BATTLE // January 1, 1216

Mongol conquest of the Qara Khitai

Name: Mongol conquest of the Qara Khitai
Start: 1216-01-01
End: 1216-01-01
Location: Mongol conquest of the Qara Khitai

Overview

The Mongol Empire conquered the Qara Khitai in the year 1218 AD. Prior to the invasion, war with the Khwarazmian Empire and the usurpation of power by the Naiman prince Kuchlug had weakened the Qara Khitai. When Kuchlug besieged Almaliq, a city belonging to the Karluks, vassals of the Mongol Empire, and killed their ruler Ozar, who was a grandson-in-law to Genghis Khan, Genghis Khan dispatched a force under command of Jebe and Barchuk to pursue Kuchlug. After his force of over 30,000 was defeated by Jebe at the Khitan capital Balasagun, Kuchlug faced rebellions over his unpopular rule, forcing him to flee to modern Afghanistan, where he was captured by hunters in 1218. The hunters turned Kuchlug over to the Mongols who beheaded him. Upon defeating the Qara Khitai, the Mongols now had a direct border with the Khwarazmian Empire, which they would soon invade in 1219.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Mongol conquest of the Qara Khitai in 1218 removed one of the remaining powers of Central Asia and brought the Mongol Empire into direct territorial contact with the Khwarazmian Empire, setting the stage for the invasion that followed in 1219. The Qara Khitai had already been weakened before the campaign began: sustained conflict with the Khwarazmian Empire and the internal usurpation of power by the Naiman prince Kuchlug had eroded the state's cohesion. The immediate trigger for Mongol intervention was Kuchlug's siege of Almaliq, a city belonging to the Karluk vassals of the Mongol Empire, and his killing of their ruler Ozar, who held a marriage connection to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan dispatched a force under Jebe and Barchuk in response. Kuchlug's defeat at Balasagun was compounded by popular rebellions against his unpopular rule, which forced him to flee southward into what is now Afghanistan, where he was captured by hunters and handed over to the Mongols, who executed him. The elimination of the Qara Khitai thus resulted as much from internal collapse as from direct military defeat, and its chief strategic consequence for the Mongol invasion of Central Asia was the creation of a shared frontier with the Khwarazmian Empire.

Tactics

After his force of over 30,000 was defeated by Jebe at the Khitan capital Balasagun, Kuchlug was driven to flight. The overview does not provide further detail on the tactical conduct of the engagement at Balasagun or other phases of the campaign.