the new Sultan (he rejected the title Shah). He attempted to flee to India
, but the Mongols
caught up with him before he got there, and he was defeated at the Battle of Indus
. He escaped and sought asylum in the Sultanate of Delhi. Iltumish however denied this to him in deference to the relationship with the Abbasid caliphs. Returning to Persia, he gathered an army and re-established a kingdom. He never consolidated his power, however, spending the rest of his days struggling against the Mongols
, the Seljuks of Rum, and pretenders to his own throne. He lost his power over Persia in a battle against the Mongols
in the Alborz
Mountains. Escaping to the Caucasus
, he captured Azerbaijan
in 1225, setting up his capital at Tabriz
. In 1226 he attacked Georgia
and sacked Tbilisi
. Following on through the Armenia
n highlands he clashed with the Ayyubids, capturing the town Ahlat
along the western shores of the Lake Van
, who sought the aid of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
. Sultan Kayqubad I defeated him at Arzinjan
on the Upper Euphrates
at the Battle of Yassıçemen
in 1230. He escaped to Diyarbakir
, while the Mongols conquered Azerbaijan in the ensuing confusion. He was murdered in 1231 by Kurdish
highwaymen.
for the next several years, calling themselves the Khwarezmiyya. Ayyubid Sultan Salih Ayyub, in Egypt, later hired their services against his uncle Salih Ismail. The Khwarezmiyya, heading south from Iraq towards Egypt, invaded Christian-held Jerusalem along the way, on July 11, 1244. The city's citadel, the Tower of David
, surrendered on August 23, the Christian population of the city was decimated and the Jews expelled. This triggered a call from Europe for the Seventh Crusade
, but the Crusaders would never again be successful in retaking Jerusalem. After being conquered by the Khwarezmian forces, the city stayed under Muslim control until 1917, when it was taken from the Ottomans
by the British.
After taking Jerusalem, the Khwarezmian forces continued south, and on October 17 fought on the side of the Ayyubids at the Battle of Harbiyah
, northeast of Gaza
, killing the remains of the Christian army there, some 1,200 knights. It was the largest battle involving the crusaders since the Battle of the Horns of Hattin
in 1187.
The remains of the Muslim Khwarezmians served in Egypt as Mamluk
mercenaries until they were finally beaten by Mansur Ibrahim some years later.
Khwarizmi war captives assimilated into the Mongols, forming modern Mongolian
clan Sartuul
.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, "Kings of Khwarezmia") was a Persianate Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
dynasty of Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
origin.
They ruled Greater Iran
Greater Iran
Greater Iran refers to the regions that have significant Iranian cultural influence. It roughly corresponds to the territory on the Iranian plateau and its bordering plains, stretching from Iraq, the Caucasus, and Turkey in the west to the Indus River in the east...
in the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, in the period of about 1077 to 1231, first as vassals of the Seljuqs, Kara-Khitan, and later as independent rulers, up until the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
The dynasty was founded by Anush Tigin Gharchai
Anush Tigin Gharchai
Anūš Tigin Ghrachaī was a Turkic slave commander of the Seljuqs and the governor of Khwārezm from around 1077 until his death...
, a former Turkish slave of the Seljuq sultans, who was appointed the governor of Khwarezm
Khwarezm
Khwarezm, or Chorasmia, is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, which borders to the north the Aral Sea, to the east the Kyzylkum desert, to the south the Karakum desert and to the west the Ustyurt Plateau...
. His son, Qutb ad-Din Muhammad I
Muhammad I of Khwarazm
Qutb al-Din Muhammad was Khwarazm Shah from 1097 until his death. He was the son of Anush Tigin.In around 1097 Qutb al-Din Muhammad was appointed governor of Khwarazm by the Seljuk sultan Barkiyaruq's military commander, Habashi ibn Altun-Taq...
, became the first hereditary Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
of Khwarezm
Khwarezm
Khwarezm, or Chorasmia, is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, which borders to the north the Aral Sea, to the east the Kyzylkum desert, to the south the Karakum desert and to the west the Ustyurt Plateau...
.
