FALL of Baghdad to Halaku Khan .
Excerpt from a book by Reynold Nicolson , 1907 .
In 1219 a.d. Chingz Khan, having consolidated his power in the Far East, turned his face westward and suddenly Chingz Khan advanced into Transoxania, which at that time formed a province of the wide dominions of the Shhs of Khwrizm (Khiva).
The reigning monarch, ‘Al’u ’l-Dn Muḥammad, was unable to make an effective resistance; and notwithstanding that his son, the gallant Jallu ’l-Dn, carried on a desperate guerilla for twelve years, the invaders swarmed over Khursn and Persia, massacring the panic-stricken inhabitants wholesale and leaving a wilderness behind them. Hitherto Baghdd had not been seriously threatened, but on the first day of January, 1256 a.d.—an epoch-marking date—Hlg, the grandson of Chingz Khan, crossed the Oxus, with the intention of occupying the ‘Abbsid capital. I translate the following narrative from a manuscript in my possession of the Ta’rkh al-Khams by Diyrbakr († 1574 a.d.):—
In the year 654 (a.h. = 1256 a.d.) the stubborn tyrant, Hlg, the destroyer of the nations (Mubdu ’l-Umam), set forth and took Hlg before Baghdd (1258 a.d.). the castle of Alamt from the Ism‘ls and slew them and laid waste the lands of Rayy.... And in the year 655 there broke out at Baghdd a fearful riot between the Sunns and the Sh‘ites, which led to great plunder and destruction of property. A number of Sh‘ites were killed, and this so incensed and infuriated the Vizier Ibnu ’l-‘Alqami that he encouraged the Tartars to invade ‘Irq, by which means he hoped to take ample vengeance on the Sunns.
And in the beginning of the year 656 the tyrant Hlg b. Tl b. Chingz Khn, the Moghul, arrived at Baghdd with his army, including the Georgians (al-Kurj) and the troops of Mosul. The Dawdr marched out of the city and met Hlg's vanguard, which was commanded by Bj. The Moslems, being few, suffered defeat; whereupon Bj advanced and pitched his camp to the west of Baghdd, while Hlg took up a position on the eastern side. Then the Vizier Ibnu ’l-‘Alqam said to the Caliph Musta‘ṣim Billh: "I will go to the Supreme Khn to arrange peace.
" So the hound went and obtained security for himself, and on his return said to the Caliph: "The Khn desires to marry his daughter to your son and to render homage to you, like the Seljq kings, and then to depart." Musta‘ṣim set out, attended by the nobles of his court and the grandees of his time, in order to witness the contract of marriage. The whole partywere beheaded except the Caliph, who was trampled to death.
The Tartars Sack of Baghdd. entered Baghdd and distributed themselves in bands throughout the city. For thirty-four days the sword was never sheathed. Few escaped. The slain amounted to 1,800,000 and more. Then quarter was called....
Excerpt from a book by Reynold Nicolson , 1907 .
In 1219 a.d. Chingz Khan, having consolidated his power in the Far East, turned his face westward and suddenly Chingz Khan advanced into Transoxania, which at that time formed a province of the wide dominions of the Shhs of Khwrizm (Khiva).
The reigning monarch, ‘Al’u ’l-Dn Muḥammad, was unable to make an effective resistance; and notwithstanding that his son, the gallant Jallu ’l-Dn, carried on a desperate guerilla for twelve years, the invaders swarmed over Khursn and Persia, massacring the panic-stricken inhabitants wholesale and leaving a wilderness behind them. Hitherto Baghdd had not been seriously threatened, but on the first day of January, 1256 a.d.—an epoch-marking date—Hlg, the grandson of Chingz Khan, crossed the Oxus, with the intention of occupying the ‘Abbsid capital. I translate the following narrative from a manuscript in my possession of the Ta’rkh al-Khams by Diyrbakr († 1574 a.d.):—
In the year 654 (a.h. = 1256 a.d.) the stubborn tyrant, Hlg, the destroyer of the nations (Mubdu ’l-Umam), set forth and took Hlg before Baghdd (1258 a.d.). the castle of Alamt from the Ism‘ls and slew them and laid waste the lands of Rayy.... And in the year 655 there broke out at Baghdd a fearful riot between the Sunns and the Sh‘ites, which led to great plunder and destruction of property. A number of Sh‘ites were killed, and this so incensed and infuriated the Vizier Ibnu ’l-‘Alqami that he encouraged the Tartars to invade ‘Irq, by which means he hoped to take ample vengeance on the Sunns.
And in the beginning of the year 656 the tyrant Hlg b. Tl b. Chingz Khn, the Moghul, arrived at Baghdd with his army, including the Georgians (al-Kurj) and the troops of Mosul. The Dawdr marched out of the city and met Hlg's vanguard, which was commanded by Bj. The Moslems, being few, suffered defeat; whereupon Bj advanced and pitched his camp to the west of Baghdd, while Hlg took up a position on the eastern side. Then the Vizier Ibnu ’l-‘Alqam said to the Caliph Musta‘ṣim Billh: "I will go to the Supreme Khn to arrange peace.
" So the hound went and obtained security for himself, and on his return said to the Caliph: "The Khn desires to marry his daughter to your son and to render homage to you, like the Seljq kings, and then to depart." Musta‘ṣim set out, attended by the nobles of his court and the grandees of his time, in order to witness the contract of marriage. The whole partywere beheaded except the Caliph, who was trampled to death.
The Tartars Sack of Baghdd. entered Baghdd and distributed themselves in bands throughout the city. For thirty-four days the sword was never sheathed. Few escaped. The slain amounted to 1,800,000 and more. Then quarter was called....
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