Khwarazmian Empire

The Khwarazmian Empire was a big and important country that existed a long time ago. It was a place where many different people lived, including Persians and Turks. The empire covered large parts of places we now call Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran. It started around the year 1077 and lasted until 1231.

At first, the Khwarazmian Empire was under the control of other powerful countries, but later it became independent. One of the important leaders was Ala ad-Din Atsiz, who helped the empire grow strong. The Khwarazmian Empire became very powerful and even defeated other big empires around it.

Sadly, the empire did not last forever. In 1219, the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, invaded the Khwarazmian Empire. They were very strong and quickly took over the whole empire in just two years. This was a very hard time for the people living there, as many cities were destroyed.

History

The title of Khwarazmshah was first used in 305 by the founder of the Afrighids and lasted until 995. After a short break, the title was used again. In 1017, during an uprising in Khwarazm, rebels killed Khwarazmshah Ma'mun II and his wife. In response, Mahmud of Ghazni invaded to stop the rebellion. He later put a new ruler in place and made Khwarazm part of the Ghaznavid empire until 1035.

In 1077, control of the area passed to Anushtegin Gharchai, a commander of the Seljuqs. In 1097, the governor Ekinchi ibn Qochqar declared himself the Shah of Khwarazm but was later killed by rebel Seljuq leaders. He was replaced by Qutb al-Din Muhammad, who became the first hereditary Khwarazmshah.

Anushtegin Gharachai was a commander of the Seljuqs and the governor of Khwarazm from around 1077 until 1097. He was the first in his family to rule Khwarazm.

Atsiz became ruler after his father Qutb al-Din's death in 1127. Early in his rule, he worked to protect Khwarazm from attacks. Later, he rebelled against the Seljuq sultan but was defeated. He then attacked Bukhara but later submitted to the sultan again. Atsiz took advantage of a defeat of the Seljuqs by the Kara Khitai to invade Khorasan but was forced to pay tribute. He continued to rule flexibly between the Seljuqs and the Kara Khitai.

Il-Arslan ruled from 1156 to 1172. He paid tribute to both the Seljuq sultan and the Qara Khitai. After the Seljuq sultan died, Il-Arslan broke free from Seljuq control. He died after the Qara Khitai attacked him for not paying tribute.

Tekish ruled from 1172 to 1200. He shook off control by the Qara Khitai and made close ties with Oghuz Turkmens and Qipchak tribes. In 1194, he defeated the Seljuq sultan and took his lands. He died in 1200 and was succeeded by his son, Ala ad-Din Muhammad.

Muhammad led the Khwarazmian Empire to its largest size. In 1218, a small group of Mongols crossed into Khwarazm to retrieve an escaped general. Muhammad accused them of spying and had them arrested and killed. This led Genghis Khan to invade with a large army in 1219. They attacked and took many cities, including the capital Gurganj. Muhammad fled and died shortly after.

Jalal al-Din was the last ruler of the Khwarazmshahs, ruling from 1220 to 1231. He tried to escape the Mongols but was caught and defeated. He later gathered an army but continued to struggle against the Mongols and others until his death in 1231.

State apparatus

The leader of the Khwarazmshahs had a special helper called a vizier. The vizier was the main adviser and managed important tasks like paying salaries, handling taxes, and overseeing the treasury. One famous vizier named Al-Harawi built many important buildings, including a mosque and a school in the city of Merv.

Another key role was the hajib, usually a member of the Turkic nobility. The hajib reported to the ruler about personal matters and followed the ruler's special instructions. There could be more than one hajib at a time.

Population

The Khwarazmian Empire was home to mainly Iranian people and half-nomadic Turkic peoples. Most city dwellers lived in a few very large cities rather than many small towns. Before the Mongol invasion in 1220, the empire had about 5 million people, which was a small number for its large size. Historians estimate that the biggest cities had between 520,000 and 850,000 people each around the start of the 13th century.

Capital cities

The main city of the Khwarazmian Empire was Urganch, also called Gurganj. A traveler who visited in 1219 said it was one of the greatest, richest, and most beautiful cities he had ever seen. Skilled workers lived there, including blacksmiths and carpenters. Other important cities that later served as capitals included Samarqand, Ghazna, and Tabriz.

Culture

The Khwarazmshahs came from a Turkic background but embraced Persian culture. They followed the Sunni branch of Islam and lived in major cities in Khorasan. Their era mixed Turkic traditions with Persian ways.

During this time, Central Asian society was recently united. The Khwarazmian army was mostly Turkish, but the people who worked in offices were mainly Persian. The Turkic people spoke Kipchak Turkic and Oghuz, continuing traditions from the Seljuq Turkomans.

But the main language in the big cities and government was Persian. Everyone in charge needed to know Persian culture well. Persian was the official language for the state, used in government, history, stories, and poems. The Turkic language was spoken at home by the Anushteginid family, and Arabic was used for science, thinking, and religion.

Main articles: Mina'i ware and Lusterware

Beautifully decorated Mina'i ceramics were made mainly in Kashan before the Mongol invasion of Persia in 1219. These special pieces were created when the Khwarazmian Empire ruled the area, first under the Seljuk Empire and later on their own from 1190. Mina'i ware was made from the late 1200s to the early 1300s, with dates ranging from 1186 to 1224. Fancy lusterware also came from this time.

Horsemen, [Mina'i ware](/wiki/Mina'i_ware), early 13th century, Iran

[Mina'i Bowl](/wiki/Mina'i_Bowl) with horserider, early 13th century, Iran

[Lusterware](/wiki/Lusterware) bowl with leopard, early 13th century, Kashan, Iran

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  Lustreware plate painted by Abu Zayd al-Kashani in December 1210 (dated AH Jumada II 607).

Military

The Khwarazmian Empire had a strong army of about 40,000 cavalry soldiers, most of whom were from Turkic groups. The empire's big cities had militias, but they were not very well-trained or equipped.

After the Mongol invasion, many Khwarazmians became mercenaries. They served in northern Iraq and stayed loyal to their leader, Sultan Jalal ad-Din, even after he passed away in 1231. These soldiers, known as the Khwarazmiyya, raided lands in Jazira and Syria. Later, they were hired by an Ayyubid leader in Egypt and marched towards Egypt.

On their way, they captured Jerusalem on 11 July 1244. The city's defenders gave up, and the Christian people were forced to leave. This event led Europe to start the Seventh Crusade, but they could not retake Jerusalem. The city remained under Muslim control until 1917, when it was taken by the British from the Ottomans.

The Khwarazmian forces then fought in a big battle called the Battle of La Forbie on 17 October 1244. They joined the Ayyubids against the Crusaders, destroying what was left of the Crusader army. This was one of the largest battles involving the Crusaders since the Battle of the Horns of Hattin in 1187.