History
The date of the founding of the empire is uncertain. KhwarezmKhwarezm
Khwarezm, or Chorasmia, is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, which borders to the north the Aral Sea, to the east the Kyzylkum desert, to the south the Karakum desert and to the west the Ustyurt Plateau...
was a province of the Ghaznavid Empire
Ghaznavid Empire
The Ghaznavids were a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic slave origin which existed from 975 to 1187 and ruled much of Persia, Transoxania, and the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. The Ghaznavid state was centered in Ghazni, a city in modern-day Afghanistan...
from 1017 to 1034. In 1077 the governorship of the province, which since 1042/43 belonged to the Seljuqs, fell into the hands of Anush Tigin Gharchai
Anush Tigin Gharchai
Anūš Tigin Ghrachaī was a Turkic slave commander of the Seljuqs and the governor of Khwārezm from around 1077 until his death...
, a former Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
slave of the Seljuq sultan. In 1141, the Seljuq Sultan Ahmed Sanjar
Ahmed Sanjar
Ahmad Sanjar Ahmad Sanjar Ahmad Sanjar (Mu'iz ud-Dīn Ahmad-e Sanjar; was the sultan of the Great Seljuq Empire from 1118 to 1153. He was initially the sultan of Khorasan until he gained the rest of the territory upon the death of Muhammad I....
was defeated by the Kara Khitay at the battle of Qatwan
Battle of Qatwan
The Battle of Qatwan was fought in September 1141 between the Kara-Khitan Khanate and the Seljuq Empire and its vassal-state the Kara-Khanids. Following the Kara-Khanid defeat at Khujand, Mahmud summoned his overlord Ahmed Sanjar to protect Western Kara-Khanid from invasion.-Battle:On the Qatwan...
and Anush Tigin's grandson Ala ad-Din Atsiz
Atsiz
Atsïz was Khwarazm Shah from 1127 until his death. He was the son of Qutb ad-Din Muhammad.Atsïz gained his position following his father's death in 1127. During the early part of his reign he focused on securing Khwarazm against nomad attacks. In 1138 he rebelled against his suzerain, the Seljuk...
became a vassal to Yelü Dashi
Yelü Dashi
Yelü Dashi , or Yeh-Lü Ta-Shih was the founder of the Western Liao dynasty, or the Kara-Khitan Khanate....
of the Kara Khitan.
Sultan Ahmed Sanjar died in 1156. As the Seljuk state fell into chaos, the Khwarezm-Shahs expanded their territories southward. In 1194, the last Sultan of the Great Seljuq Empire, Toghril III, was defeated and killed by the Khwarezm ruler Ala ad-Din Tekish, who conquered parts of Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
and western Iran. In 1200, Tekish died and was succeeded by his son, Ala ad-Din Muhammad
Muhammad II of Khwarezm
Ala ad-Din Muhammad II was the ruler of the Khwarezmid Empire from 1200 to 1220. His ancestor was a Turkic slave who eventually became a viceroy of a small province named Khwarizm. After his father died, Muhammad inherited his father's lands, and it was from there he began expanding outwards...
, who initiated a conflict with the Ghurids and was defeated by them at Amu Darya(1204). Following the sack of Khwarizm, Muhammad appealed for aid from his suzerain, the Kara Khitai who sent him an army. With this reinforcement, Muhammad won a victory over the Ghorids at Hezarasp(1204) and forced them out of Khwarizm. Muhammad's gratitude towards his suzerain was short-lived. He again initiated a conflict, this time with the aid of the Kara-Khanids, and defeated a Kara-Khitai army at Talas
Talas River
The Talas River rises in the Talas Province of Kyrgyzstan and flows west into Kazakhstan. It is formed from the confluence of the Karakol and Uch-Koshoy...
(1210), but allowed Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
(1210) to be occupied by the Kara-Khitai. He overthrew the Karakhanids (1212) and Ghurids
Ghurids
The Ghurids or Ghorids were a medieval Muslim dynasty of Iranian origin that ruled during the 12th and 13th centuries in Khorasan. At its zenith, their empire, centred at Ghōr , stretched over an area that included the whole of modern Afghanistan, the eastern parts of Iran and the northern section...
(1215). Thus Muhammad II incorporated nearly the whole of Transoxania and what is now Afghanistan into his empire, which after further conquests in western Persia (by 1217) stretched from the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
to the Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
, and from the Indus Valley to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
.
