Capture of Kaifeng, the capital of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, by the Mongol Empire
The fall of Kaifeng ended Jin dynasty control of northern China and accelerated the Mongol conquest of the region.
Key Facts
- Siege start
- April 8, 1232
- Mongols entered city
- May 29, 1233
- Prior war duration
- Nearly two decades (from 1211)
- Jin dynasty fell
- 1234, after Aizong's suicide at Caizhou
- Notable weapons used
- Fire lances and gunpowder bombs by Jin defenders
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Mongol Empire and the Jin dynasty had been at war since 1211, when the Jin refused Mongol demands for vassalage. After nearly two decades of conflict, Ögedei Khan resolved to take Kaifeng, the Jin capital, dispatching two armies under himself and his brother Tolui to converge on the city.
Subutai commanded the combined Mongol forces that arrived at Kaifeng's walls on April 8, 1232. The siege cut off supplies, causing famine and disease within the city. Jin defenders employed fire lances and gunpowder bombs against the attackers. A failed peace negotiation—derailed by the assassination of a Mongol diplomat—prolonged the siege until General Cui Li surrendered the city on May 29, 1233.
Emperor Aizong fled to Caizhou before the fall, and the city was looted by Mongol forces upon entry. The Jin dynasty collapsed entirely in 1234 when Caizhou was captured and Aizong took his own life, completing the Mongol destruction of the Jurchen state and consolidating Mongol dominance over northern China.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ögedei Khan, Tolui, Subutai.
Side B
1 belligerent
Cui Li, Emperor Aizong of Jin.