Why did the Mongols attack the Persian Empire of Khwarazm?

The chain of events that led to the Mongol invasion started when the Shah of Khwarazm, Shah Muhammad II, broke a peace treaty that he had agreed with Genghis Khan. Shah Muhammed died on an island in the Caspian Sea, exhausted by the loss of his kingdom, which was absorbed into the Mongol Empire.

Was the Khwarezmian Empire Persian?

The Khwarazmian Empire (English: /kwəˈræzmiən/; also spelt Khwarezmian) was a Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran in the approximate period of 1077 to 1231, first as vassals of the Seljuk Empire and the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty), and later …

What happened to the Khwarezmian?

Mongol conquest by Genghis Khan The Khwarezmid Empire ruled over all of Persia in the early 13th century under Shah ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Muhammad II (1200–1220). From 1218 to 1220, Genghis Khan conquered Central Asia including the Kara-Khitai Khanate, thus ending the Khwarezmid Empire.

How many Persians were killed by Mongols?

According to the works of the Iranian historian Rashid al-Din (1247–1318), the Mongols killed more than 700,000 people in Merv and more than 1,000,000 in Nishapur. The total population of Persia may have dropped from 2,500,000 to 250,000 as a result of mass extermination and famine.

What did the Mongols do to Khwarazm?

Legend tells that the often flamboyant Genghis Khan executed the Khwarazm governor by pouring molten silver into his ears and eyes. Eventually the Shah fled rather than surrender, and he died shortly after, possibly killed by the Mongols.

What did Mongols do in Persia?

While Mongol domination of Persia did damage Persian agriculture, the Mongols had less of an impact on Persian government, as Mongol rulers made extensive use of the sophisticated Persian bureaucracy. Ultimately, a number of Mongols turned to farming, married local people, and were assimilated into Persian society.

Is Mongolian a Turkic language?

Mongolian is related to the extinct Khitan language. It was believed that Mongolian is related to Turkic, Tungusic, Korean and Japonic languages but this view is now seen as obsolete by a majority of (but not all) comparative linguists.