War and collapse
In 1218, Genghis KhanGenghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
sent a trade mission to the state, but at the town of Otrar
Otrar
Otrar or Utrar is a Central Asian ghost town that was a city located along the Silk Road near the current town of Karatau in Kazakhstan. Otrar was an important town in the history of Central Asia, situated on the borders of settled and agricultural civilizations...
the governor, suspecting the Khan's ambassadors to be spies, confiscated their goods and executed them. Genghis Khan demanded reparations, which the Shah refused to pay. Genghis retaliated with a force of 200,000 men, launching a multi-pronged invasion. In February 1220 the Mongolian army crossed the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
, beginning the Mongol invasion of Central Asia
Mongol invasion of Central Asia
The Mongol invasion of Central Asia occurred after the unification of the Mongol and Turkic tribes on Mongolian plateau in 1206. It finally completed when Genghis Khan conquered the Khwarizmian Empire in 1221....
. The Mongols stormed Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
, Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
, and the Khwarezmid capital Gurganj
Kunya Urgench
Konye-Urgench also known as Konya-Urgench, Old Urgench or Urganj, is a municipality of about 30,000 inhabitants in north-eastern Turkmenistan, just south from its border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Ürgenç , which contains the unexcavated ruins of the 12th-century capital...
. The Shah fled and died some weeks later on an island in the Caspian Sea.
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
tactics, inspired in part by Liddell Hart's writings.
The son of Ala ad-Din Muhammad, Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu
Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu
Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, also known as Mengübirti or Manguberdi or Minkburny in the east was the last ruler of the Khwarezmid Empire...
became the new Sultan (he rejected the title Shah). He attempted to flee to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
caught up with him before he got there, and he was defeated at the Battle of Indus
Battle of Indus
The Battle of Indus was fought at the river Indus in today's Pakistan in the year 1221 between Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, the sultan of the Khwarezmid Empire and his only remaining forces of five thousand, and the Mongolian horde of Genghis Khan....
. He escaped and sought asylum in the Sultanate of Delhi. Iltumish however denied this to him in deference to the relationship with the Abbasid caliphs. Returning to Persia, he gathered an army and re-established a kingdom. He never consolidated his power, however, spending the rest of his days struggling against the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, the Seljuks of Rum, and pretenders to his own throne. He lost his power over Persia in a battle against the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
in the Alborz
Alborz
Alborz , also written as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan...
Mountains. Escaping to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, he captured Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
in 1225, setting up his capital at Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
. In 1226 he attacked Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and sacked Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. Following on through the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n highlands he clashed with the Ayyubids, capturing the town Ahlat
Ahlat
Ahlat is a historic town and a district in Turkey's Bitlis Province in Eastern Anatolia Region. The center town of Ahlat is situated on the northwestern coast of the Lake Van. She was the district in Van Province between 1929-1936...
along the western shores of the Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
, who sought the aid of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
. Sultan Kayqubad I defeated him at Arzinjan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
on the Upper Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
at the Battle of Yassıçemen
Battle of Yassıçemen
Battle of Yassi Chemen was a battle fought in Erzincan Province, Turkey in 1230.- Background :Jalal ad-Din was the last ruler of the Khwarezm Shahs. Actually the territory of the sultanate had been annexed by Mongol Empire during the reign of Jalal ad-Din’s father. But Jalal ad-Din continued to...
in 1230. He escaped to Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
, while the Mongols conquered Azerbaijan in the ensuing confusion. He was murdered in 1231 by Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
highwaymen.
Mercenaries
Though the Mongols had destroyed the Khwarezmian Empire in 1220, many Khwarezmians survived by working as mercenaries in northern Iraq. Their wages were particularly low, so they attempted to create work unions. Historians disagree on whether the work unions were successful. Sultan Jalal ad-Din's followers remained loyal to him even after his death in 1231, and raided the Seljuk lands of Jazira and SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for the next several years, calling themselves the Khwarezmiyya. Ayyubid Sultan Salih Ayyub, in Egypt, later hired their services against his uncle Salih Ismail. The Khwarezmiyya, heading south from Iraq towards Egypt, invaded Christian-held Jerusalem along the way, on July 11, 1244. The city's citadel, the Tower of David
Tower of David
The Tower of David is an ancient citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.Built to strengthen a strategically weak point in the Old City's defenses, the citadel that stands today was constructed during the 2nd century BC and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt by,...
