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Draft:Siege of Bamyan (1221)

Coordinates: 34°49′30″N 67°50′00″E / 34.82500°N 67.83333°E / 34.82500; 67.83333
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The siege of Bamiyan took place in 1221 under the leadership of Genghis Khan during the Mongol pursuit of Jalal al-Din Mangburni, the last ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire, which led to a brutal and devastating attack that left the city in ruins[1]

Siege of Bamiyan
Part of the Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire

Only ruins remain of the city from the siege
Date1221
Location
Bamiyan, modern-day Afghanistan
34°49′30″N 67°50′00″E / 34.82500°N 67.83333°E / 34.82500; 67.83333
Result Mongol victory[2]
Belligerents
Mongol Empire Khwarazmian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Genghis Khan[3] Jalal al-Din Mangburni
Strength
200,000[4] Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy
Bamiyan is located in Afghanistan
Bamiyan
Bamiyan
class=notpageimage|
Location of the siege on a map of modern Afghanistan
Bamiyan is located in West and Central Asia
Bamiyan
Bamiyan
Bamiyan (West and Central Asia)

Background

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The siege occurred while the Mongols were pursuing Jalal al-Din Mangburni, The last ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire where Jalal al-Din Mangburni had formed a new Muslim army in Afghanistan[5]

The Siege

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The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan besieged the city of Bamiyan in 1221[6]. The city's defenses were strong, but the Mongols were determined to capture it. After fierce resistance the Mongols breached the walls and captured the city[7]. During the siege Mutukan the son of Chagatai Khan and grandson of Genghis Khan was killed in the battle by an arrow from the city walls[8] This death, compounded by the heavy casualties sustained by his army, angered Genghis Khan to such an extent that once he captured Bamiyan, Genghis Khan gave orders that every living creature to be killed, and all the defenders to be killed aswell. He ordered the city's complete destruction and the annihilation of its population, as well as the surrounding areas. The devastation was so total that the Mongols themselves would later refer to Bamiyan as "the city of sorrows" and "the city of noise (or screams)", a haunting testament to the cries of its slaughtered inhabitants. The ruins of the citadel, and the crumbling remains of the old city, are still clearly, eerily, visible from modern day Bamiyan and Genghis Khan caused no further damage to the Buddha images[9][10][11][12]

Aftermath

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After capturing Bamiyan, Genghis Khan then marched on, hunting down Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu into the Indian territory[13]

The Siege of Bamiyan was marked by widespread destruction and violence[14]

It is said that after the local Afghan population was devastated, Genghis Khan resettled the area with Mongol troops and their female captives to maintain control while he continued his conquest. These early settlers would eventually become the ancestors of the Hazara people, with the name "Hazara" possibly originating from the Persian phrase "yek hezar," meaning "one thousand," which referred to a Mongol military unit of 1,000 soldiers[15][16]

Legacy

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Today, the site of the ancient city of Bamiyan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site[17] The city's famous Buddha statues, although destroyed by the Taliban in 2001[18] remain an important cultural and historical symbol of the region[citation needed].

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "City of Screams: Gholghola". Visit Bamiyan. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
  2. ^ John, Joseph Saunders (1971). The history of the Mongol conquests. London, Routledge & K. Paul. ISBN 0-71-007073-X. p. 218.
  3. ^ Morgan, Llewelyn (2012). The Buddhas of Bamiyan. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-05788-3.
  4. ^ Romano, Amy (2003). A historical atlas of Afghanistan. New York : Rosen Pub. Group. ISBN 0823938638. p. 25.
  5. ^ Kohn, George C (2007). Dictionary of wars. New York : Facts on File/Checkmark Books. p. 55.
  6. ^ Kohn, George C (1986). Dictionary of wars. New York, N.Y. : Facts on File. ISBN 0816010056. p. 48.
  7. ^ Morgan, Llewelyn (2012). The Buddhas of Bamiyan. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674057883. p. 36.
  8. ^ Behnke, Alison (2008). The Conquests of Genghis Khan. Minneapolis : Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 9780822575191. p. 106.
  9. ^ "Shahr-e Gholghola in Bamiyan, Afghanistan". Lonely Planet. 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  10. ^ Romano, Amy (2003). A historical atlas of Afghanistan. New York : Rosen Pub. Group. ISBN 0823938638. p. 25.
  11. ^ "Remembering Bamiyan". Archived from the original on 2013-10-04.
  12. ^ Roux, Jean-Paul (2003). Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire. New York : Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0810991039. p. 124.
  13. ^ Behnke, Alison (2008). The conquests of Genghis Khan. Minneapolis : Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 9780822575191. p. 107.
  14. ^ Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1967). The Valley of Bamiyan. Kabul; Afghan Tourist Organization. p. 42.
  15. ^ Metcalfe, Daniel (2010). Out of Steppe. London : Arrow Books. ISBN 9780099524991. p. 168.
  16. ^ Weatherford, J. Mclver (2004). Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world. New York : Crown. ISBN 0609610627. p. 118.
  17. ^ "Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  18. ^ Morgan, Llewelyn (2012). The Buddhas of Bamiyan. Harvard University Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-674-06538-3.
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