The First Tatarian Attack

In order to remove the Abbasid Caliphate, Genghis Khan thought it better to center himself first in the region of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. For this reason, he fought a series of consecutive wars with the eastern part of the Islamic world, known at that time as the Khwarezmid State, including such important Islamic countries as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and parts of Iran. The capital of this vast state was Urgench, currently in Turkmenistan.

There was a semi-agreement of neighborhood between Genghis Khan and Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah, the king of the Khwarezmid State. However, Genghis Khan was not one who cared about their treaties, or respected agreements. Therefore, there was no impediment from breaking treaties and revoking previously made agreements. That is the way of the people of falsehood as confirmed by Allaah the Almighty in His saying (what means): {is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.} [Quran 2:100]

It is within this context that the horrifying Tatarian hurricane started to attack the Muslim countries.
It began with the first Tatarian attack against the Khwarezmid State. Genghis Khan came leading his great army to invade the state of Khawaarizm Shaah, and Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah with his army went out to face him. Both armies met in an atrocious battle that lasted for four days, East of Sirdaria River in Kazakhstan, leaving a great number of casualties in both armies. About 20,000 Muslims were martyred in that battle, and many times that number were killed from among the Tatars. Then, the fighting stopped between both parties, and Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah withdrew with his army, in flight from the huge number of the Tatars, and preferred to fortify the huge and important cities in his extensive kingdom, especially Urgench, the capital. This bloody clash took place in 616 A.H. / 1219 A.D.

Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah engaged in mobilizing the armies from the different ends of his state. The preparatory tactic of Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah made an evident mistake. In spite of his great concern to fortify Urgench, the capital, he left the eastern parts of the extensive state unprotected. Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm gave special care to securing himself, his family and his closest men, but neglected, to a great extent, securing his people. He was eager to preserve his treasures and the treasures of his forefathers, but neglected guarding the valuables and possessions of his people.

Genghis Khan prepared his army anew and hastened to break into all parts of Kazakhstan, and proceeded till he came to the Muslim city of Bukhaara in Uzbekistan. He besieged the city in 616 A.H. / 1219 A.D., and when its inhabitants requested security in return for surrender, Genghis Khan granted them security.
The gates of the Muslim city were opened for the Tatars, and Genghis Khan entered the huge city and, at first, granted safety to its inhabitants, by way of deception, in order to gain dominance over the fighters inside the castle.

Genghis Khan besieged the castle and asked the (surrendering) Muslims to help him fill with earth the ditches surrounding the castle, in order to be able to intrude it more easily; and they did accordingly. The blockade continued for ten days, after which he opened it by force. When he entered, he fought those who were in it until he killed them all. Thus, Bukhaara became void of its Mujaahids.

Genghis Khan then began his treachery. Let Ibn Katheer, May Allaah have mercy upon him, depict that situation in his Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah, "They killed of its people a great multitude whose number is known only by Allaah the Almighty, and took women and children as captives, and committed immoralities with women in the presence of their families."
In this way, Bukhaara was ruined entirely in 616 A.H. / 1219 A.D.

However, this was only the first page of the story, and the first commencement of the deluge and hurricane.
By the coming of 617 A.H. / 1220 A.D, the Tatars committed beyond description atrocities. They repeated what they had previously done in Bukhara in many great Muslim cities as Samarqand, wherein Genghis Khan, the slayer, settled, since it appealed to him so much. Then, he decided to exterminate Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah, in order to be able to invade and occupy its cities more easily. He dispatched 20,000 of his horsemen in pursuit of Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah, the leader of the Khwarezmid State wherever he was. This was but a very small number in comparison with the huge armies of the Tatars. Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah continued to escape from this force wherever it arrived.