, surrendered on August 23, the Christian population of the city was decimated and the Jews expelled. This triggered a call from Europe for the Seventh Crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
, but the Crusaders would never again be successful in retaking Jerusalem. After being conquered by the Khwarezmian forces, the city stayed under Muslim control until 1917, when it was taken from the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
by the British.
After taking Jerusalem, the Khwarezmian forces continued south, and on October 17 fought on the side of the Ayyubids at the Battle of Harbiyah
Battle of La Forbie
The Battle of La Forbie, also known as the Battle of Harbiyah, was fought October 17, 1244 – October 18, 1244 between the allied armies and the Egyptian army of the Ayyubid Sultan as-Salih Ayyub, reinforced with Khwarezmian mercenaries.-Prelude:The capture of...
, northeast of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, killing the remains of the Christian army there, some 1,200 knights. It was the largest battle involving the crusaders since the Battle of the Horns of Hattin
Battle of Hattin
The Battle of Hattin took place on Saturday, July 4, 1187, between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of the Ayyubid dynasty....
in 1187.
The remains of the Muslim Khwarezmians served in Egypt as Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
mercenaries until they were finally beaten by Mansur Ibrahim some years later.
Khwarizmi war captives assimilated into the Mongols, forming modern Mongolian
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
clan Sartuul
Sartuul
Sartuul is one of the Mongol clans. Today, they primarily live in the Zavkhan Province of Mongolia.The origin of the Sartuul people is Turkic merchants and artisans from Khwarizm. According to Pelliot, Sartuul means merchant in plural. Mongols called Muslim merchant a Sart or the place he came...
.
Mamunids
- Abu Ali Mamun (I) ibn MuhammadMamun IMa'mun I Abu 'Ali was Khwarazm-Shah from 995 until his death. He was the founder of the Ma'munid dynasty, which lasted from 995 until 1017....
(995–997 under Samanid suzerainty) - Abu ʼl-Hasan Ali ibn MamunAbu al-Hasan AliAbu al-Hasan 'Ali was Khwarazm-Shah from 997 until his death. The second member of the Ma'munid dynasty, he was the son of Mamun I....
(997–1008/9, first under Samanid suzerainty, later virtually independent) - Abu ʼl-Abbas Mamun (II) ibn MamunMamun IIAbu'l-Abbas Ma'mun was Khwarazm-Shah from 1008 or 1009 until his death, having succeeded his brother Abu al-Hasan Ali in that post. He was the son of Mamun I....
(1008/9–1017) - Abu ʼl-Harith Muhammad ibn AliMuhammad, Khwarezm-ShahAbu'l Harith Muhammad was Khwarazm Shah for a period in 1017. The son of Abu al-Hasan Ali, he was the last member of the Iranian Ma'munid dynasty to rule Khwarazm.In 1017 a young Muhammad was declared shah by the murderers of his uncle Abu'l Abbas Mamun...
(1017)
Altuntashids
- Abu Said Altun-TashAltun TashAltun Tash was Khwarazm-Shah from 1017 until his death.Altun Tash was originally a slave commander serving the Ghaznavid Sebük Tigin. In 1008 he played a leading role in a battle against the Karakhanids at Sharkhiyan near Balkh, in which the Ghaznavids were victorious...
(1017–1032, virtually independent governor of the Ghaznavids) - Harun ibn Altun-TashHarun, Ghaznavid Governor of KhwarezmHarun was the de facto ruler of Khwarazm from 1032 to 1035. He was the son of Altun Tash.Following his father's death in 1032, Harun was effectively made governor of Khwarazm by the Ghaznavid sultan Mas'ud...
(1032–1034, first lieutenant of the nominal Ghaznawid Khwarazm-Shah, Said ibn MasudMas'ud I of GhazniMas'ud I seized the throne of the Ghaznavid Empire upon the death of his father Mahmud from his younger twin Mohammad who had been nominated as the heir upon the death of their father Mahmud of Ghazni. His twin was blinded and imprisoned...
, later independent) - Ismail Khandan ibn Altun-TashIsmail KhandanIsma'il Khandan was the ruler of Khwarazm, an ancient state along the previous Aral Sea, from 1035 to 1041 AD. He was the son of Altun Tash.In 1035 Isma'il's brother Harun was assassinated by his guards at the instigation of the Ghaznavid sultan Mas'ud I of Ghazni...
