Mongol Pursuit of Shah Muhammad

Timeline

1. 1220Samarkand · UzbekistanAfter the fall of Samarkand, Genghis Khan ordered Jebe and Subutai to lead roughly 30,000 elite cavalry west in pursuit of Shah Muhammad, granting them broad autonomy: "cities that submit shall be spared, those that do not shall be destroyed; choose your own routes." The pursuers set out from Samarkand, racing along the shah's westward flight path.
2. 1220Khorasan · KhorasanJebe and Subutai led their army across Khorasan, capturing or forcing the surrender of Nishapur, Mashhad, Tus, and other cities along the way. The pursuers moved at astonishing speed, leaving Khwarazm's local garrisons no time to organize effective resistance, and large swathes of Khorasan quickly fell under Mongol control.
3. 1220Caspian coast · Caspian SeaUnder pressure from the Mongol pursuers, Shah Muhammad continued fleeing west, abandoning large numbers of followers and treasures, reaching the Caspian coast with only a few close retainers and escaping by boat to a remote island to hide. Jebe and Subutai pursued him to the sea but failed to capture the shah, though they blockaded the coastal routes.