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Siege of Samarkand

Type Event Region Central Asia Time 1220

In spring 1220 Genghis Khan besieged Samarkand, a key Khwarazmian city; after failed counterattacks some Turkic soldiers opened the gates, the city f…

Timeline

  1. 1220Outside Samarkand · UzbekistanAfter taking Bukhara, Genghis Khan advanced along the Zarafshan valley; Chagatai and Ögedei joined him after capturing Otrar, encircling Samarkand. Shah Muhammad had already abandoned the city and fled west; the queen mother Turkan Khatun withdrew to Urgench (Khwarazm) and Prince Jalal al-Din followed his father west, none of them in the city. The garrison was led by a general appointed by the Shah, numbering tens of thousands and equipped with war elephants.
  2. 1220Walls of Samarkand · UzbekistanThe Mongols bombarded the walls with trebuchets while cavalry harassed the defenders. The defenders deployed war elephants in counterattack, briefly causing confusion among the Mongols, but could not prevent the gradual collapse of the outer defenses.
  3. 1220Irrigation system of Samarkand · UzbekistanAfter a failed sortie, morale collapsed; some Turkic defenders and city residents opened the gates to surrender, while the citadel held out for about another month. The Mongols entered, sacked the city, executed resisters, and captured large numbers of artisans and able-bodied men; Samarkand fell.

Sources