(1034–1041)
Anushtiginids
- Anush-Tigin GharchaiAnush Tigin GharchaiAnūš Tigin Ghrachaī was a Turkic slave commander of the Seljuqs and the governor of Khwārezm from around 1077 until his death...
(1077–?, nominal governor (shihnaShihnaShihna was a medieval Islamic term meaning, roughly, "military administrator." The term was used particularly for the Seljuk Turks' representative in Iraq, who exerted the Seljuks' power over the Abbasid caliph. The Seljuks themselves ruled their empire, which included most of southwest Asia in...
) of the Seljuqs)
Non-dynastic
- Ekinchi ibn Qochqar (1097, governor of the Seljuqs)
Anushtiginids
- Qutb ad-Din Abu ʼl-Fath Arslan-Tigin Muhammad (I) ibn Anush-TiginMuhammad I of KhwarazmQutb al-Din Muhammad was Khwarazm Shah from 1097 until his death. He was the son of Anush Tigin.In around 1097 Qutb al-Din Muhammad was appointed governor of Khwarazm by the Seljuk sultan Barkiyaruq's military commander, Habashi ibn Altun-Taq...
(1097–1127/28 under Seljuq suzerainty) - Ala ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Muzaffar Qizil-Arslan Atsiz ibn MuhammadAtsizAtsïz was Khwarazm Shah from 1127 until his death. He was the son of Qutb ad-Din Muhammad.Atsïz gained his position following his father's death in 1127. During the early part of his reign he focused on securing Khwarazm against nomad attacks. In 1138 he rebelled against his suzerain, the Seljuk...
(reg. 1127/28–1156 under Seljuq and (from 1141 on) Qara-Khitay suzerainty) - Taj ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Fath Il-ArslanIl-ArslanIl-Arslan was Khwarazm Shah from 1156 until his death. He was the son of Atsïz.In 1152 Il-Arslan was made governor of Jand, an outpost on the Syr Darya which had recently been reconquered, by his father. In 1156 Atsïz died and Il-Arslan succeeded him as Khwarazm-Shah...
(1156–1172 under Qara-Khitay suzerainty) - Ala ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Muzaffar Tekish ibn Il-Arslan (1172–1200 under Qara-Khitay suzerainty)
- Jalal ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Qasim Mahmud Sultan-Shah ibn Il-ArslanSultan Shah of KhwarezmSultan Shah was a claimant to the title of Khwarazm Shah from 1172 until his death. He was the son of Il-Arslan.In 1172 Il-Arslan died and his sons began fighting over who would succeed him. Sultan Shah was the younger son, but he was considered the formal heir and his mother, Terken Khatun,...
(1172–1193, rival ruler in northern Khurasan) - Ala ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Fath Muhammad (II) ibn TekishMuhammad II of KhwarezmAla ad-Din Muhammad II was the ruler of the Khwarezmid Empire from 1200 to 1220. His ancestor was a Turkic slave who eventually became a viceroy of a small province named Khwarizm. After his father died, Muhammad inherited his father's lands, and it was from there he began expanding outwards...
(1200–1220) - Jalal ad-Dunya wa-ʼd-Din Abu ʼl-Muzaffar Mengübirti ibn MuhammadJalal ad-Din MingburnuJalal ad-Din Mingburnu, also known as Mengübirti or Manguberdi or Minkburny in the east was the last ruler of the Khwarezmid Empire...
(1220–1231)
See also
- Historic states represented in Turkish presidential sealHistoric states represented in Turkish presidential seal16 Great Turkish Empires is a historical discourse that was created in 1969 to explain the meaning of 16 stars of the presidential seal of Turkey. And it was inaugurated in 1985 with the presidential seal today...
- Full list of Persian Kingdoms
- Khwarezmia
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
Literature
- M. Ismail Marcinkowski, Persian Historiography and Geography: Bertold Spuler on Major Works Produced in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, the CaucasusCaucasusThe Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, Central AsiaCentral AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Early Ottoman Turkey, with a foreword by Professor Clifford Edmund Bosworth, member of the British AcademyBritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 2003, ISBN 9971-77-488-7.