The Mongol capture of Bukhara in 1220 demonstrated that large armies could cross the Kyzylkum Desert, opening the Khwarazmian heartland to conquest.
Key Facts
- Date of outer city surrender
- 10 February 1220
- Mongol force size (est.)
- 30,000–50,000 men
- Khwarazmian garrison
- Fewer than 20,000 soldiers
- Outer city surrender time
- Three days after siege began
- Citadel resistance duration
- Less than two weeks
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Genghis Khan launched a multi-pronged invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire ruled by Shah Muhammad II. Believing the Kyzylkum Desert impassable for large forces, the Shah stationed fewer than 20,000 troops at Bukhara, far from the Mongol border, leaving the city poorly defended against a surprise approach.
A Mongol army of 30,000 to 50,000 men under Genghis Khan crossed the Kyzylkum Desert and arrived unexpectedly before Bukhara. After a failed Khwarazmian sortie, the outer city surrendered within three days on 10 February 1220. Loyalists holding the citadel resisted for under two weeks before it was stormed and taken.
The Mongols killed all defenders in the citadel, enslaved most of the population, and conscripted craftsmen and other inhabitants into their forces. The city was then burned, though destruction was comparatively moderate; Bukhara recovered relatively quickly and later prospered as a trade and learning center under the Pax Mongolica.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Genghis Khan.
Side B
1 belligerent
Shah Muhammad II.