The leader Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm continued to escape until he arrived on an island in the middle of the sea, where he agreed to stay in a castle in severe destitution and great hardship, despite the fact that he was the king who ruled a vast state and had incalculable wealth. But he accepted that humiliating life in flight from death. Then, a few days later, Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah died on that island, inside the castle, alone, dispossessed, driven away, and so destitute that they could not even find anything to shroud his dead body except the cover of his bed: {Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction.} [Quran 4:78]

The brigade of 20,000 Tatarian horsemen was about 650 kilometers from the main force of Genghis Khan in Samarqand. This distance included Islamic territories, whose population had a strong feeling of enmity towards the Tatars. However, this small brigade broke in the gatherings of Muslims across those Islamic territories that were as many as millions, killing, capturing, and taking control of the Islamic countries and cities one after another. They occupied Mazandran in Iran, from where they moved to Rayy, a large city in Iran.

On their way from Mazandaran to Rayy, the Tatars found his (Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm’s) mother and wives, having huge wealth and matchless precious treasures. They took them as captives and what they had as booty, and sent them to Genghis Khan who was still in Samarqand. Then, the Tatars did the same in the surrounding cities and villages.

After the accomplishment of this sweeping attack, the Tatars moved to occupy the Muslim country of Azerbaijan, and then to take control of Georgia and Armenia, to confront the Kurg tribes, which were Christians and idolaters. Both Armenia and Georgia were occupied, and countless numbers of the Kurg were killed.
It was indeed a very sweeping attack, which indicated the extent to which the Tatars were monstrous, and their enemies were weak.

After Genghis Khan was assured about the escape of Muhammad ibn Khawaarizm Shaah towards the west, and the movement from one city to another in flight from the Tatarian brigade dispatched to chase him, he started to spread his control over the regions surrounding Samarkand and the vast Islamic regions lying to the west and north of Samarkand.
The greatest and strongest regions in those were Khwarezm and Khuraasaan. Khuraasaan was a vast region, having such great and large cities as Balkh, Marw, Neyshabur, Herat, Ghaznah and others; and now, it lies in the east of Iran and the north of Afghanistan. Khwarezm was the central region of the Khwarezmid State. It was famous for its fortified castles and great population, and its people were well-known for their skill in fighting; and it is to the north-west of Samarkand, in which the river Jaihun extends. Now, it is shared between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

However, Genghis Khan wanted to launch a psychological war which might have a negative effect on the Muslims before invading those huge regions. He first decided to undertake a campaign of genocide and destruction hoping to cast terror into the hearts of the Muslims in those large regions: Khuraasaan and Khwarezm.
He dispatched three brigades from his army:
One to destroy the region of Fergana (Farghaanah) presently in Uzbekistan, as far as about 500 kilometers to the east of Samarkand;
Another to destroy Termez (Tirmith) currently in Turkmenistan, I mean the city of the grand Imaam At-Tirmithi, May Allaah have mercy upon him, the author of the famous Sunan, as far as 100 kilometers to the south of Samarkand;

And the third to destroy the castle of Kalabah, one of the strongest Muslim castles on the bank of the River Jaihun.
Those brigades succeeded to accomplish their destructive role as intended by Genghis Khan. They seized those regions, and went on killing, capturing, committing robbery, demolition and burning, as the Tatars used to do in other places.
After those brigades had returned from their odious mission, Genghis Khan started to prepare for a more odious task, i.e. to invade Khuraasaan and Khwarezm.

In order to occupy those regions, the Tatars had to occupy Balkh first, whose inhabitants requested safety, and, unusually, were granted safety by Genghis Khan, provided that they should help him invade the city of Marw. The psychologically defeated inhabitants of Balkh responded to his demand, and co-operated with him in invading Marw.

In Marw, the Tatars killed seven hundred thousand men, women and children, who constituted its entire population, robbed the resources, to the extent that they dug the grave of Sultan Sungur in search for treasures and ornaments that were believed to have been buried with him.
After that, the Tatars moved towards Neyshabur, to the north-east of Iran, and then to Herat in Khwarezm.

To Continue....................................

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